POP fans couldn’t believe their eyes as a huge music star was spotted pumping iron in a budget gym in a Manchester suburb.
Ahead of his arena show in the city on Thursday, Justin Timberlake, 43, decided to hit PureGym in Ancoats for a workout.
One eagle-eyed fan took a sneaky snap of the unassuming A-list star on the lateral pull down machine.
Sharing the image on social media platform X, a fan wrote: “Why is Justin Timberlake using the PureGym in Ancoats.”
Another wrote: “Justin Timberlake being in the Puregym Ancoats has sent me.”
It sparked a string of puns inspired by the pop star’s music catalogue.
One joked: “Some lateral pull downs, to get a sexy back, perhaps.”
Referencing his group NSYNC’s smash hit Bye Bye Bye, another said: “He’s working on his bi-bi-biceps.”
While a third concerned fan said: “Hope he doesn’t hurt himself. That’ll ruin the tour.”
Justin wore a cap, navy hoody and red shorts for his gym visit. His distinctive calf tattoo could be seen on his left leg.
Day passes at the gym cost £9.99, while a month pass can be picked up for £19.99.
Justin’s Forget Tomorrow tour has proved to be a hot ticket in the UK – a stark difference to a run of dates in the US that saw some venues struggling to sell.
In April, the 43-year-old kicked off his first tour in five years but was forced to dramatically slash prices to shift tickets.
To make matters worse, the first single, Selfish, from his sixth album was released in January and peaked at just number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
At one stage it was thought the tour could be in jeopardy after the former NSYNC singer was arrested for suspected drink-driving in The Hamptons, NY.
Police reported Timberlake ran a stop sign, swerved into another lane, smelled of alcohol and refused to do a breathalyser.
A source told The Sun: “Justin’s friends want him to take another extended break from music to focus on his health and wellbeing.
“He has felt intense pressure to compete with touring juggernauts like Beyonce and Taylor Swift – and his tour has barely sold in comparison.”
The SexyBack singer cancelled his June 8 concert in Columbia, South Carolina, without explanation.
Ticketmaster announced: “Unfortunately, the event organiser has had to cancel your event.”
The new album, Everything I Thought It Was, is his first since 2018’s Man in the Woods.
It was released in March and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 but soon slipped down the charts.
Music critics gave the album mixed reviews, with one flaming it as a “rehash of past glories”.
One music industry insider said: “It hasn’t been the smash hit he’d been hoping for.
“It’s been difficult for an artist of his stature to realise he’s now past his prime – his glory days are behind him.”
A second source added: “It can’t be easy for him to deal with audience rejection and coming to terms with the fact that music tastes have moved on.”
