Michelle McManus revealed the truth behind her drastic nine-stone weight loss on Good Morning Britain.

The Pop Idol champion, 44, shut down rumours of using the controversial weight loss drug Ozempic or having surgery.

She told Rob Rinder, 46, and Kate Garraway, 57, the key to her success after failed diets over the years has been a life coach and weight training.

Michelle McManus’ secret to her nine-stone weight loss

The Scot said: “I started to try and lose weight. All these diets I hear are amazing. But the more I was trying to lose weight, the more I was gaining weight.

“I was looking at myself in the mirror and I should be thinking, ‘This body has given you two kids.’ But I was really miserable.

“It isn’t about what the scales say. It’s not about the label that’s on your clothing, it’s finding that moment where you can look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I really like you.’”

The mum – who has sons Harry, four, and Nicholas, two, – met life coach Liza Hardingbuck, and they devised a plan and began weight training and swimming – with her now losing nine stone.

BBC Radio Scotland’s afternoon presenter did not know of her big transformation until she wanted to get a new photo for her BBC staff card.

GMB today

She had considered surgery but the fear about the side effects and going under the knife put her off.

The 44-year-old turned to a calorie deficit diet instead. This involves consuming fewer calories than your body burns.

I started weight training, I started swimming.

Michelle added: “I looked into surgery, but that really heightened my anxiety because what if I was to die? Then I revisited calorie deficit.

“I started weight training, I started swimming. Totally changed my relationship with food and then slowly but surely… I actually lost the weight a while ago.

“Then I was getting new pictures for my lanyard for the BBC and they showed me my old picture and I don’t think I realised how far I’d come.”

Michelle said she then decided to “put myself back out there” on social media.

She’s looking fab!

Read more: Pop Idol star Michelle McManus gives birth to second baby

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Nick Knowles has had a troubling couple of weeks on Strictly Come Dancing after recently suffering a knee injury.

The injury forced him out of last Saturday’s live show and is throwing doubt on his performance this weekend.

His knee injury came just days after he damaged his shoulder whilst changing a car tyre. Now, it’s unclear if Nick will be able to dance on tomorrow night’s show.

According to reports, a decision will be made on Nick‘s future on the show today (October 11).

Nick Knowles on Strictly

A source has told the Mirror: “The plan is to rehearse today and Friday and then a final decision will be made about Saturday evening. He is going to try and do the routine he’d already learned for Movie Week.

“It’s unfortunate it’s a Charleston because it’s very hard to do without lots of knee action, but there is no alternative. Everyone has their fingers crossed for him.”

ED! has contacted reps for Nick and Strictly for comment.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Nick updated his followers on his condition.

He said: “I am behind the scenes at It Takes Two and the good news is that the physios have cleared me to train tomorrow.

“That’s not an all clear for Saturday yet, so I have to see how I can get on tomorrow and then a decision will be made on Friday.”

During his It Takes Two appearance, Nick said: “Each day it gets a little bit better. On Friday it looked pretty bad to be honest. It felt bad. Saturday, not so good but I had a scan and we decided that after a look at that we would wait until Monday and. Monday, a little bit stronger.

“Each day it gets a little bit better. On Friday it looked pretty bad to be honest. It felt bad.

“Saturday, not so good but I had a scan and we decided that after a look at that we would wait until Monday and. Monday, a little bit stronger.”

This weekend the couples will all perform once again to impress the judges.

Meanwhile, BonusCodeBets.co.uk has tasked ChatGPT with predicting how each couple will fare this weekend.

Strictly 2024

The tool was asked to “predict who will finish top in week four, which two will be in the dreaded dance-off, who will end up going home, and spot any trends from previous weeks”.

Its response suggests that Paul Merson could face the dance-off against Pete Wicks this weekend.

For all the latest Strictly Come Dancing news head to our dedicated Facebook page here.

A spokesperson for BonusCodeBets.co.uk said: “With Strictly Come Dancing transitioning from movie week, our AI analysis anticipates that it will be the end of the road for Paul ‘The Magic Man’ Merson.

