Charlotte Dawson: ‘I danced off four dress sizes and escaped diabetes’

She’s been showing off the results of her weight loss after losing an impressive three and a half stone in six months. And reality TV star Charlotte Dawson insists her hard work isn’t the result of a faddy diet or restrictive calorie counting. In fact, she hasn’t given up anything she loves.

“I might be slimmer – but chips and gravy are still my life,” laughs 28-year-old Charlotte, who has dropped from a dress size 16 to an 8. “I’m not one for eating leaves. When I feel down, I’ll get a chippy, that’s how I’ve always been.”

Though the star, who is engaged to rugby player Matt Sarsfield, 30, and gave birth to their son, Noah, in January last year, admits trips to the local chip shop have been less frequent during the past six months while she’s been trying to get healthier.

Charlotte was diagnosed with gestational diabetes – a common condition that affects one in 20 women – during her pregnancy and admits her diet then took a turn for the worse after having Noah. By her own admission, her love of junk food left her feeling “sluggish and dizzy” as well as suffering with low moods.

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“After Noah I went back to eating rubbish, I was a nightmare. Every week at the chippy I’d get an extra-large portion or at Domino’s, I’d get three different pizzas with sides. I was obsessed with over-ordering. I felt knackered most days. Matthew was worried about me because I seemed depressed, I was just eating all the time.”

But the star “came to her senses” amid concerns from loved ones over her eating habits and a stark warning from her doctor in June.

She says, “Messages from my followers on social media were flooding in saying, ‘You really need to stop eating like that, you could end up with type 2 diabetes’, plus my mum was diagnosed with the condition in June last year and that was a wake-up call. After blood tests, my doctor said, ‘If you carry on eating like this for another two months, you’ll be on insulin, you need to change your diet’. I called Matthew and burst out crying.”

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Charlotte, who is the daughter of the late comedian Les Dawson, who died suddenly aged 62, admits the circumstances of her father’s death weighed heavily on her mind.

She says, “Dad had a heart attack but also had type-2 diabetes, that’s part of the reason he died when I was eight months old. If he’d listened to advice and eaten healthier, he might still been here. I thought, ‘I don’t want to die young like my dad, I want to be here for Noah.’”

She sought the help of nutritionist Jo Travers, who devised a 1,500-calorie diet full of healthy versions of her favourite meals, and made it her mission to find a fun workout. She says, “I hate the idea of running on a treadmill or being among super-fit girls at the gym. I found a brilliant dance workout online that I could do during Noah’s naps. I did it most days for 20-30 minutes and I’ve literally shaken my belly off while being daft in my living room.”

She’s turned her diet and exercise plan into an online programme offering meal plans and workouts aptly named “Chazza’s Belleh Blaster”. She says, “I don’t over-eat now, I’ve learned about portion sizes. There’s still fish and chips on my plan, just a much smaller version. I want people to eat and not starve themselves!”

And after six months, Charlotte, whose plan includes strengthening and bodyweight exercises, has noticed changes all over. The star has slimmed down from 12st to eight and a half. “I feel sexy, I used to have flabs – now I’ve got abs,” she laughs.

“I love my legs, and for the first time my bum is defined. I have a tattoo of my dad on my back and because of the weight I’ve lost – he’s shrunk too! I feel on top of the world with the way I look and on the inside, too.”

What’s more, her transformation has given her a new lease of life in the bedroom with Matthew, who has been trying to encourage her away from junk food for some time. She says, “I definitely feel more confident in front of Matt. He’s buzzing with my new figure – he fancies me more. I can keep the lights on in the bedroom now and don’t have to turn them off.”

“After I had Noah, it was hard because I’d see Matthew looking in great shape. He tried to get me fit for five years and used to say, ‘I’m worried about you eating like this,’ but it took a diabetes scare to get me on the right move. He’s proud of me now, though.”

Others have been impressed, too. She says, “The comments have been unbelievable – people say I look radiant, and that my dad would be proud.”

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But while she regularly entertains her 1.3m Instagram followers with her self-deprecating posts, shaking her “beltin belleh” or comically applying fake tan, she insists she’s still the same girl despite slimming down.

“Somebody wrote, ‘You’re not funny any more because you’re not fat.’ Just because I’ve lost weight doesn’t mean I’ve changed. It’s important for me to be real, especially for the younger generation. I’ll carry on poking fun at myself no matter my size!”

And after getting engaged in September 2020, Charlotte is waiting for the pandemic to settle down before she plans her “five-day-affair wedding” but is keen for another child. “I’d love a girl next – a mini-me,” she laughs, before adding, “Wow, that would be an actual nightmare!”

Chazza’s Belleh Blaster online fitness platform is available now. Priced £39.99 for a three-month programme.