03 October 2023 , 18:43
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Les Dennis has revealed he's lost a dramatic amount of weight from doing Strictly Come Dancing, despite being the the first contestant eliminated from this year's season.
The 69-year-old, best known for presenting Family Fortunes, was booted off the BBC reality series on Sunday after failing to impress judges with his footwork the night before.
Les and his pro partner Nancy Xu received a measly 15 points for their underwhelming performance of the Samba, which left them in the bottom two against DJ Nikita Kanda and Gorka Márquez. Unfortunately, the TV host couldn't save himself or Nancy in the dreaded dance-off, with the judges unanimously voting to give the much improved Nikita another shot in the competition.
Les Dennis has revealed he's 'really happy' about his Strictly weight loss (BBC)Always one to look on the bright sight, Les hailed his experience on the show as "the best" to presenter Tess Daily in his post-elimination interview. He also described his mentor and partner Nancy, 32, as "amazing" and "a great teacher." "She’s really put me through my paces... I hope I’ve entertained, that’s what I came here for," he added. "Strictly is the best and the people who put this on, you’re just all amazing!"
Les has also departed the competition significantly lighter, having lost a stone and a half during the training for the intensive show. "I've lost 20lbs. I'm feeling really happy about it," he told Heat before his debut performance on Saturday night. "Now I'm a bit thinner, I don't mind whacking a few more sequins on. Nothing sheer, though. This does go out before the watershed."
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This is far from the first time that Les has spoken about his weight loss journey, which began back in 2017 after a bout of laryngitis forced him to reassess his health. The Liverpudlian actor learned that he was pre-diabetic during the check-up for his swollen vocal chords, and quickly realized that he needed to make a major change if he wanted to extend his life expectancy.
"It was like an alarm bell. I knew that I had to take stock of my health," he told the Sun. Determined to avoid becoming diabetic, Les ditched his dinners of takeaway pizza and Wagamama's and embraced a nutritious Mediterranean diet instead. Fresh fruit and vegetables, oily fish, beans, nuts and seeds became staples in his meals, and he drastically reduced his red meat and alcohol consumption. The new habits have done wonders for his health, helping him trim down from nearly 15 to 12 stone and reverse his pre-diabetic status.
"I'm now able to get into my old clothes," he revealed, after admitting that his three children, Philip, Eleanor and Thomas, were a huge motivation for him to prioritize his wellbeing.
Les now sees his laryngitis as a blessing in disguise, as it forced him to confront his health issues sooner rather than later. "Luckily, I caught it early enough to say, 'Right, here we go, I have to do something'. It has made me take responsibility for my own health," he said.