Strictly’s Tyler West reveals secret battle with body image sparked by ‘gym obsession’

EXCLUSIVE ‘It got a bit out of hand’: Strictly star Tyler West reveals secret battle with body image, sparked by ‘gym obsession’ and comparing himself to others on Instagram

Strictly star Tyler West has revealed a secret battle with his body image, sparked by being ‘gym obsessed’ and comparing himself to others on Instagram. 

The Kiss FM presenter, 26, told MailOnline his commitment to staying healthy and in shape ‘got a bit out of hand’ because he put too much pressure on himself to look a certain way.

In an exclusive interview, 6ft4 Tyler explained how competing in the BBC One series and following the guidance of his partner Dianne Buswell, 31, has left him feeling the ‘happiest’ he’s ever been with his body, after seeing his weight drop from 104kg to 97kg. 

‘I wanted to look a certain way’: Strictly star Tyler West has revealed a secret battle with his body image, sparked by being ‘gym obsessed’ and comparing himself to others on Instagram

He said: ‘Before I started the competition I weighed 104kg and now I weigh about 97kg. I am lighter on my toes, lighter all round – I feel like a whippet!

‘The show is so intense and so much work goes into each routine. It has made me think differently towards body image. I used to have problems with body image.

‘I used to compare myself to others on Instagram and look at myself and say ‘that’s not good enough’ so my gym obsession before wasn’t necessarily just for health and fitness it was because I wanted to look a certain way. It got a bit out of hand.

‘So now coming onto the show I’ll be honest with you there have been some days where I literally cannot eat enough calories. It has taught me not to take things so seriously and loosen up a bit because I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been in terms of that stuff.’  

'I used to have problems': Tyler told MailOnline his commitment to staying healthy and in shape 'got a bit out of hand' because he put too much pressure on himself to look a certain way

‘I used to have problems’: Tyler told MailOnline his commitment to staying healthy and in shape ‘got a bit out of hand’ because he put too much pressure on himself to look a certain way

Tyler credits his newfound body confidence to his professional partner Dianne, who ensures he’s well fed during their intensive nine-hour rehearsals.

He added: ‘Dianne is Australian and says she’s a feeder – she’s always feeding me and brings a little snack station to every training session, which I love.

‘Sometimes we have healthy snacks but we have our little sweet treats as well, but she’s been a massive influence with all of this because when it comes to social media I just need to loosen up and learn not to take it all so seriously.’

Tyler, who also ran the London marathon last month, flew to Mauritius and back to be best man at his brother’s wedding on Wednesday – and was in the Strictly training room as soon as he landed.

'She's been a massive influence': Tyler explained how competing in the BBC One series and following the guidance of his partner Dianne Buswell has left him feeling the 'happiest' he's ever been with his body

‘She’s been a massive influence’: Tyler explained how competing in the BBC One series and following the guidance of his partner Dianne Buswell has left him feeling the ‘happiest’ he’s ever been with his body 

The DJ says years ago flying abroad would have ‘haunted’ him as he recalls a difficult chapter in his life, which for the moment he’s keeping private.

But learning to overcome the harder days of his past has given him the motivation to be stronger and now Tyler’s more comfortable taking on tasks that used to scare him.

He said: ‘Years ago flying alone would have haunted me but I met so many people flying to Mauritius, it was great.

‘I went through something at home, and you know when you go through those life experiences it can either make or break you and I made the decision one day to completely step outside my comfort zone.

‘You do it one day and it gets easier after that. Now I have found confidence in new places.’

Tyler and Dianne are performing the Tango to the Doctor Who theme tune on Saturday night to celebrate 100 years of the BBC. 

The entire Strictly cast are dancing to iconic BBC theme tunes with Tony Adams performing a rendition of the Cha Cha to the Grandstand Theme and Helen Skelton going back to her roots with a Charleston to the Blue Peter Theme song. 

Commitment: Tyler, who also ran the London marathon last month, flew to Mauritius and back to be best man at his brother's wedding on Wednesday – and was in the Strictly training room as soon as he landed

Commitment: Tyler, who also ran the London marathon last month, flew to Mauritius and back to be best man at his brother’s wedding on Wednesday – and was in the Strictly training room as soon as he landed 

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