Soap stars are certainly in the public eye more than most celebrities, typically appearing on our screens five nights a week. Little wonder then, that they want to be in the best shape possible. But for most, that involves sticking to healthy eating plans and working out regularly which can result in pretty dramatic weight loss. From Emmerdale's Natalie J Robb to Eastenders' Natalie Cassidy and Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley, we chart the soap stars and their most dramatic body transformations…
Emmerdale's Natalie J Robb
Natalie first joined Emmerdale in 2009 and over the years has had some intense scenes to film - something that has meant that she's unexpectedly shed the pounds. Talking to the Daily Star, she said: "We were working so much we were flat out, in sometimes 10 to 12 scenes a day.
"You forget to eat. I have been just watching what I eat and stuff like that."
She continued: "I’ve not been training and not had time to train."
The 44-year-old has previously opened up about her relationship with her body and how it has grown.
She told The Mirror: “I was given these curves by my mum, and I’m not ashamed of them – we both have boobies and a bum that sticks out.
“For years as a teen I was ashamed, but I’m all about accepting my body."
READ MORE: A Place in the Sun's Jasmine Harman reveals secret to amazing 20lb weight loss
Eastenders' Natalie Cassidy
Natalie Cassidy, who has famously played Sonia Fowler since 1993, recently lost three stones and it's all down to taking up running. The 35-year-old mum-of-two completed a marathon in honour of her co-star Dame Barbara Windsor and shed the pounds. However, the actress has been open that her approach to weight management hasn't always been healthy. The actress revealed that she was “bordering on having an eating disorder” back in 2007, when she released her weight loss DVD Then and Now.
She opened up to Heat Magazine, saying: “I really wasn't well. I was bordering on having an eating disorder.
“There were nights I would go out for dinner and then I'd go home and take laxatives because I didn't want the food inside me."
Thankfully, she has lost weight the healthy way this time.
Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley
Catherine, who played Eva Price on Coronation Street, has probably undergone the biggest body transformation of all the soap stars. Dropping from a size 22 to a size 10, the actress spoke to The Mirror about how she went about it.
“I took control of my weight, and I slowly and steadily lost more than five stone.
"I was always the fat, funny friend," she said, revealing that one day she decided to change that.
“Along the way, I learned to understand just how important a healthy, balanced diet is. It sparked my huge interest in healthy living and nutrition," she revealed.
"It has to be a lifestyle. Diets do not work. Fact. I have done every diet going," she said.
"I’ll do a big gluten-free pizza with lactose-free cheese. Now that I eat so clean and avoid all junk, I just feel ill when I eat it. We make our own sweet potato chips too as a treat. I’m so rock ’n’ roll aren’t I?"
READ MORE: Billie Faiers' weight loss journey: How she got in the best shape of her life for her wedding
Emmerdale's Lisa Riley
The Emmerdale actress wowed fans when she took part in the social media ten year challenge craze, sharing a snap of herself in 2009 and again in 2019, and looked almost unrecognisable!
"Well YES YES YES I am super proud of my #10yearchallenge. I have changed my life 100% healthy food, exercise a lot, stopped smoking, zero booze for nearly four years," Lisa wrote alongside the photos. "But mainly head and heart are in sync which equals HAPPINESS."
Emmerdale's Laura Norton
Laura Norton, who plays Kerry Wyatt, has lost an impressive three stone over the past few years after cutting out fizzy drinks. The actress admitted that she had been addicted to them for over ten years, but after giving them up she saw the pounds began to shed.
"I had been addicted since I was a teenager. At its worse I used to drink two 2-litre bottles of Coke a day. I know now how much sugar is in it," she told The Mirror. Laura went on to say that it had been her dad that had pointed out her addiction, which saw her consume an additional 1,700 calories a day – just 300 calories less than the recommended daily intake for a woman.
Coronation Street's Sue Cleaver
Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, has lost three stone in recent years and it's down to some major lifestyle changes. According to Woman Magazine, the 55-year-old now follows a gluten-free, low-sugar Mediterranean diet. Sue's change to her lifestyle follows after she collapsed on set in 2011 due to her diabetes.
READ MORE: Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver's 3 stone weight loss secret revealed
Coronation Street's Shayne Ward
Former Corrie star Shayne has surprised fans recently with his new look, showing off a slimmer physique and a grown-out beard! The actor has shared some insights into his fitness journey, posting a video from a personal training session in March 2019.