Ex-EastEnders star Shaun Williamson reveals how he achieved 10lbs weight loss for a new role

EX-EastEnders star Shaun Williamson lost 10lbs for his latest role by giving up beer.

The actor, 54 - known for playing Barry on the BBC soap - was forced to shed the pounds for the physical gags in new BBC2 sitcom Mister Winner.

So in order to do it, he simply gave up lager and power walked to drop the weight in six weeks.

"I lost 10lb - by drinking gin instead of beer," Shaun told The Mirror.

"But I also power walk. Three miles to Tesco's then three miles back holding the shopping. It took 10lb off over six weeks."

Though he says he won't lose anymore pounds as he doesn't want to be considered in the same vein as thinner actors.

He continued: "You have a type. If I go down too much I'm among the 12st actors.

"Why try to be better looking and thinner like guys my age who have looked after themselves and are known as romantic leading men?"

He plays the potential father-in-law of Leslie Winner in the show Mister Winner.

Meanwhile, Shaun opened up last year about how he asked the late medium Derek Acorah help him identify a female ghost who was haunting him.

Speaking on Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre podcast, Shaun, 54, explained: "I was in Celebrity Big Brother with Derek Acorah and I believe he sees and feels everything he believes he sees and feels.”

He continued: "We moved into a new house, myself and my current wife Adele. And straight away there were banging noises - we'd got a ghost.

"Derek rang me up because he wanted me to be on his radio show and he said, 'Rosemary - Rosemary is the name of the lady who lives in your house’.”