Love Island star reveals he weighed whopping 20 stone before appearing as chiselled villa bombshell
Harry Baker shed 20 stone before appearing on the hit reality TV show, Love Island.
A hunky Love Island star has revealed he used to weigh a whopping 20 stone - cutting a third of his body weight before entering the villa as a chiselled 'bombshell'. Harry Baker used to gorge on fry-ups, takeaways and freezer food every day until his friends grew concerned about his 20st [120kg] size.
After the 25-year-old's confidence hit an all-time low in summer 2021 he began working out five times a week to incorporate cardio and weight training. After the 6ft 4in lad's weight plateaued at 15st [100kg] last year he altered his diet and got down to a slim 13st [86kg] - leading Love Island producers to spot his Instagram posts.
Harry entered this year's series 11 of Love Island as a bombshell but only lasted five days before being dumped with his fellow islander Lola.
Three-year-old images of him filling casual wear show a stark contrast to the muscular physique he showed off on the hit reality TV show. He says his confidence has grown massively and he feels like 'a completely different person' since dropping 7st and being scouted for the show.
After sharing a video charting his weight loss journey TikTok users have been quick to congratulate him on his impressive achievement. Harry, from Birmingham, West Midlands, said: "I used to weigh around 130kg and I wasn't confident in myself or feeling my best so something needed to change.
"I just enjoyed food which made me put the weight on and I still massively enjoy my food, but now I make different choices and I workout. I was never bullied [for my weight] but I had friends close to me tell me that it was going too far and I was looking very big.
"People that were close to me were looking out for me and were concerned about my weight. To get down to how slim I was for Love Island I did a lot of running and hybrid workouts.
"I do look back at pictures and think my personality and how I behave is different now and not just my physical appearance. It boosted my confidence that I had been recognised by a scout for the show. Obviously [when I was] so big, I never in a million years thought I'd do anything like that. I do feel like a different person [now]."
The data engineer says that even after being invited onto the show via Instagram he shredded another 1.5st to 'look his best'. Harry said: "Even at the start of this year I was still 100kg and Love Island never came into my thought process.
"In April when I was asked to do it I was 97kg so I dropped 10kg in a few months before going on the show. I think you can go on the show looking however you want but I wanted to look my best for my confidence.
"If I went in there [the Love Island villa] and I didn't feel as confident as I possibly could, I may not have been able to feel the right connections. I am definitely a lot more confident but if I'm honest, once you start this journey you're never happy and you're always chasing perfection. When I saw myself on TV and in Love Island adverts I felt confident."
Harry says he enjoys a balanced diet of high protein meals with lots of fruit and veg. He claims he's put on more muscle since leaving the show and now weighs 14st [90kg].
The reality TV star says he never felt any pressure from the programme to look a certain way and that he loved the experience. Harry said: "I loved being in the sun and meeting new people. I loved the challenges. I think people who were on the show for a long period of time got fed up with these but because I was on there for a short time I loved them.
"There are so many different bodies on the show. I think if you're happy in your own skin, that is what makes people behave correctly. They [Love Island] don't push this narrative, but I know from being both sizes, you can't fully be happy in your own skin when you're unhealthy.
"When you look your best, that's when you feel and act your best. Everyone has been so positive on TikTok. They have been sending me messages, asking me how I did it and saying well done.".
Harry’s food diary
Before weight loss
- Breakfast - Full English
- Lunch - KFC, McDonald's, Chip shop food
- Dinner - Oven pizza or freezer food
- Snacks - chocolates, crisps, biscuits.
After weight loss
- Breakfast - 0% Greek yoghurt, fruit and oats or eggs and sourdough
- Lunch - lean mince/chicken and veg
- Dinner - Steak and veg
The TikTok post explaining his weight loss journey has more than 140,000 views and 110 comments. One said: "That's incredible and inspiring. Well done." Another added: "Wow, what a transformation. Well done. You should be proud. Smashed it." A third commented: "Believe in yourself and you can achieve anything."