Many TV fans will recognise John Thomson for playing Pete Gifford in ITV’s Cold Feet, which he starred in from 1998-2003 and returned to in 2016 when the show was rebooted. He’s also well known for his roles in Fast Show and Men Behaving Badly. While at university, John met Steve Coogan, who secured him a job on Spitting Image. They continued to collaborate on such programmes, as The Dead Good Show, a 1993 Granada TV pilot also starring Caroline Aherne, Coogan’s Run, the Paul and Pauline Calf video diaries (where he played ‘Fat Bob’) and Knowing Me, Knowing You… with Alan Partridge, which he also contributed to writing.
In recent years, the 50-year-old has been showing off a much slimmer physique, after losing weight.
So how did he do it?
John’s weight loss comes after he embarked on a new health programme called Live Smarter, which was aimed at addressing weight loss for men.
Speaking about his decision to team up with the project, he explained: “ The motivation isn’t there for men really to go on any programme, but I think if there was a more male based programme, men would be more interested. Diets are not just for women, they’re for men as well.”
The actor shared his weight loss tips, which included learning the food groups in order to eat a more balanced diet.
He continued: “One of the big problems with a lot of men is that they don’t know the food groups. They don’t know the difference between a carbohydrate or a protein. They don’t know what a balanced diet is, so I think one of the most important things is to know what’s on your plate and how much of it you can have.
“Once you’ve established that, you can start to enjoy the foods you like all in moderation. The beauty of this particular programme is that it encourages a forum where you can discuss your weight gain or weight loss openly.”
John revealed his motivation to stay fit, explaining that it helped to have others on the same journey as him.
“It’s nice to know that you’ve got people who are in the same boat and like many other programmes, if there’s a mutual support network, all the more successful,” he said.
The man behind the approach to men’s healthy weight loss is top sport and nutritionist Nigel Mitchell.
The fitness enthusiast has had a career in health and fitness for over 20 years, and has worked with some of the best performing athletes.
Speaking about the project, he said: “One of the things I feel is that men are not really getting the support out there that they need to help them manage their weight, so the reason I got involved with Live Smarter is because I see this as a way to help provide the information and tools for men to make the lifestyle choices that they need to help manage their weight and have a better life.”
John isn’t the only TV star have had a transformation recently.
Former EastEnders star Shaun Williamson has lost lots of weight in recent years.
The actor – who played Barry Evans on the soap – looks completely different to his Walford Square days.