When Lianne Hedley tuned into Love Island series 4 and saw the stars strutting around the villa, it was a reminder of how little confidence she had in her own body.
Lianne, 30, who has a son, Kobe, three, had put on 3st in nine months, and felt so insecure she’d avoid making plans with friends and hated looking in the mirror.
So she was taken with how the contestants flaunted their figures on the show – and was determined to feel as good as they did.
Lianne overhauled her lifestyle and, after losing 5st and dropping five dress sizes, she’s now more confident than ever.
Lianne, from Wigan, says, “I watched Dani Dyer and Samira Mighty in their bikinis, and I was envious of how relaxed and confident they looked.
“I was the complete opposite. Since putting on weight, I’d really struggled to accept myself. I was so self-conscious and I was always covered up in baggy clothes.
“Those girls were my inspiration to live a happier, healthier life.”
While Lianne says she had always been curvier than her friends, at a size 12 and 11st 7lbs, she was healthy for her height of 5ft 4. She says, “Like most women, I had some body hang-ups, but I didn’t worry too much about what I ate. I’d enjoy a McDonald’s at the weekend, and I drank Coke every day. If I had a cup of tea, I’d always have a biscuit, too.”
In 2014, Lianne met her partner, Michael, 29, who works in construction. She says, “It was love at first sight and, within a year, we moved in together and I fell pregnant with our son, Kobe, in 2017. Michael and I were over the moon. But I saw pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted.
“I have a sweet tooth and I’d eat bars of chocolate, cakes and biscuits every day. For dinner, I’d eat spaghetti Bolognese and would serve myself the same portion as Michael, despite the fact he’s 6ft.
“The NHS guidance is that women should expect to put on around 2st during pregnancy. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself as I was carrying our baby, but my weight just went up and up.
“Then, from about 20 weeks pregnant, I struggled to feel Kobe moving inside me. Staff reassured me by finding his heartbeat, but I knew my size wasn’t helping.
“I had gone up three dress sizes and had put on around 3st. By July 2018, at 39 weeks, I was induced before having a Caesarean. Thankfully, Kobe was perfectly healthy.”
With a newborn, getting her weight under control was low on Lianne’s list of priorities – but she was filled with worry.
She said, “I was scared I’d get a weight-related illness and not be able to look after him. My weight and anxiety was also stopping me from taking Kobe to baby classes and even on walks. It wasn’t fair.”
But when Lianne watched the fourth series of Love Island that summer, she realised she had to change her unhealthy lifestyle once and for all.
She says, “I remember seeing how the women owned their figures on the show. They looked great – and they knew it. I was also mesmerised by the montages of them working out. They were strong and powerful, lifting weights like the guys. I wanted to be able to do that, too.
“My entire life, I had hidden myself. My anxiety about being overweight and unhealthy was stopping me giving my little boy the mother he deserved. I had to think of him and put him first. It was the lightbulb moment I needed. I decided to face my insecurities head on.”
In October 2018, Lianne signed up for the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan. She says, “By then, I’d got into a routine with Kobe and felt like I could focus on myself, too. The plan worked by replacing meals with their products, such as bars, shakes and soups, as well as low-carb meals and having one-to-one support from a weight-loss consultant.
“At my heaviest, I weighed 14st 7lbs. Although it was tough to start with, I was more determined than ever.
“I swapped fizzy drinks for at least three litres of water per day. I started weighing out my portions, and began enjoying protein shakes, vegetable soups, and chicken salads with vegetables, plus the products in the plan. In a month, I lost a stone and felt amazing.
“I also set myself a target for 10,000 steps a day. I never took public transport, and running around after Kobe meant I was always on my feet.”
As Lianne lost weight, her confidence grew. By March 2019, she’d reached her goal weight of 9st 7lbs, and wore a size 8. She says, “I felt amazing, and for the last two years, I’ve been maintaining my weight by eating the recommended 1,800 calories. I still treat myself to meals out with friends and takeaways, but I just make sure my diet is balanced. I’ve never been happier.
“I have the freedom to wear what I want. I used to be terrified if a friend asked me to go on a night out because I wouldn’t know what to wear. That’s not a problem now – and when I next go on holiday, I’ll wear a bikini with pride, which is something I’d never have done a few years ago.”
Check out: Love Island 2018 cast - where are they now?
