Gillian gets soap star attention

Gillian (29) was one of just 46 women from across the UK and Ireland who reached the semi-finals of Slimming World’s Woman of the Year Award held at the organisation’s Derbyshire head office.

Anthony, who made his name on tv as Gilly Roach in Hollyoaks and is currently playing Pete Barton in the soap, celebrated with Gillian and the other women.

Gillian joined the Kirkintilloch Slimming World group at Harestanes Community Centre, in January this year and has since gone from 16st 2lbs to 10st 4lbs, and earlier this year her transformation inspired members of the group to vote her as their representative in the annual Woman of the Year competition. After winning the regional heat, Gillian secured a place in the national semi-finals, which put her in the running to win the overall title of ‘Slimming World Woman of the Year 2015’ and a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Dubai.

She says: “I’d tried losing weight before yet I always found the plans that I followed too hard to stick to because they left me feeling hungry and deprived, which made me miserable. Slimming World was completely different, I don’t have to go hungry and I’ve never once felt like I’m missing out on anything. Many of the changes I’ve made to the way I cook and eat have been small ones, like swapping white bread for wholemeal and using low calorie spray instead of oil or butter in my cooking.

Lynn Campbell, who runs the Kirkintilloch Slimming World group, said:“Gillian hasn’t only changed how she looks, she’s a different woman on the inside too. She’s blossomed into a happy, confident person and it’s been a pleasure to share in her journey. She’s already such an inspiration to so many of us in the Kirkintilloch group and I’m sure she’ll inspire even more people now.”