Mike & Molly star Billy Gardell showcased his incredible weight loss transformation during an appearance on the Sherri show on Wednesday, and revealed how his life had changed after losing 173 lbs.
The 56-year-old looked dapper in a pair of blue jeans, a beige cable-knit sweater and a pink collared shirt underneath. As he sat down with Sherri Shepherd on the talk show, the host exclaimed that she barely recognized him amid his health journey.
© YouTube/Sherri"When I saw you, I thought we had booked the wrong Billy!" she said, as the actor confirmed he no longer gets recognized by passersby due to the dramatic change.
"It's like I put myself in the witness protection program," he quipped. "[But] I had to do something to get healthy, and I did, and I'm grateful for it." At his heaviest, Billy weighed in at around 370 to 380 lbs, and suffered from a slew of health issues, including type two diabetes. He decided to begin his weight loss journey amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"What motivated the whole thing for me was I need to be here for my son as long as I can, and I want to annoy my wife for another few years," he said. The star tried several avenues for weight loss before settling on bariatric surgery.
"I was on Ozempic for the first year, but that was for type two [diabetes], that was before they knew it was a weight loss drug. And I decided I didn't want to be on any medicine, so I did this surgery," he said. Ozempic is a type of GLP-1 medication typically given to diabetes patients, and it works to suppress appetite.
© Getty Images"I had bariatric surgery about four years ago," he continued. "The punishment is I have to eat like all the people I used to make fun of." Billy also touched on the online commentary he received after losing weight, which revealed a glaring double standard.
"The internet, when I was on Mike & Molly, was like 'He's too fat', 'He's gonna die.' As soon as I lost weight, [they said], 'I think he's sick.'"
© Getty ImagesSince dropping 173 lbs, Billy has been able to partake in several activities that he never thought were possible for him. "I got to go horseback riding, I got to go surfing…buying clothes off the rack…but the big one," he said, "I flew in a middle seat just because I could – out of spite."
The father of one does, however, miss one thing about his past life: his pants. "I miss my big boy pants," he quipped. "Whoever invented the skinny ankle should be set on fire."
© Getty Images for Outback ConcertThe comedian previously shared that he was able to lose weight by changing his relationship with food.
"It really came down to a shift in everything I think about food," Billy explained to People. "Food is fuel. It's not reward, it's not soothing, it's not medication. I had to get beyond my emotional relationship with food."
© Getty Images"My diabetes is gone," he added. "I feel strong. I have energy. Losing weight saved my life." Billy starred alongside Melissa McCarthy on Mike & Molly for six seasons from 2010 to 2016.
The show followed a police officer (Billy) and a school teacher (Melissa) who meet at a Overeaters Anonymous group and fall in love. He then starred in the hit show Bob Hearts Abishola from 2019 to 2024, which documented his weight-loss journey in real time on the small screen.
