STRICTLY Come Dancing isn’t just about sequins, sambas and glitter balls.
It’s also helped to transform contestants’ health and fitness as much as their dance skills – before fat jabs were ever a thing.
Here, we take a look at some of Strictly’s most jaw-dropping weight loss transformations
Lisa Riley
Lisa appeared on Strictly in 2000[/caption]
She first appeared in Emmerdale in 1995 as Woolpack barmaid Mandy[/caption]
Lisa has shed 12 stone over the years[/caption]
Emmerdale star Lisa Riley lost 12 stone and told The Sun “my bum might not be J-Lo’s but I love it”.
The actress returned to our screens in January 2019 as bubbly Mandy Dingle after 18 years away from the soap.
After quitting the Dales in 2001, Lisa went on to star in drama Fat Friends, host You’ve Been Framed, join the Loose Women panel and come fifth on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012.
It was her stint on the BBC dance show that first prompted Lisa to lose weight, saying she wanted to prove to people she wasn’t a “chunky monkey”.
She dropped 4st and became the show’s first female contestant to lift up her male dance partner.
But the devastating loss of mum Cath to breast cancer aged 57 that same year pushed Lisa to overhaul her lifestyle.
She ditched junk food and takeaways, cooked healthier meals and took up exercise, going from a size 30 to size 14 in just under two years.
Lisa said: “I am so proud of everything I have done. At my funeral, the priest is not going to say, ‘Thank you for coming, Lisa Riley was fat!’. He is not going to mention my size, as it doesn’t matter.
“I love the fact I can inspire people to be healthy and make them believe that if they want to make it happen they can. But I have given so much more to people and my career.”
Susan Calman
Susan Coleman competed on the 2017 series of Strictly[/caption]
Susan shared a picture of her three and a half stone weight loss[/caption]
Comedian Susan Calman took part on Strictly in 2017, where she was partnered with Kevin Clifton.
While dancing for weeks increased her fitness, Susan went on a proper health kick in December 2023.
In a new post on her Instagram, Susan, 50, shared her latest weight loss success alongside a snap of her slimmed down features.
She wrote alongside it: “Hit another milestone today. 54 pounds lost (of weight not money, if I’d lost cash I’d be deeply annoyed).
“I know before and after photos are frowned upon sometimes but it’s a fairly dramatic change. The person in the second photo was perimenopausal (I’m on HRT now which helps a bit), tired, sore and unwell.
“Moving more, eating better and being more conscious of what I’m doing have all helped.”
She continued: “It’s taken almost two years to get to this point and I’ve still got a bit to go. Lifting heavier weights, walking further, I even ran 10k the other day, although an old knee injury means I don’t think I’ll be troubling anyone with my speed.
“More than anything exercise has helped my mental health improve hugely.
“In what’s been a very challenging year it’s really helped to have targets to aim for so I can feel like I’m achieving something positive.
“Onwards and upwards. Walk, run, golf, lift. Repeat even when I don’t feel like it. Big love to anyone else doing the same as me.”
Susan previously admitted her health was “in a precarious position” before she embarked on her health and fitness drive.
Wynne Evans
Wynne Evans lost a phenomenal 7 stone[/caption]
The Go Compare advert man was spurred on by the BBC dance show[/caption]
Wynne Evans lost a staggering seven stone – spurred on by his signing to the BBC dance show.
Wynne had been hitting the gym trying to get as fit as possible to take the stage alongside Katya Jones.
The Welsh opera star also took up a diet dominated by cauliflower and ditching his two most unhealthy favourites – cheese and jam.
He joked before the live shows: “The stuff I’m more nervous about is doing something like the jive because I represent every portly middle-aged father who jumps and could set a minor tsunami off in North London.
“I’m kind of a bit nervous about that.”
Wynne was famous for playing Italian tenor Gio Compario on the Go.Compare insurance comparison website adverts since 2009.
Sara Davies
Sara pictured on Strictly in 2021[/caption]
Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Sara told The Sun she ditched her Spanx after dropping from a size 16 to a size 12 thanks to a transformative diet.
Sara embraced the Fibre First method, incorporating fibre as a priority in every meal.
She also started her mornings with Slimshotz, a fibre drink to ensure she was getting a fibre boost at the start of her day.
She adds: “I’ve learned how essential it is to eat fibre before anything else.”
In addition to her morning routine, Sara has swapped traditional pasta and noodles for Fibrehydate pasta and noodles as part of her clean eating plan.
She explains: “This approach doesn’t feel restrictive. By making fibre the focus, I’m able to live a healthier lifestyle without feeling like I’m missing out.
“The fact is, I’ve learned why fibre is important in my diet. I always knew fibre was good for you, but I thought it was just, ‘Oh, have a bowl of All-Bran.’ I never really considered how fibre impacts different foods or why I needed it in my diet.
“I’ve learned a lot about which foods contain fibre and how to incorporate them into my meals. Now, I prioritise fibre in my diet by simply eating it first, before anything else. For example, I’ve changed the order in which I eat my meals. If I have a plate with broccoli on it,
“I’ll eat the broccoli—the fibre—first, rather than eating it alongside the rest of the meal. When I go out for a meal, I’ve stopped eating the bread beforehand and now have a side salad first instead, once again introducing fibre first into my diet.
“The more I learn, the better decisions and choices I can make in my day-to-day life.”
Alison Hammond
Alison Hammond took part in Strictly in 2014[/caption]
Alison Hammond recently wowed fans after her incredible 11st weight loss as they ‘hardly recognise’ her[/caption]
This Morning presenter Alison Hammond said she dodged using weight-loss jabs to shed the pounds after learning she was pre-diabetic.
The TV star, who turned 50 in February, managed to drop 11st and said she exercised with the help of a personal trainer and changed her diet.
She said: “For me, as soon as I hear any scare story, I get frightened.
“So I haven’t wanted to use them, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t in the future, and I certainly wouldn’t look down on anyone who did.
“My mum had type 2 diabetes and she was worried for me, so when I then found out that I was pre-diabetic, that was frightening.
“I thought ‘I have to be an adult about this’. The sweets had to stop – and the fatty foods.
“Twice a week I see my personal trainer, and I have a couple of weights in my bedroom.
“I walk, I stretch and sometimes I do a bit of yoga.
“I try to vary it so it’s not the same every day.
“After a session at the gym, I think I’m Venus Williams, with all those endorphins pumping around.
“If I miss a session or two with my trainer, I notice it. That kick you get out of the way you feel is so good.”
Alison told Good Housekeeping mag she achieved her goal with twice-a-week training sessions and changing her diet.
But she added: “I’m no longer pre-diabetic — so I’m a bit naughtier with my food now.”
“But because my body’s working properly, I can allow myself a bit of sugar here and there.
“I love my new shape and although I still have areas I’m conscious of, such as my arms and my tummy, it’s great being able to wear things I would never have been able to before. I mean, look at me, I’m a bombshell.”
Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey before his weight loss[/caption]
Bill’s Strictly journey meant his old wardrobe had to be ditched[/caption]
Comedian Billy Bailey upped his exercise on Strictly.
And he said at the time that clothes he used to wear no longer fitted him – causing him to flash his camera crew while filming.
He previously told us: “I’ve certainly lost weight — a lot of clothes feel baggy,” Bill explained.
“I went to do some filming where I had to go paddleboarding. I put on shorts that I wear normally.”
“I put the microphone in my pocket and my shorts started falling down around my knees!”
