Jennifer Ellison Shares Bikini Photos After Post-Pregnancy Weight Gain
The "Brookside" actress revealed her weight had reached 14 stone following childbirth and has since showcased her slimmer figure.
Brookside icon Jennifer Ellison, 43, has shared a new photo in a red bikini, drawing attention to her slim figure after previously disclosing that her weight had increased to 14 stone after giving birth.
Ellison, who is a mother to Bobby, 16, Harry, 13, and Charlie, 12, with husband Robbie Tickle, has spoken about the body changes she experienced, including rapid weight gain. In a recent Instagram post, she displayed her physique in a red bikini.
Earlier this year, Ellison told the Daily Mail that becoming a mother significantly altered her life and contributed to her weight gain, which she attributed partly to a sugar addiction. She described experiencing harsh criticism online regarding her appearance during pregnancy, with comments such as "She's got the baby in her thighs" and "She's eaten the baby."
"I didn't look after myself," Ellison stated. "I was three stone heavier than I am now and I'd kind of lost myself."
Ellison reached a weight of 14 stone before participating in Celebrity SAS in 2022. Following the show, she lost approximately three stone, an experience she credits with transforming her confidence and her approach to exercise.
"I just thought, 'Let's just go and do it, and put myself in these awful situations because it's a job, and it's getting me back on telly,'" she said. "I started to love myself again."
Reflecting on her career transition from a pin-up model to a mother, Ellison discussed how her professional life was closely tied to her body image. "I had a career that was based on my body, so people homed in on that," she explained. "They were used to seeing me in bikinis, looking great, looking really slim and then I put all this weight on."
She recalled an instance where she did not get a job audition because she was deemed "far too big." This led to significant emotional distress, but ultimately motivated her to take action.
"I was a pin-up, and there I was with my mum tum. But I was just happy to have my little boy and I didn't care," Ellison said. She also noted the challenges of returning to exercise after a 92-hour labor and an emergency cesarean section, coupled with breastfeeding.
"I didn't want to hand Bobby over to a nanny so I could go to the gym," she added. "I couldn't have cared less what I looked like. All I cared about was being with him."