Strictly's Shayne Ward unrecognisable after losing 3 stone

Shayne Ward is best known for his time on Coronation Street and winning The X Factor - but the soap star has undergone a major body transformation since then

Strictly Come Dancing heartthrob Shayne Ward turned quite a few heads back in 2019 flaunting an incredible bodily transformation after hitting the gym hard with his other half, Sophie Austin. Ditching his gig as Aidan Connor on Coronation Street in 2018, Shayne along with his fiancee, embarked on a quest to gain physical prowess and steer their lives towards wellness.

Spotted exuding newfound confidence, Shayne was all about banishing those 'love handles' and parading a revamped image, complete with a booming beard and longer hair that was miles apart from his stint on the cobbles. He confessed to once indulging in food just for the sake of it but has since experienced the joy of ditching late-night munchies, fizzy drinks and confectionery.

The star's breakfast also had a makeover, with eggs and veggies taking the place of cereal. He told Manchester Evening News: "The change in my body has been crazy. I know I speak for myself, and a lot of guys I know as well, we always suffer with putting a lot of weight on around our midsection, our gut and our hip. That's the area we always feel most conscious about."

Reflecting on his exit from the soap opera life at the time, Shayne noted that, despite missing the show, it really did his 'dad bod' no favours. "I will miss it when I leave but it's not done favours for the dad bod," he admitted to The Sun. "The canteen has a really great menu but then it also has really naughty food. Put it this way it's your choice, but then if you eat from the naughty menu you've got to make sure you don't put weight on, which is what happened to me really," he revealed.

"Since the training, that's been the place that has changed the most. Love handles I think that's what we all call them. They've completely gone down."

The former X Factor victor, shedding an impressive three stone, expressed his core inspiration: "My motivation throughout all this is my little girl and that will not change. I obviously want to look the best I can look, feel the best I can feel and be as healthy as I can be, but my daughter Willow May comes above all that. I know if I'm feeling all that, I'm going to be the best dad for her,".

Sophie turned heads with her own staggering weight loss odyssey, having dropped over a stone and a half in just the first fortnights of her new programme. The ex-Hollyoaks sensation managed to slip down two dress sizes, spurred on by Shayne's encouragement.

Back in 2019, Sophie shared her private battles, admitting how she 'lost herself' following pregnancy and struggled with self-image, revealing: "I hated the way I looked."

"And it upset me because I understand my body accomplished something incredible. Dealing with anxiety has been a battle for me, and it intensified after Willow was born. Food became a comfort I didn't recognize myself and felt shame for harbouring such feelings."

"I would get down about my body and physical appearance. My biggest thing is the confidence I had just lost it. I just feel like I'm getting myself back slowly and it's a really big thing for me. You can't buy that."