Mike Bushell, 53, is partnered with Katya Jones on Strictly Come Dancing, and daily training with her has helped him drop a large amount of weight. Speaking on to Dan Walker on BBC Breakfast this morning, Mike revealed he has lost just over a stone since he started on the show – and anticipates losing more if he stays in the competition. Mike chatted to Dan via videolink, with his wife Emily joining him on his sofa at home. She also discussed his new slim look, and joked she was “worried” about it.
Dan asked the couple: “When a man gets married, he tends to put on a bit of weight but Mike’s actually transformed hasn’t he, because what are you know? You must be near a stone and a half in terms of weight loss?”
Mike replied: “I think it’s a stone and couple of pounds. Approaching a stone and a half, yes. It just increases each week.”
Emily chipped in: “He’s fading away! I’m a bit worried about him! It just goes to show the exercise he’s doing, it’s really transformed him.
“I’m loving the new, leaner Mike.”
Weight loss has not been the only benefit to Mike, who revealed another thing he has noticed since starting training.
He said: “I think I’m less clumsy now, I think I’ve a sharper mind, it improves your mental agility.”
However his wife seemed less sure of this change, so he joked: “Maybe not!”
Mike is not the only Strictly star to slim down, with both Kelvin Fletcher and Catherine Tyldesley getting fit and sharing their journey on Instagram.
In a string of videos, Kelvin gave a description of workouts he was doing at different sessions with his personal trainer.
In one post, he wrote: “Session one is a lot of accessory work and focuses more on isolation type exercises, my coach has me training in the 65 to 70 per cent intensity range in contrast to some of my other days where I’m training more strength focus type movements in the 80 to 85 per cent intensity range.”
In another post, Kelvin filmed himself doing another routine and let fans know what he was doing. He wrote: “Session two workout is more strength-focused and mainly composed of compound lifts in contrast to my hypotrophy days.”
Catherine, meanwhile, was once a size 22 and had no intention of dancing. In fact, it was something that she actively avoided.
Speaking to Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford on This Morning she said: “When I was in theatre school I swerved dancing classes!”
However, ahead of her television breakthrough the 35-year-old managed to drop from her original size 22 to an impressive size 10.
Her meal plan is full of nutrient-rich foods, including an abundance of fruit and vegetables.
Tyldesley is reported to start her day with a protein-rich three egg omelette, ideal for raising energy levels without overdoing it.