She hates the gym, loves chocolate and – despite being a slim size 6-8 – actress Chelsee Healey has the same body hang-ups as the rest of us. So, it took some guts for the star to strip down to the bare essentials for Closer’s exclusive photo shoot.
“The team here are amazing – I’d never have done this otherwise!” she giggles. “I’m actually enjoying getting naked… Who’d have ever thought that?”
The petite 5ft 1 star – who is around 8st, but says: “I never weigh myself” – has been getting in shape recently while training for the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, airing on Christmas Day.
“Like most women, I’m never 100 per cent happy with how I look – my belly and my thighs are the parts I dislike most"
Chelsee was a runner-up in the 2011 series of the show and was the only contestant to get a perfect score – 40 out of 40 – for her paso doble with dance partner Pasha Kovalev. And she says she couldn’t have been happier to get back on the dance floor.
“It was so great to see everyone, put on the sparkly frocks and get back on stage,” says Chelsee. “And working with Pasha again was amazing. But I was worried about what people might say about my body on Twitter.”
When Chelsee was on Strictly last year, she suffered hurtful abuse from cruel Twitter trolls who compared her to “Miss Piggy” and “a pregnant elephant.”
She says: “It rocked my confidence, but it’d never stop me wearing what I want to wear. I’m learning to ignore the comments,” she says.
“Like most women, I’m never 100 per cent happy with how I look – my belly and my thighs are the parts I dislike most – and when I’m papped I often feel I look like crap. But I’m learning to be more body-confident, and toning up with dancing has helped.”
When we last spoke to Chelsee in November 2011, she admitted she regretted having a boob job. She had the op to boost her from a 32C to a DD five years ago.
“I wish I hadn’t gone so big,” she says now. “My frame is quite small, so I think I look too top heavy now. But it’s just something I’ll have to deal with.
“Would I get new, smaller, boobs? I’d never say never. But I’m not sure if I could go through all that again.”
Chelsee says she hates traditional workouts and prefers to dance herself fit. However, she does sometimes use a treadmill because it’s quick and easy. But would she try a more intense fitness regime? She shakes her head and laughs: “When I do crunches, I can only get up to about 10!”
Like most of us, the former Waterloo Road star admits that her hectic work schedule can play havoc with her diet and fitness regime. Chelsee – who is starring in a festive edition of Celebrity Come Dine With Me – says: “I usually eat quite healthily but, when I’m filming in studios, it’s hard because all I eat is sandwiches.
“If I’m not working, I would usually have porridge in the morning, chicken and salad for lunch and fish and vegetables for supper"
“If I’m not working, I would usually have porridge in the morning, chicken and salad for lunch and fish and vegetables for supper.
“What I struggle with is the snacking in between – my weaknesses are crisps and chocolate! I have a really bad sweet tooth and really crave chocolate at night.”
Single girl Chelsee adds that she loves nights out with friends, but sticks to low-calorie drinks like vodka, lime and soda. She admits that morning-after hangovers are her downfall, though. “Being healthy goes out of the window after I have a night out – I end up having Chinese takeaways!” she says.
Chelsee – who famously performed an underwater dance sequence for Sport Relief 2012 – split with her footballer boyfriend, Bristol Rovers player Oliver Norburn, 20, last June. And she says she’s made it her New Year’s resolution to find a new man.
“I’m desperate to be in a relationship!” says the star. “I like the comfort of being in love – my ex used to tell me he loved my bum! But men don’t often chat me up, and I’d never go and chat to anyone on my own. I’m not very confident with men.”
Chelsee adds that she’d prefer to date someone who isn’t famous, saying: “I feel if I’m going to celeb parties, then I don’t want to go out with someone who’s also on that scene. It would be great to meet a man in a library or something!
“I love dating, it makes me smile. My ideal date would be really simple – going for drinks and then to a nice restaurant.”
She adds: “I look for a man who’s got a bit of banter, someone that I get on with and can be my friend as well as my boyfriend. I want someone loyal – oh, and someone who can dress well!”
Well, it’s the start of a new year – who knows what could happen!