Arriving for Closer’s photo shoot, Katie Waissel is looking incredible and fizzing with energy. The 33-year-old former X Factor star reveals she has been on a health kick and has lost 2st and three dress sizes in just seven months.
It’s been a big year for the star. Not only has she shaped up and gained an impressive set of abs, she also relocated back home to the UK after seven years in America, in a bid to start life over as a single mum.
And the former singer – who gave birth to her son Hudson in July last yearwith ex-partner Andy Speer – says she has never felt better or stronger.
She tells Closer, “I can’t believe what my body is capable of. In many ways, it’s better than before I had a baby. When I look in the mirror I actually stop in disbelief, because I can’t believe it’s me and that my cellulite has gone.
“Don’t get me wrong, my boobs are as flat as pancakes from breastfeeding and my nipples are five inches long, but I’ve worked hard. I’m more toned and sculpted, and I feel stronger.”
Katie – who is now an ultra-toned size 8 and just over 8st – credits the results of her transformation on ditching sugary foods and exercising three times a week. During the process, she’s also become a newly qualified personal trainer.
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But while the 5ft 5 singer is overjoyed with her new figure, Katie is the first to admit the past year hasn’t always been easy.
The new mum felt isolated after leaving her life in America to be nearer to her family. And by her own admission, she was “too overprotective” of Hudson to notice her eating habits had fallen by the wayside.
She candidly explains, “There was a lot that I struggled with. I was raising a child alone, I’d done an international move and I was trying to adjust to my new life. Hudson was a terrible sleeper and I’d be up most of the night breastfeeding and then I’d feel ravenous. I didn’t have time to make proper meals, so I’d have blocks of cheddar cheese, or half a tub of mayonnaise on slices of thick, white bread to give myself a sugar rush. I was having a chocolate bar every day. I don’t blame myself as I was in a really bad spot.”
CHECK OUT these incredible X Factor transformations
X Factor: The most shocking contestant transformations - SLIDER
1 of 15Leon Jackson
This spiky-haired teen won X Factor waaaaay back in 2007, scoring a Christmas number one with a cover of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey's When You Believe. And, while there's no denying that he was cute, the X Factor champion was definitely a bit too baby-faced for us to lust over properly. But, nowadays, he's looking VERY sexy indeed, after switching up everything from his hairstyle to his workout regime at the gym. He definitely looks good on it, doesn't he? Read more about Leon jackson's comeback career here.
2 of 15Frankie Cocozza
When Frankie Cocozza joined The X Factor back in 2011, he was a scruffy 18-year-old with birds nest hair and a LOT of eye makeup. Nowadays he looks far more mature and (dare we say it?) mega hot, sporting a wee bit of stubble and curl mousse in favour of his velvet jackets of old. We love his new look - how about you? Read more about his transformation here.
3 of 15Ray Quinn
The X Factor star first burst into our lives as a sweet and fresh-faced teenager from Liverpool, starring as tormented child Anthony Murray in the Channel 4 soap opera, Brookside. When he was 18-years-old, he auditioned for The X Factor and survived right up until the show's final, where he lost out to Leona Lewis. Since then, we've seen him appear in Dancing On Ice and in several West End musicals - but, when he was dismissed from his record label in November 2007, he fell off the radar a little bit. Now he's back - and he's DEFINITELY become a fan of lifting weights, hasn't he? Read more about his transformation here.
4 of 15Eoghan Quigg
Eoghan was just 16-year-old when he shot to fame in the ITV competition in 2008, and made it all the way to the final where he finished in third place. He landed a record deal after the show, but was sadly dropped when his debut single limped in at number 96 on the Official UK Singles Chart. Since then, Eoghan has turned his back on music – and instead has made a bit of a name for himself in Irish football. And he looks completely different, doesn't he? Read more about his transformation here.
5 of 15Rhydian Roberts
Remember Rhydian Roberts, who came runner-up on the 2007 series of The X Factor? Well the classical crooner has shown off a completely different look on Twitter, and we almost didn't recognise him! Rhydian, 32, has clearly been spending A LOT of time at the gym, and proudly showed off his new beefed up physique. Alongside the saucy snaps, Rhydian sent a cheeky message to a fan. He wrote: "Hey Ga! Took it off for you. Now will you stop asking me to get naked for you!?? Hope you're satisfied ." Read more about his transformation here.
6 of 15Chris Maloney
X Factor's Christopher Maloney has shocked fans after revealing he spent £60,000 on cosmetic surgery following a nervous breakdown. After coming third in the talent show back in 2012, the 37-year-old fell into a deep depression which made even getting out of bed a struggle. Since leaving the show, Christopher has undergone three hair transplants, an eye lift and two nose jobs. He has also had teeth veneers. He told The Mirror: "I feel so much happier for it." Read more about his transformation here.
7 of 15Chloe Mafia
Remember when Chloe Mafia auditioned for The X Factor in 2010? Well, it seems like rejection from the show has done her no harm, as the Wakefield lass looks unrecognisable these days. In fact, Chloe - now known as Chloe Khan - is now a MILLIONAIRE and living a life of luxury overseas. She said: "My lifestyle is pretty incredible now – it's mansions and private jets and everything else that I could only imagine when I was younger." The money allowed her to completely reinvent herself with cosmetic surgery and designer clothes - and she's confessed to a boob job or two, as well as rhinoplasty. Read more about her transformation here.
