Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus has revealed how she ditched 9 stones in weight. The singer, who won the second and final series of the talent show in 2003, says she made two key changes as she took stock of her life. The change came just months after giving birth to her second baby and discovering how tiring life was looking after two babies under three.
But despite the transformation Michelle says it is not the number on the scales or the label on the clothing that had made a difference - but she had learned the importance of "loving yourself". Posting on Instagram the star told how she made sure she used more calories than she ate and added exercise to her lifestyle. She wrote: "Sometimes it’s okay to stop and take stock of what you’ve achieved.
"For the past year or so I’ve been making changes in my life to help me reach the place in which I now find myself. Happily it is a place of good health and contentment. "I love both versions of myself in the above two photos.
The image on the left was taken in late 2022, eight months after I’d given birth to my second beautiful baby and I’d just started a new job presenting The Afternoon Show on . "Even though life was going great for me, at the time I was very tired both physically and mentally. If I’m honest, I was also struggling with my fitness - caring for two babies under three was my priority and working on myself was not something I had dedicated time to considering, let alone doing.
" She added: "The photograp.