Jason Manford was concerned about the impact weight loss would have on his comedy material.
Jason Manford
The 40-year-old comedian has gone on a health kick in 2021 and dropped from 17st 5lbs to 14st 10lbs, but he had some initial concerns about how it would affect his jokes on stage.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Most comics I thought were funny were overweight. If you are lean and good-looking an audience will go, 'What's your struggle been?'
"You think, 'Will I still be funny if I'm slim?' I had a routine about getting stuck in a water slide as someone was coming down behind me.
"It was a good 20-minute routine and I thought, 'If I did start losing some weight now, I'd have to lose these jokes."
Jason did decide to get healthier, and he tried "every diet" before finding one that works for him.
He added: "I tried every diet - Keto, Atkins, Cambridge, low carbs.
"I had a colonic once and thought 'I won't be doing that again'. One year it [was] just milkshakes - I lost weight but felt rotten.
"One awful one [was] a 10-day fast with water with maple syrup, lemon, cayenne pepper. It was awful - you couldn't be more than two doors away from a toilet."
The 'Unbeatable' host explained he now eats less and moves more, and the support he has from his loved ones and the Jason Manford Weight Loss Support Group has helped motivate him.
He still enjoys treats while keeping an eye on calories, and Jason noted he isn't trying to look "like an Adonis" when he goes on tour in August.
Asked whether he can still be funny after losing weight, he laughed: "Only time will tell.
"I'm not worried about going on tour and looking like an Adonis, that is never going to happen."
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