Sue Cleaver's key to three stone weight loss as fans brand her 'unrecognisable'

18 July 2023 , 07:00

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Sue Cleaver 's body transformation has been wowing soap fans lately.

The I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! star, 59, has lost a significant amount of weight and changed her style over recent years.

Mum-of-one Sue made a cameo on Coronation Street on Monday night - leaving fans amazed thanks to her character Eileen Grimshaw's new look.

"Crikey I didn’t recognise Eileen for a second there! You look great @Sue_Cleaver," one declared on Twitter as Sue returned to the ITV soap.

Sue, who has played Eileen since 2000, has dropped several dress sizes since first appearing on our screens due to being diagnosed with a chronic health condition.

Corrie's Sue Cleaver says I'm A Celebrity stint helped her to push boundaries

Sue Cleaver explained why she 'doesn't obsess over diets' earlier this year (@officialsuecleaver/Istagram)

The Coronation Street star has lost three stone since rising to fame (Getty Images)

Sue's Type 2 diabetes diagnosis first became public knowledge back in 2011, when the soap star received hospital treatment after collapsing on the set of Coronation Street. According to the NHS, diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. There are two main types of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes - the type Sue has - is when the sufferer's body cannot produce enough insulin. In the UK, around 90% of all adults with diabetes have Type 2.

Following the incident on the Coronation Street set, Sue embarked on a health journey and transformed her diet - going from a size 16 to a 12 in 2019. The soap star is said to favour the Mediterranean diet, which is high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish and unsaturated fats such as olive oil and usually includes a low intake of meat and dairy foods.

Discussing Sue's weight loss previously, a source told Woman magazine : "Sue was always a self-confessed foodie, who admitted that over-indulgence was her Achilles Heel. Now everything's changed. Sue's in her mid-50s so it was a no-brainer that cutting down on certain things was what she had to do."

Sue with her on-screen sons during the early days of her Corrie career (Press Association)

However, Sue wants to make it clear she isn't someone who obsesses over diets and weighing herself, telling Prima Magazine in March: "I lost some weight in the jungle, but I’m not obsessing over diets: life is hard enough! There's always going to be outside pressure and unfair expectations placed on women, but I refuse to get pulled into it.

"That's why I’ll never promote anything weight-related, and it’s why I’d always compliment somebody on their smile or outfit, rather than their weight." The actress went on to gush over how her fifties have been the happiest ten years of her life, adding she's happy with herself and where she is.

During her time in the jungle last year, Sue was exempt from several brutal I'm A Celebrity trials due to her diabetes diagnosis. As she camped alongside the likes of Matt Hancock and Chris Moyles, Sue won praise for wearing a real-time continuous glucose monitoring patch on her arm.

"Does Sue Cleaver have diabetes? I thought I spotted an insulin arm patch on her and now she’s exempt from the eating trial," one eagle-eyed viewer mused on Twitter as the show aired in November. While the patch on Sue's arm wasn't confirmed, it was likely a Dexcom, something used by people with diabetes.

Sue's stint in the jungle helped raise awareness of diabetes (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

I'm A Celebrity fans praised the actress for normalising living life with diabetes and not hiding her monitor. Speaking in support of Diabetes Week previously, Sue told Diabetesadvice.co.uk advised: "Having good control of diabetes is really important - after all, people with the condition live with it every day, taking care of their diet and physical activity levels."

As Sue's Corrie character Eileen returned to the cobbles on Monday night, ITV viewers were quick to discuss the "skinny Eileen cameo". "Wow, Eileen looks different. #Corrie," one viewer shared, with another adding: "That was Eileen? Wow she looks amazing #Corrie."

Another penned: " #coronationstreet just casually throwing in a skinny Eileen cameo expecting nobody to notice #Corrie," whilst a sixth viewer added: "Bloody hell, good job on the weight loss Eileen. #corrie." "Wondered who eileen was for a second then #corrie," a seventh wrote, whilst another fan mused on social media: "Wow Sue Cleaver is looking AMAZING! Give Eileen a big story please. #corrie."