Loose Women’s Gloria Hunniford changed her diet after doctor’s warning

‘My doctor told me to take my life into my own hands,’ said presenter

Loose Women panellist Gloria Hunniford has opened up about the changes she has made to her diet after receiving a warning from her doctor.

The 84-year-old presenter admitted that she has tested different diets in the past, but the doctor’s advice has given her the “determination” to make healthier choices.

Speaking to Woman’s Weekly, the broadcaster said: “My doctor said I was pre-diabetic and told me to take my life in my hands.”

Her meal plan now involves key staples, low carbohydrates and avoiding sugar as much as possible.

“I’d dieted before, but going on a medical diet gives you determination,” she said.

“I’ll have egg or sausage for breakfast, but no bread. It’s soup or salad with fish for lunch, and in the evening I’ll replace potatoes with cauliflower, which has the same sort of crunch,” she said.

“I cut out all the sugar I could. I gave up bread, pasta and potatoes,” she said, adding that she sometimes treats herself to a glass of wine or champagne.

Pre-diabetes is when someone has blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. This is known as non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, or pre-diabetes.

Hunniford pictured in 2022 (Getty Images)

According to the NHS, people with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but the risk can be reduced through lifestyle changes recommended by medical professionals.

Hunniford returned to Loose Women in October for the first time after the death of her husband of 25 years, Stephen Wray, who died in August aged 85.

She said: “It’s a heartbreaking situation to lose your partner. One minute you know what your life is, and then next minute you think what is this life is going forward.”

“I want to thank all of you at home and everybody at Loose Women, because the messages were just fabulous. I can’t tell you what they mean in the end. It obviously changed my life. It’s amazing how sometimes your children become the parents because they worry about you. But the letters and the cards and messages have really sunk into my soul.”

Her Loose Women co-star Charlene White asked Hunniford how grief had affected her physically, and Hunniford admitted she had lost weight due to not eating properly.

Gloria Hunniford and her late husband Stephen Way pictured in 2023 (Getty Images)

She explained: “The thing is obviously when your partner is ill, the anxiety and worry and of all that – of course, I’ve lost weight because you don’t eat properly and you’re always thinking about the other person.”

“But I am fine, thank you. My two sons, Paul and Michael, when they come to visit they watch what I eat, they go, ‘You haven’t finished your chicken!’”

She continued: “I’m struggling through lots of things, but trying to get back. I’ve worked since I was seven.”

“Work I know, I like work and I know where I am with work, whereas with all the emotional stuff and sadness, I don’t know where I am with that. So I’m glad to be back and see all of you and the crew behind the scenes.”