James Argent has revealed he’s undergone gastric surgery to lose weight.
The TOWIE star’s weight shot up to almost 27 stone over lockdown, and opted for the surgery amid serious fears for his health.
Speaking to The Sun post-surgery, the 33-year-old said: “This is the biggest operation I’ve ever had in my life, so I was scared.”
“I did say to the surgeon, ‘Is there a chance I might not wake up?’ He said there was a small chance,” he revealed.
James admitted the surgery almost didn’t go ahead, as he struggled to stick to a pre-op diet, explaining: “There were a few times I found it too hard and couldn’t stick to it. I was almost too big to have the operation, which is scary.”
After a successful hour-and-a-half long surgery, the TV star said: “I’ve already got a bit of a glow back in my face so I’m happy with that, and I feel like I’m already losing weight, which is good.”
“When I looked back at myself in recent TV interviews, I just didn’t recognize that person. I looked so depressed. I’ve always been a bubbly, fun character. The thing that’s made me angry is I’ve let myself get so low.”
“I feel this surgery is a fresh start. I’ve had drug addiction, an eating disorder, I’ve been through a lot. I just want to come through,” he added.
“I’m completely single at the moment. I want to put my health first, that’s number one. The most important thing is to remain clean and sober. I’ve been clean and sober for a year and three months now. I feel I’m ready to tackle my weight.”
“I suppose women come into that. I’ll certainly be a lot more confident meeting new women or having fun and maybe some of the women that might not have been so achievable before, they might be more achievable!”
“This operation is going to help me physically get my life back but it’s not going to cure me mentally. I’m going to get regular counselling and I’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
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