After reaching a size 22 at just 17, Catherine Tyldesley tells Closer how she's overhauled her lifestyle to maintain her size 8 figure
She starred as one of the nation’s most popular soap characters playing sassy barmaid Eva Price in Coronation Street - and Catherine Tyldesley’s enviable physique has even earned her nominations for sexiest female soap actress.
But while she looks incredible now, Catherine, 35, who has a son, Alfie, three, with her fitness trainer husband Tom Pitfield, tells Closer that she has not always been confident about her looks. At her lowest point, she admits that as a teenager she was so overweight that she avoided communal changing rooms and the gym because she was so embarrassed about the way she looked.
The actress admits she piled on the weight by eating junk food and by the time she was 17, she was a size 22.
She says, “Basically I was greedy and lazy. I was very unfit too and got to the point where I couldn’t walk up the stairs without getting out of breath and I didn’t want to go and get undressed in changing rooms.”
Catherine, who first opened up about her weight battle in 2013, adds, “My parents always gave me really nutritious home-cooked meals but when I got into high school, I’d go to the tuck shop or the chippie on the way home.”
But the star - whose final scenes were aired in Corrie in August after a seven-year stint - says the turning point came when she went to an audition for a musical theatre production.
CHECK OUT Coronation Street spoilers: Monday 10 - Friday 14 November - a soap legend quits the cobbles
Coronation Street spoilers: Corrie legend leaves the cobbles
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After last weeks altercation, Fiz is determined to find some dog-friendly accommodation for Evelyn, to finally get her out of their hair. Tyrone and Hope take Cerberus out for a walk.
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But when Tyrone is momentarily distracted, Hope and Cerberus disappear. Tracking her down shortly afterward, Hope declares she's put the pup on a tram to Rochdale – AND she's not even sorry about it.
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Fiz breaks the news to Evelyn who, devastated about losing her beloved dog, lays into Fiz and Hope.
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Fiz and Tyrone have an important discussion with a counsellor about Hope's behaviour. But Fiz is shocked when Tyrone reveals he's already found a special school for Hope – in Birmingham.
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When Hope bites Ruby at the dinner table, Fiz finally admits that she needs help. She announces that she'll move with Hope to Birmingham, so that Hope can attend the special school until she's better.
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Amy reminds Steve and Tracy that as the new contract stipulates, tonight is family night.
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So naturally Tracy becomes suspicious when Amy is the first to suggest the cancel it. Steve has been looking forward to it, and insists they stick to the plan.
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The three of them stick out a meal, but when Amy goes to the bathroom, Tracy looks through her phone, and comes to the conclusion she's lovesick, with a serious crush on Aadi.
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Steve and Tracy decide that they're holding Amy back, and in a bid to encourage Amy to ditch the contract, Tracy reckons she and Steve should set her up on a date with Aadi.
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Steve and Tracy take Amy for dinner at the Bistro however their plan goes awry when Dev explains Aadi point blank refuses to go on a date with Amy.
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Tonya and Imran find themselves alone at the office, having both turned up ready for an argument. However, their anger quickly turns to passion, and they end up kissing.
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They spring apart when they hear someone coming, and Toyah hides under Imran's desk just before Nick comes in to stand up for Leanne.
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Shona can see that Nick and Leanne are still crazy about each other. She locks them in the cafe together in a bid to resolve their differences . . . and that's precisely what they do.
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Leanne thanks Shona for her matchmaking but is worried that Carla has overheard. Toyah and Imran enjoy an afternoon of sex in the empty flat but suddenly they are interrupted by Leanne with Nick in tow and Imran has no choice but to hide on the balcony while Toyah locks herself in the bathroom.
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Nick tells Carla he's going to sell his half of the factory, so that he can get ex-wife Elsa out of his life for good. Carla is already angry at him for undermining her in front of a customer.
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Brian runs his latest Lord of the Rings - meets - Cinderella nativity plans past Cathy, who once again expresses she feels that Phil is bullying Brian.
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When Imran hears through the grapevine about Robert and Kate's baby plans, he is furious that Rana knows nothing about it.
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Seb finds an envelope stuffed full of cash in Eileen's cupboard. Eileen realises to her horror that the 5k must be the result of one of Phelan's dodgy deals. When Liz and Sean point out she could do with a holiday, Eileen agrees on condition they go with her.
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Sinead grows suspicious when she sees Ken surreptitiously handing Carla a wad of cash, eventually leading him to admit that he has been funding the treatments.
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Sinead shows Ken a picture of the scan, and he's overcome with emotion. When Daniel feels the baby kick, he claims that he's the happiest man alive.
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Sinead is overcome with guilt that she's been lying about going to chemo. When she runs into Billy in the street, she asks if they can pray together.
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Billie takes her to his flat, and she comes clean about everything. Billy is shocked, but will he spill the beans?
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Later, Sinead gets a call about Steph and rushes to the hospital, where Steph's husband gives her the bad news – her treatment hasn't worked, and now she has just days to live. Had Sinead made a mistake?
She says, “I’d gone for the lead female role and the producers told me I’d always be the comedy character - ‘the fat, funny one’. I was super unfit, so they did me a favour in the long run. It was a big wake up call.”
So she then began her weight loss journey and dropped seven dresses sizes by cutting out junk food and starting a regular exercise routine. Now, she a size 8 and a healthy 10st, 2lbs and happier than ever.
She tells us: “I started cutting down what I was eating massively. Slowly, I lost five stone over the course of a year. I didn’t do anything stupid because I had already tried all the faddy diets and nothing was sustainable for life. So I did it in a healthy way.”
Her rules for weight loss are to keep it simple, “remember portion control” and balance.
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“Everyone can enjoy a little bit of what you fancy at times - I adore chocolate and I love Christmas and all those treats - but diets do not work, that is something I am extremely passionate about,” she insists.
“So it was a total lifestyle change. I started exercising very slowly too, I did fitness DVDs at home, because I was too embarrassed to go to the gym. As I started losing weight, I felt like a completely different person. I really noticed it in my clothes - I looked and felt better, and it’s was great not always having to buy in the plus size section in shops. Just feeling more confident in myself all round. It was such a wonderful experience.
“Now, I aim for a minimum of three weight training sessions a week. Some weeks it’s impossible and if it is, then I try and walk everywhere and do my 10,000 steps a day.”
Catherine spoke to us at the launch of Dermikelp's new skin and haircare range.
Read even more about Catherine in this week's Closer - out now.