Karren Brady has hit back at what she describes as "belittling" comments over her weight loss. The TV star has denied "demeaning" claims she is taking the weight loss medication Ozempic, as she insisted she simply went on a health kick to "feel strong".
Karren, 56, has revealed a noticeably smaller figure in recent years, and regularly posts to her Instagram about workouts at her local David Lloyd gym. Despite extensive speculation about her using jabs - which reduce appetite and slow digestion, to have a slimming effect - she hadn't commented until now.
Speaking to The Sun, the businesswoman - who has appeared on BBC's The Apprentice since 2008 - said: "Well, look, I'm not on Ozempic, but questions about women's weight come up far more often than they should. I'd much prefer the conversation to be focused around my work.
"Anyone can do anything they want to their own body. I have no problem with it at all. But people think they know something they don't know, or they just presume. And so what if I was? And what if I wasn't? It would be my choice. I think the way people talk about women's bodies is certainly an effort to belittle them or make them feel insecure."
© InstagramThe mother-of-two criticised scrutiny of her body. "I've been called too fat, too thin and everything in between. I've had a lifetime of it. All I want is to feel strong, physically and mentally," she added, of the driver for her embarking on a health journey.
In an interview with The Sun's Fabulous magazine in January 2025, she revealed that cycling and walking have been key to her weight loss. She said: "Losing weight is easier than maintaining it, but I've been making healthy and sensible choices, which is important as you get older. I cycle or walk everywhere, too."
© Getty ImagesKarren, who first saw her profile rise after being appointed managing director of Birmingham Football Club aged 23, has two children - Sophia and Paolo - with her husband, Paul Peschisolido. She is also a grandmother to her 28-year-old daughter’s two children.
Indeed, Karren - who is a baroness and sits in the House of Lords - also told the Daily Mail last year: "I have been on a health kick, I became a grandma, and I wanted to be a fit healthy grandma, so I started eating healthy and exercising."
She continued: "It's from bloody hard work. It is okay losing it, it is keeping it off. I have lost quite a bit – I don't know though as I don't weigh myself. I feel better for it. It is good because everything you put on fits."
