Big Brother's Nadia Almada sheds 6 stone after gastric sleeve operation

Big Brother legend Nadia Almada is marking a year of significant milestones. It’s been exactly 20 years since she made television history as the first transgender winner of Big Brother, under the original host Davina McCall, and won over the nation.

Now, Nadia is once again in the spotlight, not only celebrating her win’s anniversary but also her dramatic weight loss transformation. The reality TV icon, aged 47, has shed over six stone in recent months, dropping from 17st 6lb to 11st 8lb. After flying to Turkey for gastric sleeve surgery in March this year, the 5ft 3in star has slimmed down from a size 20 to a size 12 and, she reveals, it saved her life.

Nadia has opened up about feeling like a new woman, the unexpected reason behind her decision to have the surgery, and her aspirations to return to the Big Brother house, two decades later, reports OK! Magazine.

Speaking about what led her to opt for the gastric sleeve Nadia said: “My mother was the one who suggested it! I spent Christmas with my family in Portugal, and when she suggested I should undergo the surgery, it provided the reassurance I needed. I was a size 20 and a mere shadow of my former self. I lacked stamina, energy, vitality and there was an increased risk of severe heart problems or stroke due to the weight I was carrying. Moreover, I couldn’t wear heels because my feet were so swollen. That was the final straw.”

She described her life since the operation as being “like a fresh start, a new beginning.” She added:”I feel more attractive being slender, but it’s not just about the physical aspect, I’m also pleased that I’ve managed to reverse much of the damage I’d inflicted on my body. Within just three months, my cholesterol and thyroid levels had decreased. I’m eager to see how much better my body is coping. I have more energy and I simply feel better about myself. The surgery was truly life-saving for me.”

Nadia said it wasn’t until she tried on old clothes that she hadn’t worn for years that she noticed the weight loss. Following her surgery, she experienced a mental struggle as she couldn’t maintain her previous eating habits. She confessed: “I went crazy. I started watching mukbang videos [people binge-eating], to trick my brain into thinking that I was eating what I was seeing. I was also spending hundreds of pounds on ingredients I’d never bought before, because my brain was craving all this high-protein stuff.”

She had to adjust between emotional eating and what her body actually needed. She described the experience as a balance between feeling fine and fearing death.

When asked about the changes she has made since then, she revealed: “Now I use little side plates rather than big pasta bowls, because I’m having such small portions. It took me a while to retrain my brain and understand that I can no longer consume as much food, so I wasted a lot at first.

“Before, it was easy to have dinner in front of the TV where I didn’t even realise I’d eaten so much, because I was distracted. Now, I try to separate when I’m eating so my brain registers it. I’ll look out of the window at the garden and enjoy that moment with the food instead.”

With the new series of Big Brother starting this week, and on the 20th anniversary of her iconic win, she said: “It feels like my anniversary, so I’m thrilled to see the show return and I’m looking forward to the live episodes. I’d love to be part of the new series! Perhaps I could pop in for a cheeky task, or recreate the bedsit task from my series.

“Come on, I’m the legend. I’m the OG! Alternatively, I wouldn’t mind participating in the celebrity version, that would be fantastic. I’ve paid my dues. I want another go. I’d also like to appear on I’m A Celeb. I’m not sure if I would comply with the tasks, as I am a disrupter, but since I don’t need to eat much these days, at least I’d cope well with the rations.”