She’s been through a divorce, ditched alcohol and dropped over 3st – and three dress sizes – so it’s fair to say Lucy Spraggan’s transformation is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
The former X Factor star says she feels emotionally reborn. Once troubled by anxiety, depression and panic attacks, which were compounded by frequent alcohol binges, Lucy admits she feels calmer and more in control since going teetotal 18 months ago.
But dropping from a size 14-16 to a 6-8 almost three years ago came at a price for 5ft 1 Lucy, whose 38C breasts shrunk to a 32A cup, leaving her self-esteem crippled.
Lucy, 29, tells Closer, “When I started losing weight in 2018, I remember thinking, ‘Oh, my t*ts are going south!’ The more weight I lost, the worse they looked, and by last summer, they were terrible. I felt thrilled with everything I was achieving physically and was trying to feel good about myself, but my boobs were a barrier – the one part of my body that made me feel so sad.”
Her insecurity was heightened last summer when she found love – her first relationship since her divorce from wife Georgina Gordon, 31, in November 2019.
While she’s coy about revealing her new girlfriend’s name, Lucy says, “Every time I would do anything with my girlfriend, if I wasn’t lying on my back, my boobs just looked like udders. They were tubular! It was like I’d filled up a rubber glove with water and was holding one finger. My nipples had dropped down so far, they were on the fold of the boob.
“My girlfriend tried to reassure me, but I remember thinking, ‘I can’t deal with this any more’. I knew the only way I’d feel better was to have a boob job.”
After confiding in her mum and elder sister Ellen about her misery, Lucy turned to social media for surgeon recommendations, then took her time investigating options. After “six or seven” Zoom consultations where she had to “show lots of surgeons my t*ts”, Lucy settled on Scottish cosmetic surgery clinic Cosmedicare, which also offers treatment to transgender patients – a service that appealed to her as an LGBTQ ambassador.
Check out: The X Factor contestants 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!"
Last November, Lucy went under the knife. During the two and a half hour operation, her surgeon cut off skin resembling “a pound’s worth of calamari”, before inserting 32D cup implants.
And Lucy was overcome with emotion when she clapped eyes on her new bust. She says, “When I woke up from the anaesthetic, I looked down and cried. I felt an overwhelming feeling of resolution and closure. I’ve never had perky boobs, but I do now and it feels fab! I’ve got an actual cleavage – I’m on a high!”
Instead of placing implants underneath her pectoral muscles, which involves cutting the muscle to create a more natural breast contour, Lucy – a newly qualified personal trainer – elected to have them fitted on top.
She explains, “Most surgeons told me that I would never be as strong in the upper body and my recovery would be longer if they messed with my pectoral muscles. I will always choose strength over aesthetics. Being strong is more important to me than having nice, natural-looking t*ts.”
Prior to surgery, Lucy was exercising seven times a week – a combination of long-distance runs and 90-minute session weight lifting workouts – so being unable to train during the eight-week recovery period was, she confesses, a “challenge”. Yet she believes surgery is already altering her own body ideals.
She says,” I used to be obsessed with being really lean and muscular, but I now think I was compensating for not having as many feminine features. All I wanted to see were straight lines and really visible muscle, but now I’ve got boobs I feel I’ll be happier being less lean.”
One thing is for certain, Lucy cannot wait for the summer to showcase the results.
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She adds, “I never used to feel sexy, but I’m rediscovering my body. I wore a bikini for the very first time in my life in 2018 and that was at the beginning of the weight loss. Now you should see some of the bikinis I’m trying to find! They’re like [holding up her hand to create a 1cm gap between her fingers] this big!”
But Lucy insists she has no plans for any more body-enhancing procedures. She adds, “The only thing I would ever consider is Botox and that’s not really very out there! I would just like to age gracefully and, let’s face it, there’s no cosmetic surgery that will make me stronger, fitter or faster!”
Lucy's new album, Choices, is out 26 February and available to pre-order now.
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.