Legendary singer and former Strictly Come Dancing star Toyah Willcox, 66, has been shedding years along with pounds to ensure she stays fit and healthy. Prior to stepping onto the BBC‘s dance floor, she revamped her fitness regimen and eliminated a significant item from her diet to avoid unnecessary calorie intake. During a press conference introducing the show, when quizzed about representing women, she poignantly remarked: “I’m flying the flag for pensioners. I’m the shortest, I’m the oldest. You know, I’ve just got to accept who and what I am and enjoy it.”
Additionally, Willcox disclosed her dietary discipline, highlighting her abstinence from alcohol: “I’ve stopped drinking for three months. I’ve lost a lot of weight,” she declared, reports the Mirror. It seems her journey of transformation is far from over. Despite the calorie-burning from intense training, she suspects that the thrill may also suppress her hunger. She revealed: “I’m incredibly fit, but I think I’m just gonna drop more weight because it’s so exciting and it’s such a happy place. I don’t want to eat.”
The ‘It’s a Mystery’ songstress, who believes she doesn’t require much food stating “my energy is in my genes”, has consistently been open about her efforts to maintain a youthful appearance. Following her stint on ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! ‘ in 2003, she endured a tough time as she faced harsh critiques about her looks upon returning home – including a particularly hurtful comment from renowned broadcaster and TV host Jonathan Ross.
“Jonathan Ross on his Radio Two show, which has around eight million listeners, said I looked so awful I shouldn’t be allowed to be seen on TV, and that I should go away and do something about it,” she disclosed about the past.
After a stint with Botox, she opted for surgery, placing her trust in a surgeon for a facelift. Embracing full disclosure, she chronicled the process in ‘Diary of a Facelift’, encompassing all the phases and the stark reality of recuperation.
She boasts a career as both an actress and TV host. Born with a series of health challenges, including a curved spine, a clubbed right foot, and uneven leg length, she has also battled insomnia since her teenage years.
In a candid chat with the Mirror about what she was most excited for before starting Strictly, she exclaimed: “Oh, fitness above everything! Fitness, timing. I mean, I’m a rock singer, I work on down beats – this is going to teach me about the tango, it’s going to teach me about the waltz – I can’t wait to do the waltz because I used to do that with my father and that is a really deep memory for me. But I think I’m going to come away with some sense of control because I’m completely out of control!”.