30 January 2024 , 14:48
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Gok Wan has taught women how to look good naked for decades - but learning to love his own body was a struggle.
The multi-award-winning MBE has many talents to his name, from working as a presenter to a stylist and a DJ to a chef - and it's his relationship with food that has helped him feel comfortable in his own skin. During his teenage years, Gok battled an eating disorder and his weight fluctuated.
At his heaviest, he weighed 21 stone whilst working in his family's Chinese restaurant in Leicester. Back in 2019, he told This Morning hosts: "We loved our food. We had a restaurant, food was the epicentre of life. We were fine, it was everyone else who had a problem with the way we looked. It wasn't until I was 21 stone and moved to London to go to drama school that I saw people looked very different to me."
Gok battled an eating disorder in his late teens and recovered with the help of his loved ones (Instagram)The star lost 11 stone in less than a year when his eating disorder was at its worst. "I started dieting and lost 11 stone in eight months. I had a very severe eating disorder," he said, adding: "I did reinvent myself. But I feel like I'm still that fat kid who would sit in the room and not want to be centre of attention. I'm very shy deep down."
In his autobiography, Gok detailed how he would eat only fruit and honey for weeks on end, and took laxatives to slim down. But after recovering from anorexia with the help of his family, he later regained his confidence and went on to bag the presenting role on How To Look Good Naked. He has since developed a healthier relationship with both food and his body.
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During lockdown, Gok found his love for exercise when he discovered a fitness app called Couch to 5K and began recording his runs on Instagram. In an interview with the Mirror last year, Gok touched on his self-love journey and anorexia battle. "I learnt that food wasn't the enemy and I'm really happy and lucky to say that I fell in love with food again, by making cookbooks, feeding friends and working on campaigns," he said.
"I've been known to prep for three days before I have people over. That's how much it means to me. I'll be inspired by meals in places like Berlin or Ibiza and want to recreate them all... I really like looking after people, whether that's feeding them a meal or teaching them about fashion. I really care about the people around me."
He learnt that eating wasn't the enemy and fell in love with food again (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Gok is planning to 'marry himself' for his 50th birthday celebrations this year (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)This year, Gok is turning 50 and he said it will be his proudest milestone of 2024. "I'm really proud of myself for getting to 50. Living is exhausting and it can be really difficult," he said. "I've got here and I'm in good shape. I have wonderful friends and family, and a job that I absolutely adore. I'm the best person I can possibly be."
Of course, the celebrity chef will be marking the occasion with food, and he plans to have all of his loved ones round for a giant garden party. "You know William and Kate's garden parties? That's what mine will look like. I have every intention of throwing everything at my 50th," Gok said. "I'm not married and I've told myself, 'I'm going to marry my life at 50'. I'm going to marry my friends, family, job. I'm going to marry it all.
"I want everything that I've ever achieved and all of the amazing people that I've met there. That's not from a narcissistic point of view, it's not me marrying myself. I just really want to celebrate all of the great stuff in my life. I even want the friends that I've lost touch with or had a row with there as well, because they've all contributed something to my life."