Mark Owen's life has been a whirlwind of highs and lows, from the dizzying success of his band over three decades to personal battles with tax problems, multiple affairs and alcohol addiction. Take That was formed in 1989 and scored their first Top 40 hit with Promises in 1991. The band, made up of Mark, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams, captured the hearts of millions of teenagers and topped the charts with hits like Could It Be Magic and A Million Love Songs.
Despite his celebrity status, 51 year old Mark has faced numerous hurdles but has always had the unwavering support of his devoted wife of 14 years, Emma Ferguson, and their family – they have three children together, a son, Elwood Jack, and two daughters, Willow Rose and Fox India, reports OK!. In 2010, Mark admitted to The Sun that he had cheated on his wife with "at least" 10 different women. The then-38 year old singer blamed his infidelity on a long struggle with alcoholism and expressed deep remorse for the pain he had inflicted on his family and wife, who he had been with for over five years. He told the newspaper: "I don't know how many girls there were in all. Maybe 10."
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No credit)One of these affairs began when he started dating his current wife and involved a 24 year old account manager at the time. In 2010, MailOnline revealed the scandalous details of Mark's affair that started back in 2004 when he encountered a woman at a Preston train station platform. The duo reportedly jetted off to LA and later met at his Lake District residence "where they smoked cannabis and drank vodka together before having sex".
Allegations also surfaced about them spending time together just weeks before the birth of his first child and once more a month prior to his wedding. At the height of the scandal, Mark confessed: "Life was hard, I guess. I let Emma down. I was selfish and stubborn." In March 2010, after his extramarital activities came to light, Mark's wife ousted him from their home, prompting him to seek treatment for alcohol issues. A source disclosed to MailOnline that Mark "needed urgent help" and that his wife was "so angry and devastated that she had thrown Mark out of their home and has taken off her wedding ring".
By June 2012, news broke that Take That members Howard, Gary, and Mark had poured approximately £26million into music industry investment schemes. Fast forward to 2016, reports emerged that the trio had returned over £20million to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), with former bandmates Jason and Robbie not implicated in these financial dealings. Following the tax avoidance controversy, Gary Barlow took to Twitter to express his remorse, stating: "I want to apologise to anyone who was offended by the tax stories earlier this year."
In a bold move in 2021, Mark traded the rolling hills of England for the sun-drenched vibes of California. He and his wife took the plunge to relocate to the States with their children. An insider revealed to The Sun that Mark's leap across the pond wouldn't impact Take That, explaining he's "only a 10-hour plane ride away and will return to the UK whenever the band needs him." The family is said to have cashed in on their Hampshire property, fetching a cool £6.5million—triple the price he originally shelled out when they uprooted from South West London to embrace country living.
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