Transformed Plan B looks unrecognisable on Jonathan Ross

He’s been off the music scene for five years, shocking fans this summer when he returned to the stage looking incredibly slimline.

And Plan B will perform his new song on The Jonathan Ross Show on Saturday evening – sure to cause further ripples with how dramatically different he looks.

The episode will air on Saturday night, and images from the set see the rapper – real name Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew –  looked slender and blonde, as he performs new track Heartbeat.

The She Said singer, 34, rose to fame in 2005 and famously said he felt that he looked unwell – putting his unhealthy weight down to drink and snack foods.

The father-of-one looks smart for his Jonathan Ross appearance, in a blazer, black T-shirt, edgy chinos and showcasing his newly-lightened mane.

He joins music legend Tina Turner, Hollywood actor Andrew Garfield, TV broadcaster Clare Balding and comedian and presenter Katherine Ryan on Saturday evening’s line-up.

When he returned to the spotlight this summer, the rapper told The Guardian: ‘You see pictures of me at the Ivor Novello awards, I mean, f***ing hell, I looked ill. I was so overweight, and to deal with the workload, I was getting through a bottle of JD a night.

Then and now: Plan B has slimmed down dramatically since he was last making music [pictured L in 2010 at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Spain]

Sleek: His debut single from his new album was called In The Name Of Man – and his album, set for an April release, is called Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose

‘Then you fancy a bag of crisps, or a bit of ice cream – and it wasn’t a problem before, but it is now, because of all the calories you’re putting in yourself with the drink.’

His debut single from his new album was called In The Name Of Man – and his album, set for an April release, is called Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose. 

The musician is working alongside a number of guest collaborators for the album.

In July, Plan B wowed the crowd with his new tunes – and his new look – when he performed a special gig at Shakespeare’s Globe in London.

Line up: He joins music legend Tina Turner, Hollywood actor Andrew Garfield, TV broadcaster Clare Balding and comedian and presenter Katherine Ryan on Saturday evening’s line-up

Unhealthy: The She Said singer, 34, rose to fame in 2005 and famously said he felt that he looked unwell – putting his unhealthy weight down to drink and snack foods

After the rapper posted a picture of himself signing posters, his followers joked ‘Who are you? And what have you done with plan b?’.

‘Who’ve you come as? Draco Malfoy?’, another joked in reference to his new hairdo.  

He revealed on his Twitter account at the time that he had been back in the studio recording a new album.

Plan B previously said in 2010 that he had been encouraged to lose weight by Ray Winstone when they worked together on The Sweeny.

He told The Sun: ‘We were talking about my character and how someone as young as me has got the part.

Social media reaction: After the rapper posted a picture of himself signing posters, his followers joked ‘Who are you? And what have you done with plan b?’

‘We were saying how I’ve got to be a man in his early thirties, super-smart, excels in exams, brilliant at sports and Ray looked me up and down and goes, “Are you sure you’re going to get yourself in good enough shape?” 

‘I thought right then and there, “I’m going to do it”. That’s the extra incentive I needed. I thought, “I’ll f***ing show you, pal”.’

Plan B confessed that he had slimmed down by eating plenty of vegetables, lean meat and his favourite food, prawns.