Vanessa Feltz, 63, drew attention at the London premiere of Swiped on Thursday, showing off a reported two-stone weight loss in a pink, figure-hugging lace midi dress and black sparkly platform wedges.
The broadcaster, who has spoken publicly about long-term struggles with dieting and body image, has in recent years maintained a slimmer silhouette after repeated cycles of weight gain and loss. She has previously described the emotional toll of dieting as "soul-destroying," saying her weight has fluctuated between sizes 10 and 22 and often yo-yoed in roughly 18-month cycles.
Feltz has attributed part of the change to a hectic work schedule. In an interview with OK! magazine in April, she said of compliments on her figure: "Oh that's very nice of you to say, thank you. What have I been doing? I don't know! I think it's because I'm working so much." She noted she is on air most days with a new lunchtime programme on Channel 5 and presents on LBC at weekends, adding that being busy and on her feet "must be contributing to how I look."
Her public account of weight changes spans decades. Feltz first reduced from a size 22 to about a size 10 around 1999–2000, lost two stone in 2004, and dropped three stone in 2007 before regaining weight. In 2010 she underwent gastric band surgery, which she has said helped stabilise her weight. She has also described a period after a high-profile split in which she lost weight because she "hadn't eaten for months," a change she called a "silver lining from a broken heart."
Feltz has commented more recently on weight-loss drugs. In late 2024 she told The Independent she would not have had gastric surgery if she had known about Ozempic, a medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes that can also suppress appetite. She said, "I'd have bloody well injected it in the thigh for the rest of my life and I'd have been delighted to do it," adding, "We don't know what the long-term effects are but who cares? At least you're thin."
The Channel 5 programme announced last month, titled Vanessa, is scheduled to air weekdays at 12:45–1:45 p.m. The show is described by the broadcaster as intended to be "a much-needed haven from the relentless news agenda," offering a mix of heart-warming and hard-hitting segments delivered in a direct, conversational style.
At the Swiped premiere Feltz displayed the confidence she has projected in recent public appearances, continuing to discuss her work and health in interviews while remaining open about the personal history behind her changing appearance.