Alex Major, 25, who once weighed 25 stone and was too ashamed of his acne to leave the house, has transformed his life and is now a model and Mr England finalist. He will compete at Mr Global on Sunday and has also made the final of Mr England, which is run by the Miss England contest.
Major, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, shed 11 stone in three years by changing his diet and going to the gym, and now weighs 14 stone. He previously suffered badly from acne, which left him with such low confidence that he sometimes would not leave his home for months at a time.
Battling an unhealthy relationship with food
Major says he battled an unhealthy relationship with food, sometimes eating up to 15 times a day, while his acne issues left him feeling unable to chase his childhood dream of becoming a model.
He said: "My confidence was extremely low. I struggled to look people in the eyes and would often walk down the street looking at the ground because I wanted to avoid eye contact. There were times when I felt so low that I wouldn't leave the house for weeks, sometimes months, because I didn't want people to see me. I would just eat everything and anything in the fridge as well as takeaways such as Indian, Chinese, KFCs and McDonald's. It made me feel very down and I knew I had to make a change."
Transformation through diet and exercise
Major transformed his lifestyle through a combination of fitness and healthy eating, gradually rebuilding his physique and self-belief. He added: "I've wanted to be a model since I was a child, but getting started wasn't easy. I had to overcome a lot personally before I had the confidence to pursue it. I simply made changes to my diet, cooking healthier foods like chicken, tuna salads, beef and lots of eggs. I stopped drinking beer."
He said: "I just started going the gym about six times a week for two hours at a time, just doing cardio and slowly the weight came off. I lost the weight naturally through healthy eating and exercise. I didn't use any weight-loss jabs. Most of my exercise is still gym-based, although I also go running when the weather is good enough."
From hiding indoors to international pageants
His transformation gave him the confidence to step in front of the camera around a year ago. Major began landing opportunities overseas, including a week-long photoshoot in Portugal after a photographer spotted his potential.
He added: "He gave me some incredible advice, particularly about letting myself relax, stop overthinking and simply be myself in front of the camera. I could see a dramatic improvement in my photographs. My pictures feel much more natural now and I feel much more comfortable in front of the camera."
Major now combines his modelling career with helping elderly people through his job with Age UK Bolton. He said: "What I enjoy most is the people themselves. Every person I meet has their own incredible life story, experiences and lessons to share, and I genuinely love listening to them. When I work with older people, I don't really see them as 'old'. I see the younger person they once were — someone with dreams, ambitions and goals, just like I have today. Sadly, some of the people I meet didn't get the opportunity to achieve everything they dreamed of. Seeing that has given me even more motivation to believe in myself, take opportunities when they come my way and work towards achieving my own dreams."
Organisers are still searching for more contestants to enter Mr England, which takes place in Melton Mowbray on October 11.
