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Fern Britton: 'Weight Critics Left Me With Depression'

Posted: 6/04/2012 13:56 Updated: 6/04/2012 14:29   WENN

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Her infectious laugh and beaming grin may leave television viewers smiling, but life isn't all rosy behind closed doors for Fern Britton - the presenter battled crippling depression following criticism over her weight.

Former This Morning host Fern duped fans when she lost 5st in 2008, publicly announcing she shed the pounds through healthy eating and exercise.

However, the star dropped from dress size 22 to 16 before admitting she'd had a gastric band fitted to help her slim down.

Fern struggled to cope with the public furore surrounding her secret and sunk into a deep depression at the time, but she is now able to cope with her low moods, insisting she just lets them pass by.

She told Woman & Home magazine: "If I feel any depression coming, which I haven't now for a long time, I take a very deep breath. The last time I felt it, I decided, 'There's no point in running because it will get me so I have to turn round and look it in the eye and let it run through me.'"

Now, years on from her weight scandal, Fern has a more positive outlook on life and claims she feels at home in her new healthy body.

She said: "I'm nearly 55, I'm as healthy as I can be, I'm loving my life, and I like my body."

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brianmarlow8
0 Fans
07:57 PM on 04/07/2012
no fern you are depressed because you thought you was unplaceable and that they called your bluff and now you are in a place where you arent happy, the british public was behind you when you had the band they was just annoyed when you tryed to say you did it by your self and do a keep fit video that was wrong.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Fozwords
Abandon hope when you post on here
192 Fans
07:36 PM on 04/07/2012
She shouldnt have got so fat then.
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masonm41
2 Fans
04:43 PM on 04/07/2012
Sorry Fern, you were a nice, cheerful, voluptuous pretty woman before your ridiculous gastric band. Now you are nowhere near as pretty, look far older, have a condescending attitude and have so called depression!!! Get a life Fern and stop boring us.
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sugstal
6 Fans
11:52 AM on 04/07/2012
She has enough financial security to cope with whatever life throws at her and if she thinks that by taking a deep breath she can cure herself of depression then she's not depressed; a bit down perhaps, a bit fed up but there's no comparison and if she really has suffered from depression in the past, then she should know better than to trivialise it. This weight thing is ridiculous. Get over yourself.
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Kraptonfactor
They're coming to take me away ha ha, hee hee, ho
200 Fans
07:27 PM on 04/07/2012
You are right, sugstal, anyone who really suffers from depression can't just get rid of it by looking at it, she really is trivialising it. She might have the odd day of feeling down but she is insulting those who are genuinely depressed by suggesting it's that easy to deal with.
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steamboats999
42 Fans
11:03 AM on 04/07/2012
always found her very condescending when interviewing on This Morning. She thought she was a lot smarter and likeable than she actually was. She lost it completely when she omitted to tell the truth about her weight loss and putting it down to healthy eating and dieting and boy of boy did she hate it when she was found out. What goes around, comes around. Her career seems to have hit the skids since. She's been found out.
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Dinahduck
10 Fans
01:51 PM on 04/07/2012
Oh you are so right, I thought I was the only one who had sussed her out.
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steamboats999
42 Fans
02:25 PM on 04/07/2012
No Dinahduck you are not alone. We both recognise that she is not as talented as she thinks she is.
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Lechiffre
224 Fans
02:52 PM on 04/07/2012
I'd be pizzed off too if found out ha ha ha . I can imagine the sleepless nights with the word "BUSTED" in mind.
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anne31
love.
127 Fans
10:08 AM on 04/07/2012
I HAVE NO SYMPATHY WITH FERN SORRY.YOU WERE DEPRESSED BEFORE THE WEIGHT LOSS AND STILL ARE.BAD LUCK LOVE. ANYWAY AT LEAST YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO HELP WITH YOUR DEPRESSION, GO ON HOLIDAY.
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incapil
6 Fans
10:20 AM on 04/07/2012
HARSH!
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Joanne Cornish
4 Fans
11:11 AM on 04/07/2012
For someone who has expressed a disinterest in this topic you have an awful lot to say!!! You also show no understanding at all of depression being an illness, which cannot be treated or cured by spending money or going on holiday!!
Also, I think your caps lock key is stuck!
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rrozy2222
do as you would be done by
84 Fans
09:51 AM on 04/07/2012
No matter how she lost the weight , she lost it and looks much healthier!
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masonm41
2 Fans
04:49 PM on 04/07/2012
I beg to differ! I think she looks much older and in fact quite ugly since the weight loss.
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rrozy2222
do as you would be done by
84 Fans
06:37 PM on 04/07/2012
And you of course will be gods gift!!!
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Chunkey100
2 Fans
09:29 AM on 04/07/2012
Have you seen the state of the spelling and grammar in these comment boxes? Chimps could write better English.
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NornIronMan
19 Fans
09:35 AM on 04/07/2012
could have written
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rrozy2222
do as you would be done by
84 Fans
09:52 AM on 04/07/2012
I take it , you are a Chimp!
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Lechiffre
224 Fans
02:53 PM on 04/07/2012
Chimps eat pigs for dinner.
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steamboats999
42 Fans
01:42 PM on 04/08/2012
do you have a life of sorts or do you spend the day commenting on peoples' comments
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jjjono
6 Fans
09:25 AM on 04/07/2012
I think you always look great , lovely in fact x
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brianmarlow8
0 Fans
09:24 AM on 04/07/2012
you was depressed because you was over wheight but it is easy to blame the crytics you would have been depressed over another reason like giving up a very good job to now scratching around for work and being unknown again
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homergmc
13 Fans
09:11 AM on 04/07/2012
What is the point of this story she lost weight by whatever means is out of the public eye and claims to be depressed There are people in a worse position than a middle aged has been who just have to get on with it so should she.
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pubsignlady22
0 Fans
07:36 PM on 04/07/2012
Probably depressed because she isn't on the TV so much. She had her time, she got boring and irritating and it was time for new talent to take over, shame her replacement was the snotty nosed Holly Willoughby, she is just as irritating as her predecessor.
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Neesagon
72 Fans
08:39 AM on 04/07/2012
Yeah. Well, it left me depressed too.
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kennethkdj
26 Fans
06:42 AM on 04/07/2012
you lied fern, you were caught out, you will never be trusted again. you are not that good at interviewing nad really have not much to offer.......find another career lovie.....
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bjrenterprises
13 Fans
12:07 AM on 04/07/2012
She's just like most celebs who like to tell porkies about diet and weight loss but she was found out so what did she expect a round of applause?
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narny
541 Fans
12:01 AM on 04/07/2012
Depression isn't just about one thing so it's likely Fern has suffered from it before this slimming saga.The fact she still gets low suggests that is the case. Glad to hear she is coping, depression is a mental illness but can also affect people physically.
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