I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'s Boy George has been hitting the headlines recently due to his sparky nature towards a number of his fellow campmates - Matt Hancock and Scarlette Douglas, to name a few. But while the pop icon's dramatic outbursts are remaining the talk of the TV town, fans have marvelled at the Karma Chameleon hitmaker's slimmer look.
The Culture Club star - who viewers regularly see starting his mornings in the jungle with a spot of meditation, chanting and yoga - weighed in around 120 kgs at his heaviest but has managed to shed a whopping 40kgs in the last few years - and has maintained it by snacking on one particular food item.
It seems that almonds have had a big part to play in his health journey. While filming for The Voice, he snacked on them regularly to maintain his frame, reports the Daily Mail. According to Healthline, these nuts are not only "a good source of healthy fat, protein, fibre and several vitamins and minerals, but they may also reduce heart disease risk factors like elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol and excess belly fat."
Read more: I'm A Celebrity's Sue Cleaver dropped four dress sizes by ditching three foods
The I'm a Celeb star's lifestyle overhaul, it seems, began over a decade ago, and in an interview with the Daily Mail in 2013, he revealed that he had sought the help of nutritionist Amelia Freer. At the time of publication, the 61-year-old - who's real name is George Alan O'Dowd - added that alongside a healthy, clean and balanced diet, his workout regime consisted of five sessions a week.
It was also said that he had cut back on carbohydrates, sugar and dairy in his meals - which he eats at "regular times" - and cooks himself.
He explained: "I cook everything myself and I don't buy anything that's in a packet. Eating out becomes a bit difficult. But you just have to ask if they use sugar in a dish – and you'd be surprised how much gets put in."
He added: 'You have a five-hour gap between meals, no coffee or herbal teas in between, just still or fizzy water. Once you start doing it and your body is getting the food it needs, you don't get those horrible hunger pangs."
In 2021, he took to Twitter to comment on the importance of keeping hydrated, and offered some sage advice: "I have said this before but are you drinking enough water? I have upped my intake and added a good coconut water to my daily guzzle. Have steamed veg with everything. Even if you have a @McDonalds heaven forbid! Lol! A side salad won't cut it! Steamed and dusted with flax seed!"
Boy George is also a vegetarian, which heavily focuses on nutrient-dense foods items like fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts, and in 2013, he spoke of his dietary choices on Twitter, writing: "I’m not vegan or raw. I have lots of vegan and raw food. I don’t have cow’s produce ever! I am gay though!”
This was reiterated in 2018 during an interview on ITV's This Morning with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford. Boy George was seen saying how much he loves cooking and said: “I’m vegetarian, not vegan. I couldn’t live in a world without cheese… I have cheese every day.”
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! continues on ITV at 9pm.
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