Closer - Love Island cast 2018 WATN SLIDER
1 of 69Love Island cast 2018
From Love Island 2018 winners Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham to Casa Amor's Savannah Darnell and Kaz Crossley, here's what all the islanders are doing now...
2 of 69Kendall-Rae Knight
Kendall was initially coupled up with Niall Aslam but dropped him like a rainbow fish shaped potato when Adam Collard slithered over. She was dumped by the scaly one when Rosie Williams caught his eye and ended up being the first person to leave the Love Island villa.
3 of 69Kendall-Rae Knight
Fast forward a few days and Kendall had already forgotten Adam after a hot date with Love Island 2017 star Kem Cetinay. Go, Kendall. She has since gone on to become a Boohoo ambassador (a Love Island alumna rite of passage), she launched her own range of fake eyelashes and has partnered up with underwear brand With Love Lilly. Oh, and she had a nose job too.
4 of 69Niall Aslam
Niall left Love Island of his volition and the nation (well, us anyway) cried into our cornflakes as he was 100% our favourite man to win.
5 of 69Niall Aslam
Niall later admitted he left the villa for reasons relating to his Asperger syndrome. He was then spotted on a magical night out with fellow former Islander Rosie Williams. Niall was mugged off once more when he wasn't invited to the Love Island Christmas reunion!
6 of 69Hayley Hughes
Hayley was initially coupled up with Eyal Booker but the pair did not hit it off. She later tried to make it work with Charlie Frederick but, alas, the pair were dumped on day 13. She's perhaps best known for sharing her insight on Brexit.
7 of 69Hayley Hughes
Hayley has subsequently spoken out about her abusive father and her mother's brave escape from him. She's also defended the Brexit commentsshe made in the villa. Oh, and she even dated DJ Tom Zanetti who played at one of the villa's pool parties. Hayley took to Instagram to tell fans, 'I believe the most important relationship we have is the one we have with ourselves'. You do you, Hayley.
8 of 69Charlie Frederick
Charlie lasted a heady five days in the villa. He coupled up with Hayley but was left frustrated when she failed to return his ardor.
9 of 69Charlie Frederick
Within days of leaving the Love Island villa, Charlie was posing for #spon #ads on his personal Instagram account. Fast work, fella. It also looks like he started a trend because his two ex-girlfriends Lucie Donlan and Arabella Chi went on Love Island 2019 and became pals.
10 of 69Rosie Williams
Rosie entered the villa with Georgia Steel on day four and was drawn to show villain Adam. Despite her giving him a hand based sex act, he moved on to Zara McDermott and tried to pretend it was Rosie's fault.
11 of 69Rosie Williams
Rosie was dumped from the villa on day 20. She then had a late night McDonald's with Kem, and a lovely day out with Niall. In a bizarre turn of events, she was also snapped with the Chris Nothman who plays Mr Big in Sex And The City ¯_(ツ)_/¯
12 of 69Eyal Booker
It's our strongly held belief that Eyal is one of the fittest Love Island contestant ever. We wouldn't want to be caught in a camp fire chat with him, mind. He had two unsuccessful relationships in the villa and was booted out when Meg Barton Hanson pied him off in favour of Wes Nelson.
13 of 69Eyal Booker
Since leaving the villa Eyal's been hanging out at festivals with Caroline Flack, and has talked of re-igniting his music career. Awks. He also had a stint on Celebs Go Dating but still didn't find love. Oh, and he took part in Celebs on the Ranch, alongside reality TV legends Bobby Norris and Louie Spence. Eyal has actually found love with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna's daughter Delilah Belle Hamlin.
14 of 69Zara McDermott
Zara lasted ten days in the villa, in which time she went for Adam despite witnessing the way he treated Kendall. She didn't spend time getting to know any other islanders, which is the reason they gave for dumping her.
15 of 69Zara McDermott
Zara may have lost out on £50,000 but she won at love - for a time. She said she'd wait for Adam and despite snogging yet another woman in the villa, when he was dumped he and Zara made things official. They broke up shortly before Valentine's Day 2019 after he reportedly spent a night in a hotel room with two women. She's now dating Made in Chelsea's Sam Thompson.
16 of 69Savanna Darnell
We had high hopes for Savanna when she entered Casa Amor. Sadly, she failed to capture any of the boys' imaginations and she was sent home before making it into the main villa.
