She’s been open about going under the knife over the years, having had a boob job, liposuction, a tummy tuck, a brow lift, as well as Botox and fillers. And now The Real Housewives of Cheshire's Tanya Bardsley reveals she has also undergone a face and neck lift in order to boost her confidence and roll back the years.
The star, who is mum to sons Rocco, 15, Renz, 12, and five-year-old Ralphi with former footballer Phil Bardsley, and daughter Gabriella, 23, from a previous relationship, underwent a MACS mid face and neck lift at Pall Mall Medical, a four-hour procedure which involved removing excess skin, and lifting and tightening her cheeks.
Tanya, 43, tells Closer, ‘I kept looking at these jowls and thinking, “Oh no!” – I was feeling down anyway with my perimenopause and my face was just getting me down even more because it was ageing me. I was starting to look as miserable as I felt – like a sad little dog – whereas I’ve always had a happy face!’
She adds, ‘I researched it for a whole year. I’m quite impulsive with my ADHD and in the past, I would’ve done it the following week, whereas now my rule is, if I want something, I have to wait!’
And the results have been worth waiting for as Tanya admits her confidence is sky-high. ‘It’s been amazing for me, face lifts are not what they used to be – they’ve come on so much and you don’t get that big, stretched look, it’s more natural looking. It’s lifted everywhere from my temples down including my neck. I just feel like me again, it’s boosted my confidence and most importantly I don’t look like a sad little dog anymore!’
She adds, ‘People have opinions on surgery, but if something’s bothering you, just get it fixed, life’s short. I really don’t like it when people aren’t honest, just tell the truth! I see some celebrities bang on about “this cream, that cream”, and I think, “I know you’ve had a bloody face lift!”’
Tanya also reveals she plans to have another boob job eventually, much to the disappointment of Phil. She says, ‘I had a really bad boob job years ago and I’ve still not had them fixed and I’m terrified, to be honest, because with all surgeries, things can go wrong. They’re absolutely massive and have gone bigger since the menopause. Nobody told me they’d keep growing – they’ve got their own heartbeat!’ She adds laughing, ‘Phil said if I get a reduction, he’ll leave me – he likes them as they are!’
Though Tanya says she’d never succumb to a Brazilian bum lift. ‘That’s one thing I’d never do, I sit on my bum that long, it would definitely end up like a big, flat frisby!’
Meanwhile the star has been open about suffering with perimenopausal symptoms and the toll it’s taken on her mental and physical health. She’s also been battling adenomyosis, a painful condition where tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, and is now planning a hysterectomy.
‘Perimenopause is absolutely vile,’ she says. ‘The rage is something else. It can’t be nice for Phil, he’s gone from a happy-go-lucky, funny little wife…to a little ogre who just wants to kill him when he breathes. Bless him, he hasn’t left me, thank God!’
She adds, ‘I’ve got adenomyosis and fibroids, so I’m going to have a hysterectomy. The pain I’m in is as bad as labour. My womb is 10cm bigger than it should be, it’s quite a heavy old thing. Having the hysterectomy is going to be a big turning point in my health because when I’m not bleeding every day, I’m not going to be as grumpy!’
After quitting Cheshire Housewives back in 2021 to focus on her health and wellbeing, Tanya returned to the public eye with the rest of her clan to star in ITVBe’s The Bardsley Bunch this year, where she let the cameras in to her chaotic home life. While she’d love another series, she admits Phil will need persuading!
She says, ‘It was so easy to film, the crew were just following us around when we were having our tea or in our scruffs. You’d see the boys fighting in the hallway and me running after them, we’re just like any other family. Renz wasn’t bothered about filming it at first, but then he saw Ralphi’s wage packet and was soon like, “Can I film? Can I film?” Phil enjoyed it but never wanted to do it – we really had to force him. It would be great to do another series, but we’ll need to talk him round.’
<And after recently celebrating 18 years together and 10 years of marriage, Tanya also admits she’s trying to persuade Phil to renew their vows. She laughs, ‘I’d really like to, but I think Phil’s still scarred from the bill on the first one – men are just tight, aren’t they?!’
For more info about Tanya’s surgery at Pall Mall, head to pallmallmedical.co.uk/cosmetic-surgery/faceneck-lift-surgery