Ahead of two sold out shows in Newcastle Gary Barlow was seen in Tynemouth with fellow pop icon Jason Donovan

Gary Barlow and Jason Donovan in Tynemouth(Image: Instagram)

He’s in Newcastle this week for two sold out gigs at the City Hall and, like many celebrities who arrive in the North East, Gary Barlow headed to one of the area’s most stunning beaches. And he wasn’t the only pop icon in attendance either, as he was joined by 80s legend Jason Donovan.

Whether it’s as a solo artist or a member of the nation’s favourite boyband Take That, Gary is always a huge draw whenever he is in the vicinity of Newcastle city centre and, having already delighted crowds in the likes of Blackpool, Stockton and Edinburgh, the talented singer/songwriter is back on Tyneside for a double header of concerts at the City Hall. Edinburgh was Gary’s most recent gig at the end of last week and, taking advantage of some time off, Gary did what many of us love to do and headed to the coast and was joined by Jason.

Like many people who head to Tynemouth, famous faces included, Gary and Jason’s visit to the town, dubbed the UK’s coolest by Time Out magazine, took them to the highly acclaimed Riley’s Fish Shack, on King Edward’s Bay; a place held in high esteem by locals and noted food critics alike. Jason’s daughter Jemma, who has been singing with Gary on tour, sharing a photo of some of the delicious food they tucked into at Riley’s on her Instagram story, before Too Many Broken Hearts singer Jason uploaded a selfie of them on the beach front, to reveal that they’d been there to celebrate his birthday.

And when he returned to Inst on Monday, the former Neighbours actor told fans he was delighted to be turning 57 in a ‘lovely part of the world with special people. He added: “57! Wow, crazy! Time flies, how did that happen?!”

Gary is in Newcastle on his Songbook tour both Monday and Tuesday night. And the setlist for the shows has been lapped up by fans, with Gary delving into the locker to perform classics from Take That’s back catalogue like Everything Changes, Greatest Day and Pray, along with his solo hits like Open Road, Let Me Go and Forever Love.