Comedian Paddy McGuinness has revealed his recent weight loss journey was prompted by hitting “rock bottom”.
The 52-year-old documented his transformation on social media earlier this year, having completed the rigorous 75 Hard challenge.
Speaking to Men’s Health UK, McGuinness expressed his enjoyment of the demanding fitness regime. He highlighted his new physique, stating it is “nice to show other blokes it’s attainable”.
The 75 Hard challenge, devised by US entrepreneur Andy Frisella, requires participants to adhere to a strict daily regimen for 75 days.
This includes two 45-minute workouts – one of which must be outdoors – consuming 4.5 litres of water, following a chosen diet, abstaining from alcohol, and reading 10 pages of a non-fiction book every day.
McGuinness, who finished the challenge in January, spoke about how he decided to overindulge before taking on the challenge and said: “I thought, ‘I’m going to have a real blowout, hit rock bottom’.
“I don’t recommend it. Just for me personally, I thought, ‘I’ll see if I can get myself out of it’.”
He told the fitness magazine: “I think one of the biggest things is the clarity you feel – you’re reading books every night, you’re in a routine, your diet’s good.”
McGuinness also revealed that after posting about the challenge to his 2.2 million followers on Instagram, he was accused of using artificial intelligence (AI) to alter the before photo.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
He said: “A few people went, ‘Clearly you’ve AI’d the first picture’.
“‘F****** hell, you’re supposed to AI the after picture, not the before!’ I thought, ‘Jesus, that’s how bad I looked’.”
He said that to celebrate finishing the challenge, he treated himself to a curry and a milkshake, adding: “I ate it, but I didn’t get from it what I thought I was going to get.
“I just felt like s***. It actually changed something in my brain, habit-wise.”
Speaking about appearing on the cover of the fitness magazine, McGuinness said: “You look at Men’s Health over the years, and the people who’ve been on the front of it, and you go, ‘My God, they look like they’ve been carved out of stone’.
“Just on a personal note, being 52 and a regular bloke, it’s nice to show other blokes it’s attainable.”
The former Top Gear host also spoke about the importance of raising awareness for mental health and male suicide.
McGuinness has previously opened up about his struggles with mental health, having been diagnosed with clinical depression.
He said: “Knowing a few people who’ve done that (suicide), it makes me really think about my emotions more, because I wouldn’t want to end up in that space where everyone thinks you’re alright and you’re not and then it’s too late.”
The full interview with Paddy McGuinness can be read in the April issue of Men’s Health UK, on sale from 17 March.
