A Nottinghamshire Take That superfan, who has seen the band over 100 times and even performed a song with Gary Barlow, has said she can't wait for the boys to reunite for a new album and world tour.
Boy band Take That recently announced that three of the original line up - Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald - will be reuniting for a new album and world tour.
The trio have already started working on the new album with a plan to release it in 2023 and then tour it across the world in 2024. Fans across the globe have been thrilled to hear of the reunion and one superfan, Emma Knaggs, 43, has already started planning to see them.
Read more: Michael Bublé brings 2023 Higher Tour to UK with tickets on sale this week
Mum-of-three Emma believes she has seen the band over 100 times over the past few decades and has even sung with Gary Barlow after campaigning to get on stage with him in 2018.
The superfan has camped for days outside of venues to ensure she gets the barrier at Take That gigs and has met the boys multiple times while supporting the band and their solo careers.
Support worker Emma, who lives in Sutton in Ashfield, with her very understanding husband, property manager Chris Knaggs, 44, said: "I'm really excited for the new album. I want to know what route they're going to go down musically.
"I'm 43 now and I've been a fan since I was 11 - it's been a long time! I'm really excited. Obviously, we don't know what the material is like at the moment, but if it is anything to do with their past songs, it's going to be amazing.
"They all write their own songs as well. Gary was the main songwriter, but now they all play a part in it now, so I'm really excited to see what direction they've gone in."
Emma has been a fan of Take That for the past three decades after watching them perform on the Royal Variety Show in 1992 when she was just 11 years old.
Since then, she reckons she's seen the band over 100 times and has even travelled to other countries to see them perform, attending concerts in Rotterdam and Milan.
The grandmother-of-one said: "My mum was a single parent so she used to save up so we could go to every tour they did - she even sent me to Rotterdam to see them when I was 15. I dread to think how many times I've seen them. It's got to be over 100 times, easily.
"I camp out for days to get barrier - I always have to get barrier. I've made a lot of friends over the years supporting the band, so we camp out for a quite a few days before concerts just so we can get front row."
In 2018, Emma got the attention of the band when she campaigned to get on stage and sing with Gary Barlow. Incredibly, her campaign worked, and she ended up on stage singing 'A Million Love Songs' on May 25, 2018, with the man himself, who Emma confesses is her favourite of the band.
Emma said: "I got to sing with him on stage, it was incredible! He got on the piano and I sang 'A Million Love Songs' with him. That's got to be my favourite song by them now. It holds such a lovely memory for me now.
"My friend Leanne entered an auction to meet them backstage at the last tour that they did and she won so we got to go backstage to meet them in Birmingham in 2019. Gary recognised me! It was amazing, I love that he recognises me now.
"He did a book tour a few years ago, after he picked me on stage, and I asked him if he saw my campaign, and he said I couldn't miss your campaign!
"Gary follows me on Twitter as well. My mum sadly died a few years ago and he actually messaged me to send me his love, which was lovely. Gary is my favourite of the band. Mark was, to begin with - I think every teenage girl was all Mark back in the day!
"But Gary has matured well. He loves his wine and cheese at the moment, and he just gets better with age, just like a fine wine!" Emma has met all of the boys of Take That and always makes the effort to see them, whether as a band or in their solo careers.
She said: "Mark has just brought his own solo album out and his tour starts next week - I'm going to that on Monday. I met him last week at an album signing in Birmingham, and then I'm seeing him on Monday in Manchester as I've got VIP tickets which are like gold dust, I don't know how I've managed to get them!
"Gary is doing his stage show at the moment, I've seen that and I'm seeing it again in Nottingham in November. He's not meeting fans at the moment due to covid, but he still interacts with the fans, which is great.
"Howard is actually coming to my home town in December to do a DJ set so I'll be seeing him there as well and hopefully meeting him too." Emma also has an impressive stash of memorabilia that she started collecting back when she was a little girl who decorated her bedroom with posters of the boys.
Now married, her collection has decreased in size but she still owns books, CDs, DVDs, cups, glasses, pictures, scarves, key rings, T-shirts, hoodies, signed box sets and VIP memorabilia.
Emma said: "I've got memorabilia scattered around - not like back in the day, when my bedroom used to be covered in posters on the ceiling and everything! I'm married now and I've just become a grandma, so I don't have as much as I used to have, a lot of it is in storage.
"My husband is supportive, he has to be! He is very understanding as it does take up a lot of my time, especially when they're on tour because I don't just go to one show. I go to multiple shows, and I have to queue up for days to get barrier, I can't not have barrier."
Die-hard fan Emma has no plans to stop supporting the boys and was thrilled when she heard they are reuniting for a new album and a world tour. She's already made plans to go to Vegas in 2024 to see them perform and can't wait to hear the new album - the first Take That have released since 2017.
She said: "I love all their albums. 'Circus' was really good, and their concert for that was spectacular, it was on another level. That's the thing with Take That - they don't just stand on stage and sing, they actually put on a show, they really do put a lot of effort into the shows.
"They're bringing their film, 'The Greatest Day', out next year. I went to the musical and it was really good, so I'm hoping the film will be amazing as well. It's a really good storyline. They're going to Vegas in 2024 so me and my friends are going. I'll never stop!"
READ NEXT:
Nottingham's Hockley Hustle line-up, venues times and what's in store
Nottingham's Rock City takes on Royal Albert Hall in bid for prestigious award
Taylor Swift's website crashes as fans rush to get pre-sale access for her 'Midnights' UK tour
Spice Girls fans delighted as Mel B hints at new shows in 2023