8 of 15Jahmene Douglas
The shy and retiring singer shot to fame, thanks to his modest nature and sweet-as-an-angel voice, back on The X Factor in 2012. He finished in second place, and has since gone on to find success as a singer; in fact, his second album (which features collaborations with the likes of Diane Warren) is currently in the works. But Nicole Scherzinger's protégé hasn't just been working on his music; he's also been working on his look, too. Think makeup and VERY well manicured eyebrows - we're jealous. To critics of his new look, he said simply: "Any judgement of beauty will always be an opinion." Read more about his transformation here.
9 of 15Leigh-Anne Pinnock
One of the biggest X Factor success stories, Leigh-Anne Pinnock is now 1/4 of Little Mix - but she's just as prone to a makeover as her fellow former X Factor contestants. The songstress recently went and dyed her dark locks a bright shade of blonde - and she looked incredible! Read more about her transformation here.
10 of 15Sam Bailey
The mum-of-three burst into our lives as the prison guard with a very powerful voice - and we thought she looked beautiful. But there's no denying that the X Factor winner looks absolutely phenomenal nowadays, sporting a much more polished look.
11 of 15Cher Lloyd
Cher surprised us all when she burst out into R'n'B song Turn My Swag On back in 2010 - but she's ditched her rapper style for a far more polished look nowadays. In fact, Cher looks a LOT like her X Factor mentor, Cheryl Cole, nowadays, doesn't she?
12 of 15George Shelley
George first appeared as a baby-face solo artist when he auditioned with Britney Spears's Toxic back in 2012. Now in his 20s, he looks VERY different - with many labelling the Union J as the ULTIMATE man candy. Thoughts?
13 of 15Jedward
John and Edward Grimes were the X Factor twins with BOUNDS of energy and gravity defying uairsylts. Nowadays, however, they are all grown up now and they look pretty different from their days on the hit ITV talent show. They're still making music, sure, but they're sporting a much more grown up 'do - and we kinda love it. Way to go, Jedward!
14 of 15Katie Waissel
Not only has she ditched her tired looking bleach blonde looks, Katie Waissel has gone full on mummy mode, toning down her trademark indie rocker look in favour of relaxed leisurewear and a make-up free face.
15 of 15Emma Chawner
Emma first auditioned for X Factor in 2007 to scathing responses from Simon, before getting back up on the X Factor stage with her sister, Sam, a few years later. Now she's dropped an incredible 12 stone and exclusively told Closer magazine, "I'd love Simon to see me now – he wouldn't recognize me!"
While Katie has been relishing her new role as a mum, she openly admits that the strain of being a single parent affected her emotionally and physically. She adds, “I felt a huge sense of responsibility to constantly be around Hudson so that he never felt abandoned. His dad and I split when I was eight months pregnant– he’s still in contact, but I put pressure on myself to make Hudson feel loved.”
The star, who found fame on The X Factor in 2010 and had a very public falling-out with her mentor Cheryl, adds, “I didn’t have a social life and I refused help from my parents, because I didn’t want Hudson to wonder where I was. If I had five minutes to myself, I’d be on the couch eating a takeaway that was meant for two people.”
But Katie reached breaking point when a clothes shopping trip to a shopping centre left her in tears. She explains, “Before Hudson, I didn’t need to try on clothes as I knew what looked good. Months after he was born, I walked into a shop and was overwhelmed. Nothing fitted or suited, and I left crying. I just wanted to hide away.
“It got to the stage where I’d get out of breath running around after Hudson. He was getting heavier and I didn’t have the strength to carry him for long, so I knew I had to make changes.”
Katie, who was still well within a healthy weight range, was determined to become “fitter and healthier”, Katie found a gym with a crèche, which meant she was able to work out with Hudson close by, and with the support of other mums. She tells us, “On the first day, I couldn’t even manage a pull-up and I burst into tears… again! I felt defeated before I’d even started.
"But I went back and started HIIT [high-intensity interval training] classes for new mums, which was less intimidating. I lost fat around my stomach within 8-12 weeks, and then I focused on weight-lifting and boxing to become more sculpted. I couldn’t touch my toes before, but now I’m more flexible because of yoga classes.”
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Katie also made changes to her diet, ditching takeaways and carb-laden meals for salad bowls made with tuna, cheese and quinoa, and snacking on hard-boiled eggs. She adds, “It’s less about finding a quick-fix or being skinny; I’ve made these changes so that I can be a stronger and healthier mum going forward.” And as she looks to the future, Katie – who was been through two divorces, from model Brad Alphonso in 2012, and comedian Brian Moote in 2016 – admits finding love again won’t be on the agenda any time soon. She laughs, “I’m not dating anyone, I’m pretty much a house plant!
“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve dated a few guys, but it’s different now I’m a single mum. Every day is still a process for me, and I’m getting through it. My time is valuable and I won't waste it by interviewing them about why they should be in my life.
"I've been hurt so much, and I'm just not emotionally ready to take any risks. Hudson is my priority right now."
Read more in this week's Closer magazine, out now.