Wednesday 21st November 2012 by Michael Baggs | Photos by wenn.com

Tags: Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow has become an OBE, attending a ceremony at Buckingham Palace this week (21 November) to collect the honour from the Queen.

The singer/songwriter - and resident grump on The X Factor - has been honoured for his 20 years in music and for services to the entertainment industry and charity work. No doubt recording an album for the Queen's Jubilee and arranging a celeb-packed concert at the palace earlier this year did him no harm either.

Dressed in a brown suit, Barlow was all smiles as he was greeted by the Queen to collect his award - in stark contrast to the stern, Rylan Clark-hating judge seen on X Factor every weekend.

After a successful comeback for Take That in 2006, Gary Barlow has experienced a revived solo career since his time on the X Factor, today announcing extra dates for his 2013 tour.

The new concerts will be added to the end of the already existing tour, and will start at Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium.

Barlow will visit Aberdeen, Leicester, Southend, Brighton and Scarborough, which the tour has not previously visited, and also return to London's Hammersmith Apollo and Manchester's O2 Apollo - where the tour will end.

Masterminding the Queen's Jubilee concert secured his OBE

Barlow has released three albums in his solo career, but has achieved far more success as the frontman of Take That.

Alongside Mark Owen, Howard Donald, Jason Orange (and sometimes Robbie Williams) Gary has scored 11 No.1 singles, seven No.1 albums, won BRIT Awards and even been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 1994.

Tickets for Gary Barlow OBE's tour are on sale now - with additional tickets being made available on Friday, 23 November 2012. For more information visit Gigwise Gig Tickets.

Below: photos Gary Barlow would like to forget?