Popular This Morning presenter Josie Gibson has opened up about a terrifying health struggle she endured just before appearing on the famous ITV sofa, alongside revealing the secrets behind her impressive five-stone weight loss.
The 'Scary' On-Air Panic Attack
Josie Gibson, the 40-year-old television personality who first found fame by winning Big Brother in 2010, has admitted that her early days presenting This Morning were fraught with anxiety. Speaking to Best UK, Gibson confessed that transitioning from hosting the show's competitions to presenting the main programme in 2018 triggered intense fear.
"I just couldn’t believe it…It’s still a ‘pinch me’ moment," she said. However, that excitement quickly turned to dread on her first day in the studio. "I was scared to begin with, the first time I went into the studio I nearly had a panic attack. I couldn’t breathe or talk," Gibson revealed, describing the experience as "scary." She expressed immense gratitude to the show for taking a chance on her and sticking by her during those nerve-wracking beginnings.
Josie Gibson's Five Stone Weight Loss Journey
Beyond her presenting challenges, Gibson has been on a notable health and fitness journey, successfully losing over 30kg (five stone). One key method was participating in a Channel 5 documentary, 'The 1970s Diet: Could it Work for you?'.
This unique challenge involved:
- Adopting eating habits from five decades ago.
- Significantly reducing portion sizes and sugar intake.
- Focusing on more boiled foods.
- Combining the diet with intermittent fasting three days a week.
- Increasing her exercise regimen.
Pushing Back on Surgery Claims and Lipedema Diagnosis
As her transformation became more visible, Gibson faced speculation that her weight loss was due to medication or surgical procedures like a gastric bypass. She addressed these claims head-on in a frank Instagram post, stating: "I didn't get a gastric bypass; I got off my big a**e, moved more, ate less and educated myself on what I was stuffing into my body."
The presenter, who was recently diagnosed with the chronic condition lipedema which causes abnormal fat accumulation, also shared insights from her documentary filming. She admitted she initially feared the carb-heavy 1970s diet would cause weight gain. To her surprise, a nutritionist assessed her as having a "supreme fitness level" despite being overweight at the time.
"It was nice to know that even though I was overweight, I was at a supreme fitness level," Gibson told the Mirror. "I was expecting to have a low fitness level, even though I've always exercised. But he was like, ‘No, you're at a superior fitness rate’. Taking on a full 1970s diet was no easy feat - this was a totally unique experience!"
