Gary Barlow, the iconic frontman of Take That, might be known for his music, but lately, it’s his staggeringly enormous son who’s making waves online.
Known for being relatively private about his personal life, Gary, 53, gave fans a rare glimpse into his family dynamics with a recent post that quickly turned into an internet sensation.
His 24-year-old son Daniel’s impressive 6’2″ height, especially when contrasted with his dad’s own modest 5’7″ height, became the talk of social media, sparking countless memes and jokes.
Now, a resurfaced 2019 clip of Gary and Daniel lifting weights in their garden has gone viral. In the post, Gary jokes about the noticeable ‘size gap.’
He wrote under the post: ‘Don’t look at the difference in weights. Don’t notice that I’m stood a little further forward to make the size gap smaller. Lol.’
Gary posted the video to celebrate one of Daniel’s accomplishments: completing an Ironman competition, an incredible physical feat.
Gary praised his son’s hard work and determination, commenting: ‘We just couldn’t be prouder of our boy.’
The meme first started when Gary shared a photo of himself with Daniel and his youngest daughter, Daisy, during a family holiday.
The wholesome snap celebrated Father’s Day and showed Gary and his family smiling at the camera in summery outfits. In his caption, Gary joked about his rare family post, saying, ‘Father’s Day is the one day I think I’m allowed to post pics of the fam, hey???’
Daniel’s height became a viral topic only over the last week, despite the post going up in June, leading to a flurry of light-hearted tweets comparing the Barlows’ height difference.
The meme likely took off the way it did because it was a welcome and absurd distraction from the anxiety surrounding the recent election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States.
X user @lauraridge_ wrote: ‘Not ready to deal with the hideous result just yet so will continue on my quest to find the best Gary Barlow’s massive son memes for a while…’
@MatticusMoore posted: ‘The election depression leaving my body after seeing all the memes about Gary Barlow and his massive son xoxo.’
@FattusPrickus hilariously wrote: ‘It’s been nearly a full day and I haven’t seen a single one of you doing it so I’ll do it myself. Gary Barlow and Gary Barhigh.’
Despite his dad’s fame, Daniel has shied away from the spotlight, choosing instead to focus on his education in medicine.
The musician revealed recently that Daniel, and daughter Emily, 22, have chosen very different career paths, while his daughter Daisy, 15, is still unsure of her future.
‘The two oldest ones [Daniel and Emily] have kind of gone into medicine and physiology – studying strength and conditioning – and my youngest one, Daisy, I’m not too sure what she’s heading for but again, she’s very studious… unlike me and my wife,’ he said.
He continued to The Mirror: ‘I don’t think they will follow in my music footsteps but I wouldn’t have discouraged them though if they did want to, it’s been a good business for me.
‘Every day I still enjoy what I do and when you realise you’re making a living from it, it’s a great, great place to be. Many roles in “showbiz” are just wonderful, there’s definitely a much harder world out there than the one I’m in I think.’
Gary and his wife Dawn Andrews, 54, tied the knot in 2000, welcoming baby Daniel later that year.