Paddy takes out Toon girls

The team, Brona O’Reilly, Paula McKeever and Fiona Thomas, were delighted to get a chance to cuddle up to Paddy when he co-hosted the Slimming World Awards with the organisation’s chair and founder Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE.

Bolton-born Paddy said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience: “I have to admit the most I knew about Slimming World before the awards was a gag in Peter’s routine that refers to Slimming World as being a £1 cheaper than its competitors! Jokes aside, I was genuinely amazed to hear about what a difference Slimming World makes to people’s lives. At the ceremony I met lots of people who’d lost incredible amounts of weight and it had totally changed their lives. Before I started working in comedy I was a fitness instructor so I know how important it is to look after yourself.”

Brona O’Reilly said meeting Paddy at the event was the cherry on the top of a great year for Slimming World groups in Ballymoney: “Obviously the most important thing of all is that our members have lost weight and improved their health throughout 2013 and we’re so proud of all of the slimmers in the area – many of them have achieved their target weights and been able do things they never thought possible before slimming down, including doing more with their families, taking up new hobbies, reducing medication or simply fitting in smaller-sized clothes.

“But as well as seeing stonking success on the scales, we’ve had a lot of fun throughout the year too – we’ve held parties in group, raised money for charity and members have cheered each other on with every step of their weight loss journey.”