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TV legend Dawn French has wowed fans with her incredible weight loss transformation in recent years.
The BBC French and Saunders comedy icon has spoken openly about the reasons behind her weight loss during her one-woman show, revealing that she had a health scare that inspired her to shed seven stone.
Dawn has since revealed the diet and exercise regime she followed, along with reflecting on the reaction to her transformation and how she "didn't want people to give me approval," following her decision to lose weight.
READ MORE: Andrea Corr says French and Saunders impersonating her band was 'career highlight'
Here, Daily Star takes a closer look at Dawn French's weight loss transformation.
Health scare
Prior to her weight loss journey, Dawn revealed that she weighed 19 stone.
However, she explained during her 30 Million Minutes one-woman show that she needed to slim down to undergo a hysterectomy following a cancer scare.
She could be heard saying: "I eventually went to hospital, and my doc was so convinced I had uterine cancer, that he ordered a second biopsy to be sure, when the first one was clear.
"Even before the result of the second one, I decided to be done with my old enemy, my defunct reproductive stuff. It was curtailing my life."
She added: "So, my womb and I parted company. Goodbye."
The doctors explained that if she lost weight, they would be able to perform the operation via keyhole surgery and that her recovery time would be less than if the operation was performed at her then weight.
"When I was due to have my hysterectomy the doctor told me that if I could lose some weight before the op, they would be able to do it via keyhole, and I would recover in three weeks or so," said Dawn.
"Otherwise it would be big open surgery, and three months to recover."
Seven stone loss
To lose weight, Dawn followed a simple diet of low calorie eating and taking in plenty of exercise, increasing the amount of time that she spent walking.
Speaking during her one-woman show, the actress said: "I lost seven-and-a-half stone. I could have the keyhole surgery. Great. That’s all it was, practical."
However, the actress has explained that she does treat herself every one in a while – but tends not to have chocolate in the house as it's a "weak spot."
She also added that she does not drink much alcohol, saying to The Mirror: "I just did less eating and more exercising and I’ve kept that up. But I have more treats now…"
"I’m not a big drinking person and hardly ever have alcohol. Perhaps it’s not sweet enough for my sweet tooth.
"I have chocolate in the house but I avoid it because I like it too much and I’m weak willed.
Dawn added: "So it is best for me to see it as ‘against the law’. Except at Christmas time."
'Not wanting people's approval'
Dawn has tended to keep her weight transformation private, but did reveal during the French and Saunders: T**ting About Podcast that she "didn't want people to give her approval" following her seven stone loss.
The inspiring TV legend said she "refuses to dislike herself" and that she "didn't give a f**k" if she gained weight again.
"I've gone back to being an entire barrel but do you know what, I'm going to be 63 this year, I don't give a f**k, I really don't, so long as I can walk," she said.
"I'm not going to be stingy to myself anymore. I never did dislike anything about my body, even when I was very, very fat. I refuse to be forced to dislike myself."
The star continued: "I used to get really angry when I did lose weight, people going, 'You look so well,' as if you looked awful before – rewarding you for managing it, which is not easy, I accept that.
"But I didn't want people to give me approval. It's so patronising."
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