17 of 69Savanna Darnell
Savanna has released a single called Bye Bye and we have to admit that it's quite catchy. She's also appears in the new Disney Aladdin movie and she's currently touring the UK as a dancer in Thriller Live Musical.
18 of 69Jordan Adefeyisan
Jordan tried to make things happen with Georgia Steel in the villa. She stayed faithful to Josh Denzel...and we know how that ended.
19 of 69Jordan Adefeyisan
Since his five day flash in the villa, Jordan has mainly been hanging around looking hot by walls. Lovely stuff.
20 of 69Dean Overson
Oh, Dean. He set his sights on Megan but didn't stand a chance against fitlord Alex 'Glasses Alex' Miller.
21 of 69Dean Overson
After his brief stay in the villa, Dean started hanging out with fellow dumpee Jordan in northern clubs . He's since posted a lot of 'blue steel' photos on his Insta page for spons and ads.
22 of 69Charlie Williams
Charlie was (perhaps) put in Casa Amor as blonde bait for sex lobster Dr Alex. She failed to light his fire and he pied her in favour of Grace Wardle. More on her later.
23 of 69Charlie Williams
Since her brief stint in the villa, Charlie has mainly been working on her Instagram game.
24 of 69Alex Miller
Alex 'Glasses Alex' Miller scored very highly in our sexiest Love Island contestants line-up. Sadly, he paired up with Megan, which is probably why he was dumped after finding himself in the bottom three least popular couples.
25 of 69Alex Miller
Since leaving the show, Alex has mainly been looking HELLA sexy on Instagram. We're still big fans. Alex also reignited Love Island feuds when he left the official Love Island group chat just months after the show finished. Awks. He also now sells rude videos of himself on an adult site...
26 of 69Adam Collard
As the villa's King Snake, Adam did incredibly well to stay in the Love Island for 33 days. That's 33 days of mugging Kendall, Rosie, Zara and Darylle off. Bless them.
27 of 69Adam Collard
He and Zara McDermott split after seven months when he reportedly dumped her by text. He then appeared to send a BRUTAL message to his ex via Instagram. Ouch. He regularly posts topless pics of himself so, there's that.
28 of 69Ellie Jones
Ellie was never going to be popular in the villa - she entered as Jack Fincham's ex, putting Dani Dyer's nose right out of joint. She ended up in a very odd partnership with Sam Bird before being dumped from the show.
29 of 69Ellie Jones
Ellie doesn't appear to have done much since Love Island and has yet to address her apparent support for jailed far-right activist and former EDL leader Tommy Robinson. Yuck. She's since split from her Ex On The Beach boyfriend Bobby Ballard after branding him "too controlling".
30 of 69Darylle Sargeant
Darylle lasted seven days in the villa after being chosen as Adam's lucky fourth (not counting Megan) lady in Casa Amor.
31 of 69Darylle Sargeant
She's since had an absolute hoot on Love Island: After Sun and been to see The Dreamboys, where she apparently met and charmed Jake Quickenden. Not a bad life TBH. She's also started up her own microblading business.
32 of 69Grace Wardle
Grace was pretty quiet when she entered Casa Amor which she put down to a lack of vitamins. Sure, Grace. Sure. She was dumped after ten days which is actually not a bad run.
33 of 69Grace Wardle
Since crashing back into reality, Grace has kept us up-to-date on Instagram - and is the owner of her own hairdressing company in London.
34 of 69Frankie Foster
Frankie got together with Samira Mighty and she was devastated when he was revealed as the least popular man in the villa and booted out. Not devastated enough to follow him straight out though.
35 of 69Frankie Foster
Frankie was rumoured to have cheated on Sam pretty much the moment he left the villa. The pair have now split. Frankie has since returned to personal training.
36 of 69Samira Mighty
Samira was in Love Island from day one but was initially paired with Dr Alex (bleurgh) before entering a slightly odd coupling with Sam Bird. She followed Frankie out of the villa, four days after he got the boot.
37 of 69Samira Mighty
Samira's gamble did not pay off. Oh dear. But since she left, Samira has been out and about living her best life (well, apart from when she was turned away from Dani Dyer's fashion line launch).
