Gregg Wallace, 56, reveals Covid-19 pandemic made him ‘fearful for overweight men’ after his 4 stone weight loss
GREGG Wallace, 56, revealed the Covid-19 pandemic made him "fearful for overweight men" after his four stone weight loss.
The MasterChef judge, 56, dropped from over 16 stone to 12 stone after being warned by doctors that he was heading for a heart attack.
But Gregg's motivation has only gotten stronger during the pandemic, as the virus affects overweight and older people much more.
"I remember thinking, 'Oh God, what if I was still fat? I could have been really ill,'" he told .
The star continued: "I felt incredibly relieved that if I caught it I'd probably be OK. It's made me fearful for other men."
The presenter made a number of lifestyle changes in order to shed the pounds, including hitting the gym.
He also cut down his five pints a day to two pub visits a week and swapping fried foods and pizzas for healthy home cooked meals.
The MasterChef star previously credited his wife Anne-Marie Sterpini, 34, as the reason he slimmed down.
He was inspired to get "fit and healthy" mainly to be able to see his son, Sid, 18 months, grow up.
"Having my baby boy made me want to be fit and strong. I can now go for long walks, which I wouldn't have been able to do before," he told magazine.
He also pointed to the two decade age difference between him and his wife as another major reason for getting into shape.
"Anne being younger than me was even more of an inspiration to be fit - you can have an old husband but she didn't have to have a fat, old husband," Gregg revealed.
The real threat of illness has pushed Gregg to keep up his healthier lifestyle no matter what.
"There are days when I lack motivation - but I still workout. I just look in the mirror and think 'I'm 55 and I'm stronger now than I was at 25'," he said.
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"I still struggle with some exercises, but I'm leaner now since lockdown."
The telly star married wife Anne-Marie, 34, in 2016 after they met on Twitter.