Take That star Mark Owen, who hails from Oldham, has spoken of his life in the town ahead of the release of the ‘Greatest Days’ movie.

Greatest Days is an adaptation of the jukebox musical, originally called The Band, which opened in 2017.

Original cast members for the production were selected through the BBC reality show Let It Shine.

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Speaking at the film’s London premier, Owen said the film was “really special” because Take That had been a “passport to the world” allowing him to have multiple international experiences.

“It’s really special because when we first started it was before the days of social media and all that and there were people that would tell us that they learnt English through our songs,” he told PA.

“It was great, when we were turning up in those days – for me it was a passport to the world, the band because I lived in this little town called Oldham, and I hadn’t really been outside of Oldham.

“Then I joined the band and I started to go, first to London, then eventually we went to Germany, then we went to Japan, then we went to America.

“I was like ‘look at my passport, I’ve got all these stamps.”

The film, directed by Coky Giedroyc, stars comedian Aisling Bea, Jayde Adams, Alice Lowe and Amaka Okafor – with Barlow, Owen and Donald serving as executive producers.

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The feel-good film, featuring many of Take That’s hit songs, follows five best friends who have the night of their lives seeing their favourite boy band in concert.

Twenty-five years later they are reunited and travel to Greece, to see an epic show by the childhood heroes and rekindle their friendships.

Comedian Aisling Bea added that the film was also a “love letter” to her character, an NHS nurse called Rachel, who is “passionate” about her job and feels the need to revive the “connection with her friends”.

Thursday’s premiere also featured an exclusive performance by Take That in Leicester Square’s Gardens.

Greatest Days arrives in UK cinemas today, June 16.