Les Dennis has revealed he lost three stone after a health scare prompted him to overhaul his diet and lifestyle. The 69-year-old presenter, confirmed as the final celebrity contestant for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, said the show has given him a 'new lease of life'.
In a new interview, Dennis explained that a diagnosis of being pre-diabetic in 2017 was 'the biggest wake-up call'. He had been gorging on takeaways while on tour with The Addams Family, ordering Deliveroo and eating pizza, which led to weight gain and a lack of fresh air.
Dennis said he was touching 'just under 15 stone', which he knew was too high for his height of 5ft 9in. After switching from alcohol and bread to fresh air and walking 10,000 steps a day, he is now able to fit into his old clothes.
The actor, who has been in showbiz for over 50 years, hosted Family Fortunes for 16 years and played Michael Rodwell in Coronation Street. He admitted accidentally leaking his Strictly involvement on Twitter last week after a 'fat fingers moment'.
Dennis, who turns 70 during the show, said: 'The whole thing about the age thing, I had a knee replacement but when you get offered things like this it puts a spring in your step.' He joins 78-year-old Angela Rippon in the series' oldest ever cast.
