Amy Childs has addressed renewed concern over her dramatic weight loss, saying she intends to "put on at least a stone" and is concentrating on getting stronger rather than slimmer.
The 35-year-old former The Only Way Is Essex star posted an Instagram video saying she had been asked about her appearance after losing weight and that the change was down to stress related to her mother's ill health and other pressures. "Yes I have lost a lot of weight but I need to put at least a stone back on and also be getting stronger because like I said I've lost a lot of weight," she said. Childs added she wanted to be "strong, not skinny" and would share her fitness journey.
Childs said she had faced hurtful comments online, and earlier this year posted a message asking for "positive vibes" after receiving abusive reactions to a bikini video that showed her slimmer frame. In an interview with OK! magazine she described a period of intensified stress as contributing to the weight loss, saying, "I'm going through so much at the minute that the weight has fallen off me."
Her comments referenced her mother's emergency treatment after a heart attack in May and the postponement of her wedding to fiancé Billy Delbosq. Childs said she worried constantly about her mother and that the family were also managing home renovations and parenting four children, which she said had compounded the stress.
Childs said she is working with trainers Jon and Zoe Kirk to build strength, learn more about nutrition and remain accountable to maintain progress. She told followers she wanted to "be really fit for the kids" and praised the trainers' results.
The star, who has previously discussed trying weight-loss injections, said an earlier course left her ill. "I once tried using weight-loss injections 18 months ago, but it made me so ill I threw up three or four times," she said. She also told followers she felt better at a slightly heavier weight and that people could be quick to judge.
Childs shares four children: daughter Polly, a son Ritchie and twins Milly and Billy, born in April 2022. She called off plans for an imminent wedding earlier this year after her mother's hospitalisation and has since said she is looking for a new date and planning a larger celebration.
Representatives for Childs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Fans and public figures have at times expressed concern about the physical and mental demands placed on reality television personalities, and Childs's public statements echo wider conversations about social media commentary, medical privacy and the pressures of parenting while managing a public profile. She has been in the entertainment industry for around 15 years and said she intended to continue sharing updates on her health and fitness as she works to regain weight and strength.