Dawn French has opened up about her incredible transformation after losing an impressive 7.5 stone in her sixties.
These days, a quick Google search for weight loss tips will reel off thousands of different methods, from high-protein diets to keto and even the more antiquated cabbage soup diet. Dawn is living proof that the secret to feeling your best is all about simplicity.
According to the comedian, 68, her incredible transformation is not the work of weight loss jabs or trendy diets, but rather the old-school method of "joyless low-cal eating" and "exercising more". She said that eating in a calorie deficit and "lots of walking" were what led her to shed 7.5 stone in just "weeks".
Although she described the gruelling diet as "grim", she maintained that it was not the result of a "magic wand" but of hard work alone. Dawn went on a journey she described as "unexciting, yet effective" to lose weight after receiving a frightening health diagnosis over a decade ago.
© WireImageThe real reason for Dawn French's weight loss
At the age of 56, Dawn was diagnosed with uterine cancer and needed to have her womb removed. Writing on her blog at the time, she recalled her doctor telling her that if she were able to lose some weight, they would be able to perform the surgery via keyhole, allowing for a much quicker recovery time than more invasive surgery.
It was for this reason and this reason alone that Dawn decided to make the change, saying she had never been motivated by a desire to change her appearance. "My weight has had nothing to do with my self-esteem", adding proudly that she refused to dislike her body.
The actress previously pushed back against the praise she had received following her weight loss, firmly rejecting the idea that her previous figure was somehow inferior. She recalled how many had complimented her slimmer frame, telling her she looked "so much better", much to her fury. "Don't judge the other person who I loved," she said.
© Getty ImagesSince the dramatic transformation, she has maintained that she loved her fuller figure, and her decision to lose weight was solely for health reasons.
A few years ago, The Vicar of Dibley star hit back after she spotted a website claiming she had lost weight without exercising. In June 2021, she called out the assertion, writing: "All I can say is that it works! I dropped a total of 6.4 stones in the course of five months! But there's a catch: no exercise! I wanted to see if it would do as they claimed it would if I did no exercise and to my surprise it did". She shared a screenshot of the fake claim and wrote an expletive on top before tweeting the image and writing: "Keto lies…."
© Alistair Heap/Big Talk Studios/BBC/Paramount+Dawn French's comedy career
Dawn previously spoke with HELLO! about her comedy career. She said the best part of her job was being able to be vulnerable and "show people where you've been a fool. Because we've all been fools. If we're trying to be perfect, I don't know how to relate to perfect people. There's no such thing."
"I'm always on the lookout for, 'Oh, what's all about this person? What's the vulnerability here? What's the kindness and where's the strength and where's the honesty?' and I live my life like that," Dawn adds. "I used to get up on stage every single day and talk for two hours about being an idiot, so I'm absolutely not worried about not being perfect."
