Take That's Mark Owen and wife arrive home for crunch talks after he confesses to TEN affairs
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 7:19 PM on 11th March 2010
* Comments (40)
* Add to My Stories
* Father-of-two blames alcohol for his love-cheat behaviour
* Star gave one lover £9,000 after calling off affair
A tense Mark Owen battened down the hatches at his West London house today as he prepared for crunch talks with his wife after admitting to cheating on her with at least ten different women.
The couple arrived together in a black Lexus this afternoon and the Take That singer sheepishly followed Emma, who looked tired and drained, into their marital home.
The singer, 38, made the shock revelation in a tell-all interview with a newspaper today, blaming a long battle with alcohol for his philandering ways.
He said he was 'deeply sorry' for the pain he had caused Emma, whom he married in October after more than five years together.
The couple have two children - Elwood, three, and Willow Rose, one.
Owen
Owen
Showing the strain: A tense Mark Owen, who today admitted to a string of affairs, arrived at his West London home this afternoon with wife Emma
OWEN
Crisis talks: The couple, who have two children together, quickly headed inside the marital home
Owen is known for his boyish charm but has often been seen as a 'squeaky clean' member of the reunited group.
It will come as a massive shock to his fans but by coming clean today in his confession with the Sun, Owen is using the time honoured love-rat tactic to deflect the impact of a kiss and tell.
More...
* PAUL CONNOLLY: Mark Owen is not the only one - most pop stars stray on the road
One ongoing affair, with an account manager Neva Hanley, 24, started around the same time he began dating Emma.
His other indiscretions were alcohol-fuelled one-night stands that took place while he was on various tours with the band.
Emma
Wedding day: The singer married Emma in a Scottish castle in October
'I don't know how many girls there were in all. Maybe ten,' he told the newspaper.
His secret relationship with Hanley began in 2004 when they met on a train station platform in Preston.
He flew her Los Angeles three weeks later which marked the beginning of their physical relationship.
They soon met up again at his Lake District home where they smoked cannabis and drank vodka together before having sex.
They continued to meet up occasionally in various hotels - they were together just one week after Owen's daughter was born and a month before his wedding day.
He also admitted to sending her £12,000 in cheques from his personal account, including £9,000 after he finally called off the affair following his nuptials in Scotland late last year.
He insists the money was not sent in an effort to buy her silence.
Owen admitted his drinking had put a strain on his relationship with Emma and said he was 'not very nice to live with'.
'I denied to her I was having an affair when things were going on.
'We met and within a year and a half she was pregnant with our first beautiful boy, Elwood. And when you have kids, things change.
Mark Owen, Gary Barlow and Howard Donald
Love cheat: Groom Mark (right) with his Take That band members Howard Donald and Gary Barlow
'I feel like I am getting to know Em more and more every day. I love her to death but our relationship hasn't always been great, because of me.'
Mark enjoyed massive adoration as a member of boy band Take That but when the group split in 1996, he struggled to find a foothold in the music industry.
After two top five singles was dropped by his record label BMG and in 2002, clearly desperate to raise his profile he took part in Celebrity Big Brother, and emerged as the winner.
'Life was hard, I guess. I let Emma down. I was selfish and stubborn.'
The group reformed with bandmates Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Jason Orange in 2005, who have since enjoyed a re-run of their huge success and the attentions of their die-hard fans who think nothing of following them from show to show.
He said the others were unaware of his affair with Hanley, but he did not say if they knew of his many liaisons on tour.
Mark
On tour: Mark (second from right) admitted he had a string of alcohol-fuelled one-night stands while on the road with his band
Owen added: 'I want to do the right thing now for the kids and Emma.
'It's the best thing in the world having kids. I feel blessed and I am really sorry that I have done this to them and to Emma.
'She has done a lot of good for me, Emma has. She is absolutely without doubt the only person I want to be with for the rest of my life.'
For her part, Hanley, who was 19 when she first began seeing the multi-millionaire performer, told the newspaper: 'The lie has gone on for too long. I can't do this to Mark's family any more.'
In a statement released today, Owen said: 'I'm so deeply sorry for the pain my actions have caused my family and friends.
'I'd like to ask the media to please respect the privacy of my wife and children during this difficult time.'
MARK OWEN AND EMMA FERGUSON
Serial cheat: Mark says he is 'deeply sorry' for the pain he has caused Emma
The Federation needs men like you, doctor. Men of conscience. Men of principle. Men who can sleep at night. You're also the reason Section 31 exists - someone has to protect men like you from a universe that doesn't share your sense of right and wrong.
I sense I need to revisit the official Take That forum that we invaded a while back for reasons I forget.
__________________
Well if it has the word 'digestive' written on it, it's the right way up, if not, you got yourself an upside down biscuit catastrophy with no obvious solution.
