She’s battled her weight demons over the years, yo-yoing between a size 6 and size 20 throughout her life.
And after admitting she was unhappy with her size 16 figure last year, Chanelle Hayes embarked on a new health and fitness regime – and her efforts have clearly paid off!
The former Big Brother star, 33, was pictured in her gym gear on a dog walk last week, looking happy, healthy and notably slimmer, and fans rushed to congratulate the mum-of-two on her new figure. One wrote, “Wow – good on her!” while another posted, “She looks healthy. Well done her”.
At the end of 2019, 5ft 2 Chanelle – who is dating accountant Dan Bingham – told Closer how, at size 16, she didn’t feel happy or confident in her own skin and wanted 2020 to be the year of “feeling good about [herself] again”.
And it seems the mum has done just that – and Closer’s nutritionist Juliette Kellow says she believes the star has slimmed down to a size 10-12.
Juliette says, “Wow, Chanelle looks great and has lost a lot of weight, she’s looking about a size 10 to 12 now. The secret to her maintaining her weight loss will be to make sustainable changes to her diet long-term, which she can stick to. The issue with diets is that you only make the changes in a certain time frame and, when you finish the diet, you revert back to old eating habits.”
Chanelle’s weight has yo-yoed to extremes during her time in the public eye. She found fame in Big Brother in 2007 as a size 6, but her weight crept up over the years and she was a size 16 after giving birth to first son Blakely, ten, with her ex Matthew Bates.
She dropped four dress sizes in 2014, going from a size 16 to a size 8 – but later revealed that her efforts were unhealthy. Her extreme diet, where she even admitted she “starved” herself, had left her with hair loss and she subsequently had a hair transplant in 2019.
Despite her best efforts, Chanelle’s weight continued to fluctuate – and she went up to a size 18 in 2018 after she had second son Frankie, now three, whom she shares with ex-boyfriend Ryan Oates.
But later that year doctors warned her that her extreme weight gain could result in joint problems or diabetes later down the line. It kick-started the star to take action, and in 2019, she vowed to make 2020 her “year of health” to take control of her weight once and for all.
Check out: Celebrity Big Brother ROMANCES - the good, the bad and the downright DIRTY
CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER ROMANCES - SLIDER
1 of 15Chantelle Houghton and Preston
Chantelle and Preston were the original CBB romance. We LOVED seeing 'non-celeb' Chantelle form a relationship with the Ordinary Boys singer. It was so pure, so sweet - no hanky panky in between the sheets (as far as we know). The pair even got married when they left the house. Alas, it wasn't to last forever and they soon divorced. Love is dead. Romance Rating: 9 (for setting the trend for reality TV romances and showing others how lucrative it can be)
2 of 15Natasha Giggs and Kirk Norcross
Natasha Giggs and Kirk Norcross shared some 'intimate' times in the house, discussing Natasha's boobs and Kirk's genitals. Lovely stuff. Apparently, meeting Kirk in the CBB house made Natasha completely rethink her marriage. That's bad luck then, as nothing really came of their flirtations.Romance Rating: 2 (well we'd hardly call those Jane Austen level declarations of love)
3 of 15Luisa Zissman and Dappy
More of a love/hate relationship here, Luisa Zissman and Dappy would be snogging in the hot tub one minute and shouting at each other in a heated argument the next. Luisa actually later said she just did it for the magazine deals. Romance Rating: 3.5 (at least there was a bit of fiery passion between the pair, right?)
4 of 15Edele Lynch and George Gilbey
Gogglebox's George Gilbey was something of a Casanova as he first had a bit of a thing for Stephanie Pratt before quickly moving on to B*Witched singer Edele Lynch. After some errr 'dirty' dancing the pair shared a snog in bed. Outside of the house the pair went on holiday to a caravan park (not quite the Maldives but each to their own). Sadly, it turned out Edele wasn't quite ready to move on after her divorce and George had a baby with someone else. Romance Rating: 7 (we love the caravan holiday detail in this love story)
5 of 15Ginuwine and Ashley James
Pony singer and dad-of-nine (yes, NINE) Ginuwine and former MIC Ashley James got very close but it wasn't to be in the outside world. Ashley said that she 'couldn't trust him' and it took her a while to 'get over' him. Romance Rating: 5 (it was just a weird coupling from the off, right?)
