Gary Barlow has opened up about losing his baby daughter Poppy, who was delivered stillborn in August 2012. The Take That singer rarely speaks about his family tragedy but in his new autobiography, A Better Me, Gary reflected on the pain of losing his fourth child.
In an extract serialised in The Sun, Gary wrote: "When she was born it was like a light came into the room. It was lovely, it was gorgeous, we both took turns cuddling her, and we took pictures. It was one of the best hours of my life I've ever experienced in the midst of the hardest time of my life. It was very powerful, that hour was."
Gary sadly lost his baby in 2012
Gary continued: "Poppy looked perfect and for an hour she was alive to us. She's in your arms, this beautiful little daughter of ours, a sister to our three other children. Then the reality comes rushing into the room and all the air leaves your lungs. It felt like someone had a hand held tight at my throat. The nurses start hovering and they want to take her away. What we experienced and saw over those 24 hours, no one should have to see or have to go through."
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Go behind the scenes with Gary:
At the time, the doting father released a statement, telling fans that he and Dawn had lost their baby. It read: "Our focus now is giving [Poppy] a beautiful funeral and loving our three children with all our hearts. We'd ask at this painful time that our privacy be respected." A few days later, Gary performed at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony, drawing praise for his strength and braveness.
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The 47-year-old star met his wife Dawn when she was a dancer on his band's tour. In 2000, the couple married and went on to welcome three children – Daniel, Emily and Daisy – before sadly losing Poppy.
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