Throughout his teenage years, William Shutt battled with feelings that he had been born in the wrong body.
In a bid to cope, the former call-centre worker turned to food for comfort and piled on the pounds, tipping the scales at 37st.
But after shedding an impressive 20 stone, he finally found the confidence to switch genders and finally start living as a woman called Ava.
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Now 6ft 1in Ava has transformed from an obese man into a size 14-16 blonde bombshell and even gets admiring glances from men.
Ava, 26, says: “I’m so much happier as a woman and I’m so glad I’m not overweight anymore.
“As a fat man, no one gave me a second glance, but now I get attention when I walk down the street. Men have offered to buy me dinner and I often get asked for my number.
"It makes me feel amazing. I hated living as a man and turned to food for comfort. But I decided to lose weight after getting into a bad relationship and that gave me the confidence to live my life as a woman.
“I’m happy with my body, but I still have two stone excess skin and want to have that removed. I wear padded bras and a body shaper, which tucks in my excess skin. I'm planning on having hormone treatment and I’d like to have a boob job. Gender reassignment surgery isn’t something I want at the moment, but I might change my mind in future. I’m happier than I’ve been in years now I’ve lost weight and I’m living as a woman”
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Read more in Closer magazine, out today