6 of 15Stephanie Davis and Jeremy McConnell
Perhaps the most controversial CBB couple, Stephanie Davis quickly forgot about her boyfriend on the outside after falling for the 'charms' of Jeremy McConnell. Their relationship caused a lot of dramz in the house and it didn't stop when they left. In fact, Jeremy was later convicted for assaulting Stephanie and he refused to accept she was the father of her child until a lie detector proved that he is. Romance Rating: 1 (this is one relationship that should NAT have happened)
7 of 15Sarah Harding and Chad Johnson
Nobody saw a romance coming between former Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding and The Bachelorette's Chad Johnson coming in 2017. But after Chad and Sarah racked up a cute friendship, things soon turned into a romance in the house, with the pair getting cosy on a number of occasions. They remained together for a number of weeks after the show ended, but with Chad living in America and Sarah in the UK, things didn't work out. Romance Rating: 5 (for the steamy snogging)
8 of 15Kerry Katona and Lucien Laviscount
Another CBB romance NOBODY saw coming was between Kerry Katona and former Waterloo Road star Lucien Laviscount in 2011. Kerry and Lucien seemed very loved-up in the house, sharing a number of cuddles and kisses, but things didn't work out due to their 11-year age difference on the outside world.Romance Rating: 5 (we weren't convinced)
9 of 15Megan McKenna and Scotty T
Despite Stephanie and Jeremy's relationship taking up more or less the whole series in 2016, TOWIE's Megan McKenna and Geordie Shore's Scotty T also got VERY cosy. The reality pair enjoyed a number of steamy kisses in the house, but things didn't go to plan on the outside, with Scotty T blaming distance as the reason for their split. Romance Rating: 6 (we feel bad for Stephanie and Jeremy stealing their thunder)
10 of 15Lee Ryan and Casey Batchelor (and Jasmine Waltz)
The 2014 series of CBB brought with it one of the cringiest love-triangles to date, between Blue singer Lee Ryan, Jasmine Waltz and Casey Bachelor. Lee started off by getting to know Casey, before declaring his 'love' for Jasmine. But when the America model was evicted, Lee jumped back into bed with Casey (leaving viewers fuming). CBB bosses then created MASSIVE drama when they put Jasmine back into the house, resulting in a huge argument between the pair. Despite this, Lee and Jasmine started a relationship and even appeared on the front of a magazine, but things didn't last long when Jasmine accused him of 'cheating'. Romance Rating: 8 (there was a lot of love going around here, which was the problem really)
11 of 15Marnie Simpson and Lewis Bloor
Geordie Shore's Marnie Simpson and TOWIE's Lewis Bloor had an instant connection when they appeared on the 2016 series of CBB. Things seemed to be going well for the couple, especially after THAT shower session (eughhh). The pair even moved in together when they left the house. But it all ended in tears when it was revealed that Lewis had cheated on Marnie twice!Romance Rating: 6 (well they def had the hots for each other...at one point, right?)
12 of 15Basshunter and Katia Ivanova
Katia actually had a boyfriend on the outside, but her head was turned when she met Basshunter, real name Jonas Erik Altberg. Despite the pair enjoying some time together in the house, Katia ended things on the show, calling the DJ 'too clingy'. Romance Rating: 4 (did we care? not really)
13 of 15Stephen Bear and Chloe Khan
Despite dating Lillie Lexie Greg at the time, Stephen didn't let that stop him getting cosy with Chloe Khan during the 2016 series, with their fellow housemates complaining at their super raunchy behaviour shudder. Although Lillie entered the house to confront Bear, that didn't stop Chloe waiting for him when he left the house as champion. Despite their whirlwind romance, things soon ended between the pair, with Bear now dating model Ellie O'Donnell.Romance Rating: 9 (it was brilliantly entertaining)
14 of 15Courtney Act and Andrew Brady
This was more a case of unrequited love. Drag race icon The Apprentice contestant Courtney Act and Andrew Brady formed a very close friendship but it appeared Courtney was more 'into' it. She has since said that she was 'in love' with Andrew.Romance Rating: 6 (because we've ALL been there)
15 of 15Lauren Goodger and Ricci Guaraccio
Lauren Goodger sure knows how to pick 'em. Geordie Shore's Ricci Guarnaccio took a real shining to the TOWIE star and even jokingly proposed to her after two days. The pair got kicked out of the house together in a double eviction. Lauren has since said she really wasn't into it - so much so that she got into a relationship with a jailbird (who she's no longer with, thank goodness). Romance Rating: 4 (she only liked the guy after a few drinks)
She said, “My weight has always gone up and down, but I want long-lasting results, not just a quick-fix.”
After struggling with being stuck at home in the first lockdown last March, Chanelle admitted her weight-loss drive had faltered – posting a picture of indulgent treats like cookies that she’d baked with her kids, writing on Instagram, “Lockdown food – I’m just gaining weight by the second!”
But in the latter part of the year, Chanelle embarked on a new regime – focusing on low-impact exercise like walking and gentle running and shared pictures on Instagram stories of her healthier meals, including salads and protein-rich eggs.
Chanelle has regularly used walking to aid her weight loss. In 2017, she said she was going to try to regain her size 10 figure after giving birth by “going out walking with Frankie in the pram.” And in 2020 she trained for a 100km charity walk, which was sadly cancelled.
But her efforts soon paid off – in December, she gave fans a glimpse into her weight-loss journey in December, when she shared a picture of herself looking trim alongside her sons.
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Last month, she posted a snap of herself celebrating Valentine’s Day with Dan – where, with chips, pudding and wine, she showed that she still allows herself treats. Supportive fans reached out online, writing, “Look at you! You look fantastic!” and “Keep going – you look so much happier and healthier.”
Juliette reckons we can all take a leaf from Chanelle’s book. She says, “Jogging or a brisk walk is great exercise, but it’s important to choose exercise that is achievable for your lifestyle. With the spring evenings coming it hopefully will be easier for us to get outside more in the evenings and, as social-distancing rules change, we can team up with workout buddies to keep motivated.”
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.