NOTHING quite screams showbiz like a dazzling smile, toned physique and a killer tan.
But while many famous faces have undergone a ‘3T’ – ‘teeth, toned and tanned’ – transformation since stepping into the spotlight, a look back at some old photos shows just how different they looked before they stepped into the public eye.
Arg’s battle with drink, drugs and a binge-eating disorder has been well documented[/caption]
In fact, some of the biggest names including Calvin Harris, Rylan Clark and Maura Higgins look almost unrecognisable.
And according to celebrity PR expert Chad Teixeira, it could be a deliberate move by the stars as he’s seen first-hand how a few targeted changes such as a “brighter smile, a toned physique, or even a sun-kissed glow” can completely “shift how a celebrity is perceived.”
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, he explains: “These elements aren’t superficial; they shape the narrative of how someone enters a room, how they’re photographed, and how the public connects with them.
“A confident smile or a healthy glow becomes part of their personal brand, helping them stand out in a competitive industry.”
Chad goes on to say how the transformation isn’t just visual, it’s psychological too.
“When stars feel good about how they look, they project confidence in interviews, on stage, and across their social platforms,” he continues.
“That confidence is magnetic and it’s often the missing link between being a rising face and becoming a household name.”
That said, Chad points out how it’s impossible to ignore how unfair the industry can be.
“Talent and hard work should be enough, but the reality is that appearance still plays a defining role in how opportunities are given, how stories are told, and how stars are remembered,” he admits.
“It may not be how things should be, but it is how the business works and those who understand this dynamic are often the ones who navigate it most successfully.”
RYLAN CLARK
Ryan Clark looks almost unrecognisable in a throwback snap[/caption]
Tanned and toned with his famous pearly whites, there’s no denying that Rylan Clark looks totally unrecognisable to his younger years.
“At school I was the little fat ginger kid and used to get picked on,” the TV presenter told The Sun. “I was quite camp, so the gay thing played its part.”
But since rising to fame on The X Factor in 2012, the 36-year-old has undergone quite the ‘3T’ transformation – and fast become known for his gleaming smile.
“My relationship with teeth over the years has been very much a love-hate relationship,” he told The Express.
“As I got older, I realised that I wanted a different type of smile, I wanted the Hollywood smile and back in 2013, I ended up having my first smile makeover, and I was really happy.”
However, Rylan went on to say that the attraction they drew meant that in 2021, he decided to get himself a new smile.
“I wanted to go a little natural and smaller than what I had in the first makeover.”
And Rylan’s teeth was just the start of his total glow up. Following his split from husband Dan Neal, he threw himself into exercise.
“One, I am single, two, more for my mental state as well,” he told The Sun, speaking about his decision to get in shape.
“It’s really good keeping yourself on track with things.
“And three, it’s something I have always wanted to do and never really had the opportunity to do. I thought f*** it, I am going to do it now and it is something I want to keep up and carry on with.”
ADELE
The singer stunned fans when she showed off her impressive 7-stone weight loss[/caption]
In May 2020, the Hello singer went viral after posting a snap on her 32nd birthday revealing her seven-stone weight loss.
Looking totally unrecognisable, the mum-of-one could be seen showing off her svelte figure as she posed outside her house in a black mini dress.
Following her divorce in 2019, the 37-year-old claimed she wanted to become healthier for her son.
“She got to the point where she didn’t feel great,” a source told PEOPLE.
”She knew she had to change something, because she wants to be the healthiest mum possible.
”Her weight loss happened because she has cut down drinking and is eating more real food.
”She is more confident, dresses differently and she just seems happier overall.”
When it comes to her fitness regime, Adele revealed during an interview with British Vogue that during quarantine, she worked out three times a day.
“So I do my weights in the morning, then I normally hike or I box in the afternoon, and then I go and do my cardio at night,” she added.
ARG
The full-time wedding singer shows off his new svelte physique[/caption]
TOWIE’s James ‘Arg’ Argent, whose battle with drink, drugs and a binge-eating disorder has been well documented over the years, reached a whopping 27 stone during lockdown.
The 37-year-old’s doctor even told him he was ‘on death row’ as he struggled to tie his shoelaces, was finding it hard to breathe and even joked he couldn’t see his own penis.
However, in April 2021, the reality star underwent a significant transformation starting with life-saving gastric sleeve surgery, where he lost a whopping 13st.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, the now bronzed, chiselled and sober reality star said: “This is the first time in my life that I like the way I look too – I don’t feel ugly anymore – I’m content and happy with my appearance.
“The only problem now is I’ve lost a little bit too much weight and I need to put on half a stone.”
A confident smile or a healthy glow becomes part of their personal brand, helping them stand out in a competitive industry
Chad Teixeira
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Dr Barbara Kubicka, founder of Clinicbe, says: “As an aesthetic doctor, I see first-hand how small but powerful changes such as improving the smile, sculpting the body, or achieving a healthy glow can have a profound impact beyond the physical.
“Teeth, muscle tone, and skin tone are often underestimated in how they shape first impressions, confidence, and presence in the public eye.
“For celebrities, these enhancements don’t just refine their appearance, they create a sense of self-assurance that radiates on stage, on screen, and in everyday interactions.”
She goes on to say that when someone feels comfortable with their smile, proud of their body, and confident in their skin, that energy translates into how they carry themselves.
“This inner confidence is magnetic, it’s what often helps rising stars transition from being noticed to becoming unforgettable,” she adds.
