Vanessa Feltz has had enough. After 35 years of cruel fat-shaming, battling yo-yo dieting, and feeling the weight of the world’s judgment, the 64-year-old television presenter has finally opened up about her shocking transformation and her battles with weight and self-image. In a powerful revelation, Vanessa admits she’s now a size 10 and weighs just 9st 7lb – but the journey to get here wasn’t easy.
For years, she was caught in the relentless cycle of weight loss and gain, each time more difficult than the last. “I’ve become a whiz at losing weight,” she writes, “but it’s exhausting. Each time it gets harder, and the struggle becomes unbearable.” Vanessa’s candid admission speaks volumes about the emotional toll of constantly fighting against one’s own body.
But her weight loss isn’t just about numbers on a scale—it’s about the years of public scrutiny and harsh judgment she endured. As a young woman, Vanessa recalls being fat-shamed by those closest to her, including her own mother. “My mum once told me I was ‘huge’ when I came back from university. I had to joke back, saying, ‘I might as well bounce you in like a giant beach ball.’ I was a size 12,” Vanessa explains. It wasn’t just her mother who had something to say about her size. The public, the media, and even friends joined in the relentless critique that made her feel like she was never enough.
In her emotionally charged piece, Vanessa writes about the long road to self-acceptance and the toll the years of fat-shaming took on her. “I may be slightly saggy, baggy, and lightly dappled with flurries of cellulite, but it’s not a big deal because I’m not a big deal. There isn’t much left of me,” she says. This raw honesty has touched a nerve with many who have followed her journey through the ups and downs of her weight struggles.
The most heartbreaking part? The fat-shaming wasn’t just external—it came from within her own family. Vanessa’s relationship with her mother was marred by harsh words about her size, and her mother’s comments still haunt her to this day.
Vanessa’s decision to undergo a gastric band procedure in 2010, only for it to go disastrously wrong, is another painful chapter in her story. The band became embedded in her liver, and after it failed, she had to go through a second procedure—this time a gastric bypass, at a steep cost of £18,000. “If I’d waited a few more years, I could’ve been jabbing myself merrily with weight-loss jabs,” she says with a wry smile, reflecting on the time she spent chasing the quick fix that never lasted.
But now, with the weight loss behind her, Vanessa feels a sense of freedom. She’s no longer haunted by the fear of diabetes or weight-related health issues. “I have a wiggle in my walk. I like being slim,” she confesses. However, not everyone is happy with her new look. Vanessa admits that some of her slimmer friends have made her feel uncomfortable about her weight loss. “Some of them say, ‘You’re disappearing. You look ill. It’s not attractive. For heaven’s sake, don’t lose any more.’”
The most painful part of her transformation isn’t the constant fat-shaming, but rather the realization that some people she thought were her friends may not truly have her best interests at heart. Vanessa reflects on this with a sense of sadness, wondering if these people are truly her friends at all.
In the end, Vanessa’s story isn’t just about weight loss—it’s about the strength to overcome years of cruelty, the pressure to conform, and the courage to embrace her new reality. As she looks forward to what lies ahead, Vanessa is finally learning to love herself—not because of the number on the scale, but because of the strength it took to get here.
Vanessa Feltz has proven that it’s never too late to take control of your life, your health, and your happiness. And while the journey has been tough, the woman who once felt trapped by her weight is now free to walk with her head held high.
