How the incredible shrinking Fern became little Britton

But as the This Morning presenter has continued to shrink before viewers' eyes, it's clear she's had a change of heart.

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Shrinking: a slender Fern on This Morning last week and right, presenting the show in 2005

In under a year, the 50-year-old has lost over 4 stone after discovering a love of cycling while taking part in a 250-mile charity ride.

Still, her husband, chef Phil Vickery, 46, recently revealed she has radically changed her whole lifestyle, including what she eats.

He said: "Fern's lost a lot of weight by cycling, walking the dog and not eating too much."

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What a difference a year makes: the host showed off her slim line frame at the National Television Awards in October, and right, at the same event exactly one year before

The results for Fern, who was voted UK's favourite big and beautiful celebrity earlier this year, have been incredibly rapid.

Still, she says she was never miserable at her most curvaceous: "You can tell there are people watching me and thinking, 'Oh, the poor tubby woman must go home and sob her heart out over her size.' But it's just not true."

The mother of two regularly said she hated dieting, adding: "Let's face it, if diets worked we'd all look like Carol Vorderman and be a size eight."

Perhaps it was the continued medical advice to shed her excess weight that finally spurred Fern on.

Phil also spoke out over cruel jibes after pictures of Fern on the beach were printed in 2005, saying he "couldn't understand the fuss."

"I looked at those photos and thought: 'Cor! She's really sexy!' People come up in the street and tell me I'm a lucky sod – and they're right."