'My mum used to take me to sit outside ....their houses'.

Jo Siddall once held the dubious title of being Take That's maddest fan. The 25-year-old, who lives in Pontypridd and works as an account manager for Golley Slater Public Relations in Cardiff, used to follow her idols all over the country and has seen them live 24 times.

'I was about 14 when they were in their prime,' says the former Radyr Comprehensive School pupil.

'My friend Laura was my partner in crime and it sounds bad but my mum used to give me time off school and chauffeur us round the country to go to their houses and sit outside!

'I had a hand-held Sega system and we'd sit singing Take That songs. It was such a laugh. I did all right in school though, considering I was never there!

'We were part of a whole network of fans and it was way before mobile phones so we all kept in touch through landlines and would let each other know when we'd spotted them. We always felt like detectives!

'They were used to people being outside their houses but most of them still lived with their parents and it was them I feel sorry for! There were always at least 10 people outside their houses and Take That seemed to have it sussed really. They'd stop and talk and then be able to carry on to the corner shop without the fans mobbing them or following them.'

Jo would stay with her aunt in Manchester and even book tickets to watch Port Vale football team if she discovered fan Robbie Williams was at the match.

'We'd buy tickets just on the off-take chance we'd get a peek of him and as fans we would turn up en masse,' says Jo. 'Take That were staying at the Copthorne Hotel in Cardiff when they played here once.

'Mum managed to blag us health club passes by saying she was thinking of joining and explained we were both her daughters. They were all in their trunks and were really nice. They must have recognised me from outside their houses and thought what a big old stalker I was! Laura and I aren't as close as we were but are teaming up again to go to the concert this week.

'When I found out they were playing again I went to my mum's and dug out all my albums, which were up in her attic and are on cassette! I popped it in the stereo on my way home to reminisce.'

Jo was even awarded the honour of being voted the band's maddest fan in their fanzine.

'It was delivered to members of their fan club,' she laughs. 'And in 1993 or 1994 I was voted the maddest fan in that after sending in photos of my room plastered in Take That posters. If there was the slightest gap between them I'd fill it with a Take That sticker. I had the duvet cover, clock and dolls of the boys!'