James Corden shared the reason why he won't go back on Ozempic, despite his sister now announcing that the medication has helped her to shed nine stone in just under two years. The TV star, 47, previously revealed that he stopped taking the brand of weight loss medication after it had no effect on his appetite.
Speaking on his Sirius XM radio show in 2024, the former chat show host said: "I tried Ozempic, and it won’t be surprising to you when you look at me now, that it didn’t really work." He shared that the fundamental mechanisms of the drug, which works by reducing appetite and slowing digestion, didn’t suit his needs.
"I tried it for a bit and then what I realised was I was like, 'Oh no, nothing about my eating has anything to do with being hungry.' All it does is make you feel not hungry. But I am very rarely eating [just because I’m hungry]."
Indeed, the Gavin and Stacey actor went on to share that he has had a long-term battle with binge eating and "really resonates" with friend Richard Osman who has also opened up about a tendency to overeat. The latter told Elizabeth Day, the same year, on her How To Fail podcast: "It's so ridiculous, this food stuff. Alcoholics will tell you the same, like it's absurd that there's a bottle of vodka in front of you or there's a packet of crisps in front of you and it's more powerful than you."
© Getty Images for SiriusXMResearch by UCL revealed that 1.6 million adults in England, Wales and Scotland used weight loss drugs - which also include the brands Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound - to aid weight loss between early 2024 and early 2025. It is important that the medications, which need to be injected weekly, are only used under medical supervision and they are usually prescribed to those who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and at least one weight-related comorbidity, like high blood pressure.
James' younger sister Ruth, 44, has revealed that she has dropped nine stone after she "ballooned to a size 28" before starting to use Ozempic in February 2024. In a video on Instagram, she shared: "I didn't have any control over my eating or my lifestyle."
Ruth revealed that she is continuing to maintain her weight loss, and is currently doing the 75 Hard challenge - which includes completing two workouts a day, along with removing alcohol and eating more nutritiously. It comes a month after she shared her dramatic before-and-after transformation in pictures taken just under two years apart.
Why do weight loss medications not work for everyone?
"Weight loss injections such as Ozempic and Mounjaro can be very effective for some people, but they don't work for everyone because weight gain is rarely caused by a single factor," explains Dr Ross Perry, a GP and medical director of Cosmedics clinics. "These medications primarily work by suppressing appetite and slowing gastric emptying, but they don't address underlying issues such as hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, stress, sleep deprivation, emotional eating, gut health or long-standing lifestyle habits."
Dr Perry continues: "In addition, genetics and metabolic differences mean people respond very differently to these drugs. For some, the side effects outweigh the benefits, while others may see initial weight loss but struggle to maintain it once treatment stops. Sustainable weight management almost always requires a personalised, holistic approach rather than a one-size-fits-all solution."
Is there another downside to using weight loss medications?
"I am seeing a growing number of patients who have been affected by weight-loss jabs," explains Dr Lorna Richards. a consultant psychiatrist, specialising in eating disorders, at the Priory. "There are particular concerns about the use of these medications in some populations – including those with co-existing obesity and eating disorders or a vulnerability to developing an eating disorder, and people with eating disorders who may misuse these medications.
"The desire to lose or control weight and a compulsion to achieve this aim are a central feature of many eating disorders. This becomes an overriding priority for sufferers and GLP-1 agonists offer a fast-track to this."
She adds: "GLP-1s act by reducing appetite and increasing satiety or feelings of fullness. This, in turn, drives dietary restriction and causes often quite rapid weight loss. These are known risk factors for the development of an eating disorder in those who are vulnerable and, as such, dietary restriction is likely to exacerbate or contribute to the development of an eating disorder without adequate safeguards.
"The side effects - such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea or constipation - also disrupt regulated eating, which is generally considered to be the most healthy approach to achieving and maintaining healthy weight and health, and is the mainstay for the treatment of eating disorders."
