Paddy McGuinness hit "rock bottom" before incredible weight-loss and fitness journey

TV star and comedian Paddy McGuinness said hitting "rock bottom" led him to a weight-loss journey that has transformed his physique. Earlier this year, the 52-year-old opened up about his fitness journey and shared his transformation on social media, having followed a new fitness regime called the 75 Hard challenge.

The Phoenix Nights star told Men’s Health UK he enjoyed taking on the challenge and, speaking about his new physique, said it is “nice to show other blokes it’s attainable”.

The 75 Hard is a fitness challenge created by US entrepreneur Andy Frisella, and according to his website, entails two 45-minute workouts a day – one of which must be outside – drinking 4.5 litres of water a day, following a diet of your choice, no alcohol and reading 10 pages of a non-fiction book each 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. 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 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, having previously opened up about his struggles 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 March 17