38 of 69Sam Bird
Sam and his suspiciously small eyebrows started life in the villa with Samira, before returning from Casa Amor with Jack's ex Ellie Brown on his arm. He then swooped in when Georgia was left broken hearted by Josh, but we weren't convinced they had the 'real deal'. Bizarrely, the couple chose to split up in order to stay in the villa. But days later, they proved doubters wrong by choosing to walk out of the villa as a couple.
39 of 69Sam Bird
Sam did the media rounds with Georgia for three months before they split in October 2018. Sam claimed Georgia's ex was the cause of the break up, something Georgia denies. As for those teeny tiny brows, he's since had them preened and re-shaped.
40 of 69Georgia Steel
Illustrating a whole new definition of 'loyal', Georgia kissed best pal Laura Anderson's boyfriend Jack Fowler. But before this fall from grace, we have to admit that Georgia was a good friend to the girls in there. She was left apparently heartbroken when Josh Denzel dropped her for Kazimir Crossley - but she quickly perked up again with Sam Bird.
41 of 69Georgia Steel
Following a questionable decision to break up with Sam in order to stay in the villa, the pair then proved their loyalty by walking out together a few days later. Georgia has since admitted to The Kiss, which is big of her. She's also denied cheating on Sam, who she has now split from, and they were still arguing about it at the Christmas reunion. Georgia returned to our screens with her pet rabbit in Celebs Go Dating and she appeared on Celebs On The Ranch alongside Eyal. After kissing Hollyoaks star Malique Thompson Dyer, she went on to date a conman and then claimed he stole her money.
42 of 69Jack Fowler
Quite frankly, we were relieved when physically flawless Jack came in and 100% took Laura's mind off muggy Wes Nelson with one flex of those biceps. But the pair didn't work out, and he cracked on with surfer chick Laura Crane. Yes, it is a bit awkward that both girls shared the same name but it didn't stop him.
43 of 69Jack Fowler
Despite proving himself to be a totally 'hot dad' in the baby challenge, he was booted out with Laura in the final week. They have since split - but Jack got us hot under the collar once again when he returned to our screens in Celebs Go Dating.
44 of 69Laura Crane
Surfer chick Laura had a short stint in the villa but managed to grab the attention of coupled up boys Jack Fowler and Dr Alex George. She chose Jack and the pair made a BEAUTIFUL couple.
45 of 69Laura Crane
Alas, Laura was booted out of the villa quicker than you could say 'surf's up'. But at least the pair got to spend time with their little Aubrey in the baby challenge. Aww. Laura and Jack have since split up. In November 2018 Laura was rushed to hospital where she was later diagnosed with the life-threatening infection sepsis. She's now dating Made in Chelsea's Tristan Phipps.
46 of 69Dr Alex George
Dr Alex had an odd ride in Love Island. At first an object of pity, he then revealed himself to be hella entitled when Ellie Brown rejected him, and was a cad to the only woman who cared for him, Alexandra Crane.
47 of 69Dr Alex George
Alex took over from Dr Hilary Jones on Good Morning Britain when he was on holiday for a week. He's become something of an Instagram sensation, incredibly, and following a bunch on PAs he has returned to the NHS.
48 of 69Alexandra Cane
Alexandra genuinely seemed to fancy Dr Alex which just goes to show that there's someone out there for everyone.
49 of 69Alexandra Cane
Dr Alex and Alex were not meant to be but she's been having a lovely time at celeb events. She also became an ambassador for Protein World, Boohoo - surprise surprise - and bizarrely, Pot Noodle. We didn't see that one coming. She also spilled the tea on what really happens inside the Love Island villa.
50 of 69Wes Nelson
It's fair to say that we were NOT fans of Wes Nelson in the villa after he dumped our sweet princess Laura Anderson in favour of Meg Barton-Hanson, who we actually quite like too.
51 of 69Wes Nelson
Since leaving the villa after somehow coming fourth, Wes moved in with Megan. He kept himself in the public eye with a drama-filled appearance in Dancing on Ice 2019. Wes and Megan broke up in early 2019, before he moved on with fashion influencer, Alicia Roddy. They've since split.
52 of 69Megan Barton-Hanson
Megan was probably one of the most unapologeticLove Island's love rats of all time and to be honest, you go girl!
53 of 69Megan Barton-Hanson
Since leaving the show, Megan has become a huge talking point in popular culture. From defending a woman's right to have plastic surgery to openly discussing mental health problems - this girl is flying the flag for women everywhere. Arguably, she's come out with the best prospects. She andWes split in January 2019.
