She recently reprised her role as trucker Nessa Jenkins in the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special after a nine-year break, and actress Ruth Jones was back in her alter ego’s old clothes, too.
“One of the skirts I wore was the original skirt,” she said. “I absolutely adore Nessa because when I’m playing her, I just feel brave and so at ease.”
WATCH Alexandra Cane on pressures after leaving Love Island leading to her transformation
The 53-year-old star lost nearly 5st in 2011, dropping six dress sizes from a 24 to a 12, but she has since regained her curves after “quitting dieting” in 2015. Four years ago, Ruth – who is married to screenwriter David Peet and is stepmum to his three grown-up children – said she was done with restricting what she eats.
“I have decided to stop dieting because it doesn’t work for me and I am annoyed with myself for ever trying,” she said. “I have decided to enjoy the body I have.”
CHECK OUT Gavin and Stacey - where are they now?
Gavin and stacey then and now SLIDER
1 of 20James Corden (Smith) : then
"DON'T YOU COME ON ME, MATE'
2 of 20James Corden (Smithy): now
James Corden's now thousands of miles away from his Smithy days - quite literally. He lives in America, and presents The Late Late Show.
3 of 20Ruth Jones (Nessa): then
Arguably the best character of anything ever, here's Ruth Jones' Nessa in her heyday
4 of 20Ruth Jones (Nessa) now
Ruth looks SO DIFFERENT these days. HOW is that Nessa?!
5 of 20Joanna Page (Stacey) then
'It's like chocolate and bits of rocks'
6 of 20Joanna Page (Stacey) now
Joanna's changed loads since G&S, but is still definitely recognisable as Stacey.
7 of 20Mathew Horne (Gavin) then
Remember Gavin's weird, weird hair?
8 of 20Mathew Horne (Gavin) now
Mathew's hair is now considerably more normal. And he's a bit of a fitlord, isn't he?
9 of 20Larry Lamb (Mick) then
'It's the last thing you expect to find when you get to work in the morning'
10 of 20Larry Lamb (Mick) now
We have a very weird and confusing crush on Larry Lamb, particularly after his 2016 stint on I'm A Celebrity...
11 of 20Alison Steadman (Pam) then
'DO YOU THINK ILL OF ME MY CHILD?' We forever are in love with Pam.
12 of 20Alison Steadman (Pam) now
Oh lawks. Look how different Pam looks now
13 of 20Rob Brydon (Bryn) then
Bryn is forever Uncle goalz
14 of 20Rob Brydon (Bryn) now
Rob Brydon looks pretty much the same TBH
15 of 20Melanie Walters (Gwen) then
Forever fantasising about Gwen's omelettes
16 of 20Melanie Walters (Gwen) now
Melanie played the fairy godmother at Blackpool's Grand Theatre in their Cinderella panto.
17 of 20Steffan Rhodri (Dave Coaches) then
How's it goin', alrigh'?
18 of 20Steffan Rhodri (Dave Coaches) now
LOOK AT DAVE NOW!
19 of 20Julia Davis (Dawn) then
Dawn and Pete - the ultimate relationship goals
20 of 20Julia Davis (Dawn) now
Julia Davis still lookin' fab
READ MORE diet and body news
Ferne McCann reveals diet secrets following impressive fitness overhaul
Love Island’s Alexandra Cane: 'I don’t recognise myself after losing 2st'
Corrie’s Katie McGlynn weight loss transformation: ‘I’ve lost a stone and grown a booty’
Instead, Ruth – who gave up alcohol when she was 40 – is more interested in staying fit after catching the running bug, which has helped her to get in shape in the past.
“I started running to lose weight. At my heaviest, I was 17st 7lbs, which is really not good or healthy, and I had a bit of a revelation that this had to stop,” she said.
She signed up to a gym and started following the NHS app Couch To 5k, inspired by weight-loss shows like Obese: A Year To Save My Life – and she managed a 10k run within a year. “It was such a sense of achievement,” she said afterwards.
Read more in this week's Bella magazine, out now