Broadcaster Vanessa Feltz has proudly showcased the results of her significant two-stone weight loss in a glamorous new Instagram post. The 63-year-old television personality shared the stylish snap on Thursday to promote her self-titled Channel 5 programme, revealing a noticeably slimmer figure.
A Lifelong Battle with Weight
Vanessa has been remarkably candid about her struggles with her weight over the years. Her size has fluctuated dramatically between a 10 and a 22 over three decades. She first managed to slim down from a size 22 to a size 10 between 1999 and 2000, but later regained the weight. Subsequent losses of two stone in 2004 and three stone in 2007 were also followed by the weight returning, leaving her back at a size 22.
In her latest social media reveal, Vanessa displayed her slimmed-down physique in an elegant lace dress from the brand Y London. She pointed out that the dress featured a clever sewn-in bodysuit designed to accentuate her figure.
Surgical Interventions and Childhood Trauma
Seeking a more permanent solution, Feltz opted for a gastric band in 2010. The procedure aimed to reduce her stomach size and prevent overeating. However, she suffered serious complications when the band became embedded in her liver. Vanessa admitted that she learned to 'sabotage' the operation by consuming 'thousands of calories' in soft, high-calorie foods like ice cream, which she could still ingest.
This led to her decision in 2019 to undergo a gastric bypass. This surgery creates a small stomach pouch connected directly to the small intestine, bypassing most of the stomach. The procedure was a turning point, leading to a loss of a further five stone, which she has successfully maintained.
In her memoir, 'Vanessa Bares All', the star delved into the traumatic childhood roots of her yo-yo dieting. She revealed her mother, Valerie, forced her onto strict diets from the age of nine and even sourced black market amphetamines for her to take at age 20 to 'slim down'. Vanessa recalled feeling deprived, often eating only a grapefruit for dinner while her family had soup, a experience she described as feeling like a 'punishment'.
Fighting for Her Channel 5 Show's Future
Alongside her personal journey, Vanessa is currently focused on her professional life. Earlier this month, her Channel 5 show returned with a glitzy new set after an extended Christmas break. However, the revamp received mixed reviews from viewers, with some on social media platform X criticising it as looking 'cheap and tacky' or like a 'fake podcast studio'.
The programme attracts an average audience of 50,000 viewers per 70-minute episode, a figure notably lower than competitor shows like Jeremy Vine's. Despite this, the series was recommissioned for another year in October, and sources say Vanessa is 'fighting' to make it a success. 'Vanessa is putting everything she has into the show to make it a success,' a source told The Sun, adding that she has 'big plans for 2026'.