54 of 69Kazimir Crossley
Kazimir Crossley did not win many friends when she stole Josh's heart from the Georgia. She's since said that Georgia was 'horrible' to her in the villa.
55 of 69Kazimir Crossley
Kaz had the last laugh on the show as she and Josh came in a very respectable third place. She's subsequently returned to her job as a make-up artist and is an ambassador for Boohoo. Rumour has it she's dating Love Island 2017 star Theo Campbell.
56 of 69Josh Denzel
Josh entered Love Island on day eight and entered a never-quite-right partnership with Georgia, before dumping her for Kaz.
57 of 69Josh Denzel
Since leaving the villa he's appeared on Lorraine as a business correspondent. Sure... He stayed with Kaz until January 2019, after the pair embarked on a tropical holiday. He's returned to his previous job as a presenter and has been travelling over the world for it.
58 of 69Paul Knops
Paul Knops was a latecomer to the Love Island party, entering the villa on day 43 when he coupled up with Laura Anderson. He waited about five seconds before revealing he'dsnogged Britney Spears in a steamy music video.
59 of 69Paul Knops
Paul has since been to Burning Man and posts frequent, smouldering, pics of himself on Instagram. He and Laura have broken up and he was SAVAGEabout it. He's also spoke out on whether Love Island is fake or not...
60 of 69Laura Anderson
Laura had one heck of a journey in Love Island. She eventually took second place because we could ALL feel for her.
61 of 69Laura Anderson
We didn't hear much about Laura to start with other than about her new hair andnew face. But then she got together with another Love Islanderin a coupling we did NOT see coming, Fair play to Laura, he's an absolute studmuffin. The pair broke up after just a few weeks but have since reunited.
62 of 69Jack Fincham
Jack was paired up with Dani Dyer on the very first day of Love Island and a sure fire love thing was born.
63 of 69Jack Fincham
Since leaving the show, Jack got his feet well under the table with the Dyers. Frankly, we don't blame him. He moved in with Dani, bought a dog with her and even spent Christmas with her. Drama struck when Dani announced they split in December - but alas, she took back her words just a few days later and confirmed it was just a silly argument. But the pair split for good in April 2019. Weep.
64 of 69Dani Dyer
Dani captured the nation's heart on Love Island and went the full distance, winning the show after a whopping 59 days in the villa.
65 of 69Dani Dyer
Big things are predicted for Dani, including an acting job with her dear old dad, Danny. And her clothing line for In The Style broke records for the brand as fans rushed to buy her frocks. Go, Dani! She's also reunited with her ex-boyfriend Sammy Kimmence.
66 of 69Ellie Brown
Ellie entered the Love Island villa with Zara McDermott. She had the misfortune of coupling up with Dr. Alex, before turning to billionaire Chelsea boy, Charlie Brake.
67 of 69Ellie Brown
Whilst Ellie and Zara's friendship has gone from strength to strength, we can't say the same for Ellie's love life. Although she moved in with ultra-rich Charlie, their relationship soon came to a bitter end - which was televised on the Love Island Christmas Reunion. Oh, the joys of reality TV.
68 of 69Charlie Brake
Charlie was a late arrival to the Love Island villa and only got to chance to couple up with feisty Geordie, Ellie Brown before he was booted off.
69 of 69Charlie Brake
Other than bickering with Ellie, Charlie didn't make much of an impact during his time in the Love Island villa - but once the heir stepped returned to UK soil, all hell broke loose. Charlie was linked to TOWIE's Ferne McCann, which thus sparked a huge fight between pals Zara, Adam and Ferne at the glitzy NTAs. Charlie opted for another Love Island fling - but not before returning to his TOWIE type-on-paper, when he snogged Amber Turner.
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Lianne has now become a weight-loss consultant to educate others on the importance of being healthy.
She says, “Weight loss isn’t just about the number on the scales or the label in your clothes – it’s about being healthy and happy, gaining confidence, and accepting your flaws. I know I’m not perfect. My stretch marks and scars are here to stay, and I’m proud of them! They make me unique. We are all perfectly imperfect.
“Love Island helped me lose 5st and become the best version of myself. Now, I help as many people as I can to feel amazing.”
Follow Lianne’s journey on Instagram @one2onediet_liannehedley.