Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley has shared intimate details about her remarkable 12 stone weight loss journey and decade of sobriety during her time on I'm A Celebrity. The television personality, best known for playing Mandy Dingle in the popular ITV soap, opened up to campmates including Jack Osbourne, Ruby Wax and Angry Ginge about her dramatic body transformation and lifestyle changes.
The Dramatic Weight Loss Journey
Lisa Riley revealed that she now wears sizes 16-18, a significant reduction from her previous size 28 at her heaviest. The actress achieved an incredible 12 stone weight loss in just 18 months, though this rapid transformation came with unexpected challenges that would shape her journey for years to come.
During her initial weight loss phase, Lisa actually dropped to a size 12, but the dramatic reduction left her dealing with substantial amounts of loose skin that caused both physical and emotional distress. She documented this difficult period in her 2017 television documentary, Lisa Riley's Baggy Body Club, where she candidly discussed feeling like she'd been left a "saggy mess" despite her impressive achievement.
The Painful Reality of Loose Skin
Reflecting on her experience, Lisa shared: "When I made the decision to lose weight, I never for one second imagined that I would end up looking like that. It never occurred to me that the loose skin would be so bad." The physical discomfort was equally challenging, with the actress describing how "the skin was flapping about and dragging", causing significant pain that affected her daily life.
The situation became so difficult that Lisa questioned her initial decision to lose weight, admitting: "I thought why on earth have I lost all this weight? I looked worse than I did when I was obese." This honest revelation highlights the complex emotional journey that often accompanies major physical transformations.
Surgery and Taking Responsibility
Lisa eventually underwent surgery to remove the excess skin, though the decision wasn't made lightly. She confessed to being "so petrified" the night before the procedure that everyone doubted she would go through with it. "I was thinking that in 11 hours I could be dead. I might not wake up," she admitted, revealing the genuine fear she experienced.
Taking full responsibility for her previous lifestyle choices, Lisa reflected: "Nobody made me eat 50 Twix bars, or a whole packet of sausages at one sitting. I did that to myself. No one made me not go to the gym. Some weeks I was probably having seven takeaways a week. I did that to myself. I have to take responsibility for that."
Lifestyle Changes and Sobriety
During her conversations in the jungle, Lisa identified portion control and constant nibbling as her primary challenges. "My absolute guilt for years and years was blindness to portion controls. I was also a nibbler. One of the things that I've completely cut out is nibbling," she told campmate Ruby Wax.
The actress also celebrated reaching ten years of sobriety, bonding with fellow contestant Jack Osbourne who has been sober since age 17. Lisa revealed that her drinking escalated significantly following her mother's death, sharing: "When my mum died I genuinely could not cope." She described consuming three bottles of malbec every night as a way to manage her grief, acknowledging that she was "crazy" during that period of her life.
Viewers have praised Lisa for her bravery in discussing such personal topics on national television, with many noting how her story highlights the very real human struggles that celebrities face behind the spotlight. Her journey serves as an inspiring testament to the power of transformation, self-acceptance and the courage required to make lasting positive changes.