“There is cause for some celebration, with our expert expecting Tasha Ghouri to twirl her way to the top for the third week in a row!”

Read more: Terminally ill Strictly audience member on ‘oath’ she had to make not to spill dance-off results

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EastEnders fans were treated with a cameo from Paul Nicholls character Joe Wicks last night (Thursday, October 10), as his father, David Wicks, left the Square.

Paul Nicholls resumed his role for the first time in 27 years. The actor was a fan favourite back in the 90s, but took a step back from the spotlight until recently.

He left EastEnders two years after first appearing, seeking a career change. Here’s everything we know about Paul and his life on and off-screen!

EastEnders: Paul Nicholls as Joe Wicks

Joe Wicks first appeared on EastEnders in March 1996. He lived in Bolton with his mother and his sister, Karen Wicks.

While the family lived away from London, he made the journey over to try and escape his troubled upbringing. Growing up, he blamed himself for his sister’s death due to arguing with her for the first seat in the car. Delegated to the back, Joe’s sister, Karen, died in a car crash while Joe escaped with minor injuries.

Joe headed to London to find David. He was not pleased to see his son and sent him home back to Bolton. Feeling lost, Joe ran away before turning up at David’s door for a second time. This time, he was more open to getting to know his son.

After months of tension and mental health struggles with Joe’s schizophrenia, he and David fell out before reconnecting off-screen. David left the Square recently to go and stay with Joe and his daughter, Holly.

Due to his appearance, Paul Nicholls quickly became a 90s heartthrob, and joined other shows such as The Biz and Children’s Ward. He was even voted TV’s sexiest actor twice.

EastEnders: Paul Nicholls after the Square

Paul expanded his career outside of TV, and posed at the cover star for magazines such as Heat, to Just Seventeen and Sugar.

Paul, however, wasn’t too thrilled with his reputation.

He told the Daily Mail in 2008 that he ‘didn’t want to be a heartthrob.’ He added: “People said I had too much too soon when I was playing Joe Wicks, and maybe they were right. I didn’t want to be a heart-throb, and I could not handle the attention. I was well on my way to a total breakdown, was drinking a lot and taking drugs.”

He added: “I had lost control of my life. The more I partied, the more I was telling myself, ‘Wow, this is what acting is all about.’ Everything spun out of control. I had an appetite for craziness.”

Joe also struggled with his mental health in real life, and opened up about his depression.

“Although I was often out of it on drink and drugs, I was never so far gone that I didn’t know at the back of my mind that something had to give.”

Paul’s cancer scare and big accident

While he took the time off, Paul came back with sad news in 2016. While on Loose Women, he described his cancer scare.

Paul had a tumour in his throat and lost his voice for several months.

“I didn’t speak for a couple of months. It was a tumour rather than a nodule, in my vocal cords.”

Things got worse in 2017, as Paul enjoyed a holiday in Thailand following filming for Ackley Bridge for Channel 4. He got stuck in a rock pool in Thailand with a smashed leg.

He travelled to a waterfall in Koh Samui, Thailand on his motorcycle. Locals noticed the abandoned motorcycle and eventually found him before he was rescued.

Reports suggested that Paul was affected by cholera, malaria, and dengue fever as a result of the accident.

Paul’s drug use and stroke

In 2021, Paul admitted that he had suffered a stroke soon after his Thailand accident. This had led him to experience deep depression and influenced a drug addiction in 2020.

He then started attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings to help with this relapse.

Paul’s relationships

Since, he has enjoyed a successful career in Holby City, Ackley Bridge, Waterloo Road, Law and Order: UK and Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason.

Paul’s love life has also suffered in 2015, after he divorced Scottish model Chantal Brown. They first married in 2012 after 7 years of dating.

“I don’t even look at other women now. She’s my soulmate,” he described her at the time.

Read more: Who’s leaving EastEnders in 2024? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns

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