BEING a regular on telly and seeing countless repeats of your show is enough to make anyone take a long hard look at themselves.
For host Craig Rowe, it proved too much to bear.
Faced with seeing himself looking out-of-shape and “pudgy” each time he turned on the TV – along with a shock scare – led the presenter to massively overhaul of his lifestyle.
Craig has shed a colossal two stone since after diving head-first into a major health kick and has gone from fat to fit with an impressive six-pack.
He is more body confident than ever and is more than happy to take a shirtless selfie or two after hitting the gym.
At 52, he describes himself as being in the best shape of his life – and he's back in the same clothes he was wearing at just 30 years old.
But it wasn't just seeing himself on screen that drove Craig to make the change.
The host was told he had pre-diabetes and, if he was unable to overhaul his sugar intake, he would be left facing a life with type 2 .
Opening up to Flying Eze about the threat of the condition, he described it as a “warning sign” that compelled him to undertake his incredible transformation.
He told us: “Well, I was diagnosed about six years ago with having pre-diabetes.
“That is the stage where your blood sugar level is high but you haven't yet become type 2 diabetic.
“I look at it as a warning period of time.
“So I knew back when I got that diagnosis that if I didn't change things, I was going to be heading towards type 2 diabetes.
“Obviously if you've not been medicated for it, it can be quite a serious disease and certainly not something you want to have if you can avoid it.”
But Craig's health kick meant he was able to bring his blood sugar back down and successfully reverse his condition.
“It started a while back and I did make some good changes. I got my blood sugar back down to a normal level in about three months,” Craig confessed.
But he then quickly lost sight of his goals and admitted he began to struggle with his weight once again.
“I was right on the cusp of being almost pre-diabetic again and I knew I sort of got a bit pudgy just before Christmas,” he says.
“I'd seen some of my episodes of A Place in the Sun go out and I was like, ‘That's not a good angle.'
“You know when your clothes are fitting you differently and I knew I'd put on a bit of weight.”
Sugar ban
Although the star has always battled with his weight, Craig admits that being on the brink of serious health problems forced him to face up to reality.
As part of his transformation, the self-confessed sweet treat lover ditched the cakes and chocolate and also cut back on the booze.
“I've always struggled with my weight fluctuating. I've got a really sweet tooth.
“I like a few drinks and I haven't always been that active.
“My weight's always been a bit of a struggle but I didn't think about diabetes at all. It wasn't something on my radar.”
Craig is currently exercising five to six times a week in order to keep up his transformed lifestyle.
I do feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. I can hardly believe that I'm 52
Craig
It's allowed him to feel more confident than ever – something he admits he has relished since his public profile soared thanks to his regular appearances on the show.
Having made a physical transformation, he's also in the best space of his life mentally with a job he loves, his loving partner Paul and a new outlook on life.
Craig said: “At 52, it is amazing to say I'm in the best shape of my life.
“I'm wearing the same size trousers as what I wore when I was 30.
“I think because of the gym stuff I'm doing, I'm probably stronger now than I was when I was 30. And also now I'm eating better and I'm drinking less.
“I do feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. I can hardly believe that I'm 52. It's amazing really.
“It'saniceplacetobeinmy50s. Obviouslylifeisn'tperfect and there'salwaysissues but this transformation has built over into my mentalhealth.”
Craig is now hoping for another achievement after his weight loss success story, as he and his A Place in the Sun colleagues have been nominated for a prestigious TRIC Award.
A Place in the Sun will be battling it out against the likes of and for the coveted Best Daytime Show gong, awarded in June.
Craig hosts A Place in the Sun today on Channel 4 at 6pm.
