Two-stone lighter Frankie Essex claims her fitness DVD proves she’s the ‘real deal’ – as you can REALLY see her sweat
Former Towie star hints that rival fat burners have relied too much on good lighting to show results
FRANKIE Essex has hit out at rival weight loss DVDs saying you can really see her 'sweat' while others look picture perfect in well-lit studios.
The former Towie star has lost an impressive two stone over the past year and released her workout video back in October.
However, as similar DVDs flood the market following the over-indulgence at Christmas, Frankie says her one is a cut above the rest.
When asked what sets her apart from her counterparts, such as I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here winner Scarlett Moffatt, Frankie told The Sun Online that "mine is completely different to everyone else's".
She continued: "We filmed it in Greece and the scenery is just beautiful.
"There are no stops either, we work out for the full 20 minutes - we don't stop and start and you can tell because the sun sets behind me while we're doing it.
"I wanted it to be as real as possible so you can really see me sweat.
"I didn't want it to be in an air conditioned studio with loads of lighting, I wanted it to be real."
The 28-year-old also said she's determined not to put the weight back on as she's overhauled her bad habits and put a stop to her comfort eating ways.
She said: "I love my cake and a cup of tea but now I'll have one piece whereas before I'd go back for more.
"I was just greedy, I wasn't even hungry for it, I was just eating for the sake of having it."
The TV beauty looks dramatically different following her make-over, and says her top tips include having a protein shake or a piece of grapefruit in the evenings to stave off sugar cravings.
Frankie has also defended herself against some sceptical fans who accused her of having surgery to help shed the pounds.
Speaking to The Sun Online recently, she hit back at the haters insisting she lost weight naturally.
She said: “I just went to the gym and ate healthily. No I didn’t have any surgery, you couldn’t have an operation and go to the gym.
“You have to wait ages, it’s really dangerous to do things like that. No way did I do that.”
She said: “I think people want that to be happen for some reason.”
“They’re just nasty saying things like: ‘oh she’ll put it all back on’ or saying I only put the weight on for the DVD and I’m just like, ‘are you mad?’
“To say that is a bit evil because I was depressed and in a really bad place.
“You don’t just put on weight, like Renee Zellweger got paid to put on weight and be Bridget Jones but I definitely didn’t do that.
She continued: “At that size, I wasn’t happy. And looking back, I didn’t realise then how big I was and how different I looked.
“Even in my face, I look sad. It wasn’t just about the weight, I was really sad. I was really down, I was just a bit lost and that’s why I’m just so grateful for believing in me and knowing I can do this.”
Latest in TV and Showbiz
Now that she's in a "better place", Frankie says she'd love to return to Towie if producers asked her back.
She said: "I definitely would, I'm in such a good place now. I think before I was just too unconfident to be on camera.
"I was scared and I didn't feel like I looked good but I would definitely go back if they wanted me to."
Got a story? email [email protected] or call us direct on 02077824220