Chanelle Hayes has given fans a striking glimpse of her transformation, proudly showcasing her nine stone weight loss while soaking up the sun on holiday. The 38-year-old former Big Brother star shared a series of Instagram photos, posing poolside in a black swimsuit as she embraced what she described as "holiday mode loading".
Before and After: A Dramatic Change
In the images, Chanelle highlighted her dramatically changed figure in a thin-strapped one-piece, which she styled with a white sarong, showing off her toned waist and confidence following years of significant lifestyle changes. She first shot to fame in 2007 on Channel 4's Big Brother and has since experienced major fluctuations in her weight over the years, ranging between seven and 17 stone.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery: A Last Resort
In 2020, she opted for a gastric sleeve operation, describing it as a "last resort" after years of struggling with body image and eating habits. The procedure, which reduces the size of the stomach by around 70 to 85 percent, is designed to limit food intake and support sustained weight loss. Following the surgery, Chanelle lost around nine stone and went from a size 18 to a size 6, later saying the transformation had "changed her life" and left her with "no regrets".
However, the rapid weight loss also brought new challenges. Chanelle has previously spoken about dealing with excess skin and the emotional impact it had on her body confidence. In 2020, Chanelle Hayes opted for a gastric sleeve operation. The star, who wed accountant Dan Bingham in 2024, said she underwent further procedures including skin removal surgery, a breast reduction and uplift, reducing her bust from a G cup to a D cup.
Details of the Procedure
In a past interview with the Daily Mail, she explained in detail how the gastric sleeve procedure works, saying: "With my sleeve, they take about 70 per cent of your stomach out and leave you with, instead of it being like a round pouch, it is more like a sausage shape, it's massively decreased compared to a normal stomach, which means that I can't eat or drink as much. It's perfect for me because it's always been such a psychological thing, I automatically reach for anything. It's been good to have that physical barrier there, and from that, I lost a lot of weight quite quickly."
Chanelle went on to talk about the impact the weight loss had on the rest of her body. She added: "My breasts were droopy, my stomach was, well, in fact, my stomach was ripped to bits. Half of my abs were on one side, and the other half were on the other, but that was because of pregnancy. When they did my skin removal, they put my muscles back together to help strengthen my core, so I've had that done as well."
Embracing Imperfection
Despite undergoing multiple procedures, including two breast surgeries, liposuction and several skin-tightening operations, Chanelle has said she is now content with her appearance and does not plan to undergo further cosmetic work. She admitted there are still areas she feels could be improved, but said she has made peace with imperfection, explaining: "Although I feel much more confident, I would still like my arms to be tighter, but I don't want to have the surgery. For me, I would rather feel 90 per cent with my body and not undergo another operation. There is always room for improvement, but who looks in the mirror and thinks they're perfect."
Career Shift
Alongside her physical transformation, Chanelle has also made a major career shift. After training and working as a student nurse, she has stepped away from the profession, reportedly moving towards a potentially lucrative career on subscription platform OnlyFans. A source told The Sun the decision followed growing frustration in her previous role: "After years of study and dedication, Chanelle has made the difficult decision to step away from her nursing career. Nursing was a path she pursued out of a genuine desire to care for others, but over time, she found herself increasingly frustrated by the lack of time she could spend with patients. The emotional strain of not being able to give the level of care she wanted eventually became too much to bear." The source also claimed Chanelle had received "countless messages and requests" from fans encouraging her to join the platform, following her earlier modelling career.