CALVIN HARRIS
Calvin Harris’ buff look today couldn’t be further away from the spotty student with long brunette dyed hair and pale skin who first appeared on the music scene in 2007.
The superstar DJ is the first to admit that during his teenage years he was “spotty” and “extra gangly.”
“It was hard being the tallest person in class,” he said previously, speaking to The Sun. “Especially when you are a teenager. You want to keep your head down. I did anyway.
“When you are a spotty awkward teenager, you don’t want people to look at you.
“It’s a self-conscious thing. Everyone looks at you because you are extra gangly.
“It’s only in the last five years that I have come to terms with the fact that I am a big tall b******.”
Even his wife, radio host Vick Hope, 33, admitted she turned him down when he first asked her out on a date.
Speaking on Capital FM in 2018, she recalled: “He looked how he used to look, I was shallow, I was 19, and I said no and I went off with either Scouting For Girls, or The Wombats, I don’t know which.
“I thought they were going to be bigger but no, it turns out Calvin Harris was going to turn into an Adonis.”
The 6ft5 star’s transformation seemed to take place following his move to Los Angeles in 2012 – including everything from his diet through to his hair and teeth.
“The food is fantastic over here [in LA],” he said, speaking to The Sun.
“You can eat healthily, there’s a lot more healthy options than in the UK — that’s a fact.”
Along with doing private Pilates sessions and heading to the gym, he also seemed to get his teeth whitened and straightened out.
Speaking of embracing his naturally blonde hair colour again, he added: “It’s just part of growing up, coming to terms with myself as a human being and not doing that s*** any more. I prefer my more natural look.”
MAURA HIGGINS
In an unearthed swimming costume snap from her early modelling days, Maura Higgins looks almost unrecognisable.
The 33-year-old, who was catapulted into the public eye alongside Molly-Mae Hague in the 2019 series of the reality show, appears to have undergone quite the transformation.
Speaking to MailOnline in 2021, Maura set the record straight on rumours about having cosmetic work done.
That confidence is magnetic and it’s often the missing link between being a rising face and becoming a household name
Chad Teixeira
“I got my lips done three months after coming out of Love Island, and lip fillers last five to six months,” she said.
“I haven’t had anything done since then; I just let it dissolve.
“But people still assume I’ve had my lips done, Botox. People are even saying I’ve had my nose done when I’ve not actually had any work.”
She continued: “I had braces on for a long time, and since my teeth have moved, they’ve actually pushed my lips out slightly.
“I feel like I don’t need it. If I were to get my lips done now with my straight teeth, it just wouldn’t be a good look.”
AMANDA HOLDEN
Amanda Holden appeared as a contestant on Blind Date in the 1990s[/caption]
The 54-year-old has hardly aged a day since she first stepped into the public eye[/caption]
Amanda Holden first stepped into the public eye in the 1990s when she appeared as a contestant on Blind Date – and she’s hardly aged a day since then.
The 54-year-old has previously shed light on how she maintains her svelte figure – by running three times a week and doing a one-minute plank every day.
“We’ve got big cheeks in our family and good jawlines,” she said, speaking to The Mirror. “So I think as long as that’s all staying like that, I don’t mind.
“I don’t think I look 50 but I don’t think I look 30. I have been called Mandy Button in the past, which is such a flattering thing!
“I do look after myself, I run, I do yoga, I’m a vegetarian.
“But I do love a drink. I don’t deny myself anything. After lockdown, I just think, ‘Don’t deny yourself now, just enjoy life’. If you want a glass of wine or a doughnut, have one.”
MATTHEW LEWIS
Matthew Lewis has had a major glow up since starring as wizard Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter[/caption]
As a teen, he played wizard Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter, but Matthew Lewis has since had quite the magical glow up.
The 36-year-old’s transformation has been so dramatic, that he’s been flooded with praise over the years.
“I guess it’s a compliment, I suppose,” he said, speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s triple j team. “I am very humbled by the nice things that people say.
“I don’t know what they are talking about, to be honest. They could be saying a lot worse things, I suppose!”
JOE MANGANIELLO
Joe Manganiello showed off his toned body while out for a swim in Miami[/caption]
While The Magic Mike star may have passed as a nerd growing up thanks to his oversized geeky glasses, one thing people may not know about him is that he’s always had a love of sports – even from the early days.
Not only was Joe Manganiello the captain of his football, basketball, and volleyball teams, he was that good that he was selected to play at the varsity level in each of the three sports.
But the 48-year-old only turned into the tattooed, muscular hunk he is today after he hit the big time and started appearing in films.
And he’s openly spoke about the hard graft that goes into getting those abs and six-pack, which includes training three to four times per week with a trainer.
When he featured on the cover of Muscle & Fitness, the ripped actor, who admitted he used to be the “absolute skinniest” in the gym and “couldn’t do one dip or one pull-up,” revealed his “lean-mass conditioning program.”
“We have these massive sets,” he said, speaking of sets of ten 225-lb. deadlifts or sets of four 300-lb. deadlifts.
“There’s a moment when there’s going to be 10 sets. And I’m on set 5 or even set 4, and I’m done. My body is starting to quit, I’m having a minor league panic attack in my brain because I can’t visualise doing the next rep, let alone the next set, and I want to quit.
“And I think, ‘What am I doing this for? I don’t have a movie coming up that I’m training for specifically.’
“And that’s where you’re going to grow. That’s the spot. That’s when you crack the pit, if you will. And that seed is inside.”
