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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Joel Leaver

Nickelodeon star Josh Peck says he lost weight because he 'wanted to kiss a girl'

Josh Peck has spoken candidly about having struggled with his weight when he was younger, with him admitting that he had been too uncomfortable to leave his house at times.

The actor, 35, is best known for his role in the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh from 2004 to 2007 - having played the title character Josh Nichols in the popular TV show.

During that period, he struggled with his weight and has referred to himself as having been "chubby" as a teenager - though he has since lost a considerable amount of weight.

He opened up about his experiences on a recent podcast, revealing the motivation behind his weight loss and the issue that arose once he slimmed down to his goal weight.

Josh Peck has spoken about having struggled with his weight when he was younger (Getty Images)
The actor, pictured in 2004, said he felt uncomfortable in himself (Getty Images)

The actor featured as a guest on a recent episode of the We Met At Acme podcast, with him asked about his decision to lower his weight by its host Lindsey Metselaar, 30.

Josh said that he wasn "pretty uncomfortable" in his own skin when he was younger but recalled seeing other kids who had "extra weight on them" being able to enjoy life.

He said that they were confident enough to take their t-shirts off at a swimming pool and got girlfriends when they were older - which was something he wanted for himself.

Josh and Drake Bell (right) had a popular Nickelodeon show together (WireImage)
Josh has since lost a considerable amount of weight (Getty Images for Samsung)

He revealed: "A big reason why I lost weight was because I wanted to kiss a girl." The actor however said that he didn't give himself the opportunity much though.

Josh said he would get "invited to some cool things" because he was famous, but he used to decline lots of the offers because he didn't feel comfortable in himself.

Further explaining his experience, he said that when he was in his late teens, he would choose to stay home and alphabetise his DVD collection - rather than go to events.

The vlogger stated that the reason for this was because he "was not comfortable going out into the world like that" - though later addressed his insecurity with his body.

The actor is said to have lost around 100 pounds through working out and admitted that he then "made up for lost time" - before meeting his now-wife Paige O'Brien.

Josh added that everyone has "awkward teenage years" but most people can move on from them, whereas his feature on reruns of TV shows that still air today.

Josh has since starred in shows such as FOX's Grandfathered (FOX Image Collection via Getty Images)

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It was recently revealed that he briefly turned to alcohol and drugs after he lost the weight, which he further opened up about whilst on the We Met At Acme podcast.

Josh said he later realised that his issues with his weight were the byproduct of "deep discomfort" that he was feeling - over his family dynamic and being famous.

"Once I lost all that weight, I thought I'd be all better. I like thought I'd arrive at the finish line and get an instant girlfriend and everything would just be [fine]," he said.

Drake & Show was a popular show during the mid-noughties (WireImage)
Josh has opened up about how he had felt during his teenage years when he was first rose to fame (Getty Images)

The actor said in hindsight he was the "same head in a different body" so he turned to alcohol and drugs - instead of food - to "numb" the uncomfortable feelings he had.

Josh has since got sober - following "many moments" which made him reflect on his choices - and later began his relationship with Paige, whom he married in 2017.

The couple - who appear together on his self-titled YouTube channel - are parents to a three-year-old son, Max Peck.

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