Gary Barlow is breaking the US with a helping hand from James Corden

The pair have been friends since filming the BBC documentary When Corden Met Barlow, and when Harvey Weinstein mentioned to James that he was having trouble progressing with a musical while they were working on Paul Potts film One Chance together, he recommended his Take That idol to the producer.

James is currently riding high on the success of The Late Late Show in the US, and now he could be responsible for Gary’s career taking off there too as the writer of the score for Harvey’s Broadway musical of film Finding Neverland.

Gary told The Sun: “It was totally down to James. He was doing their last day of shooting and Harvey was like, ‘I have a problem with this musical. I think I’ve got to change all the music.’ James went, ‘Check this guy out,’ and wrote my name on some paper.

“Harvey went home and played some of my stuff. He showed his wife, who’s English, and she said, ‘I used to listen to his songs at uni.’ Next night he called me up.”

The musical stars Kelsey Grammer and Matthew Morrison, is co-produced by Bryan Cranston, and premieres on Broadway this week, with London dates scheduled for February.

Gary continued: “I don’t feel like 25 years of experience qualifies you for this. I haven’t just come here for an off-Broadway show, I’ve come in at such a high level… But I’ve worked my a*** off for three years to get this right and it feels right. It feels like it’s ready for its opening now.”

On his past attempts to break America with Take That and as a solo artist, he said: “I think I’m now on the brink of success in America. It’s come to me, I haven’t chased it. I haven’t been lying in bed, thinking, ‘I’ve got to crack America.’ I did in the Nineties, but I honestly haven’t considered it since, it’s fallen at my feet.

“I tried hard when I went solo after Take That split. Back For Good was a hit here and I was signed to RCA Records. I did a nine-month radio tour, I gave it a real go. I had two albums but we never got close.”

Gary also said that he would love to launch a Take That musical: “The Take That musical has got to happen. I think it’s a great story. I watched Jersey Boys and it’s not too dissimilar to our story. I would love to get that on stage.

“We’ve got 25 years of music so the hard bit is done. I’d look to put it on a stage in the next five years.”

He added that he wanted to repay the favour to James: “I want James and (The Late Late Show producer) Ben Winston to be executive producers on the Take That musical. I want the dream team involved.”