Chantelle Houghton details ‘frightening’ health scare as doctors ‘had to stop’ her heart

The last time new caught up with Chantelle Houghton, she had just begun a lifestyle overhaul and was hoping to shift the three stone she’d put on over lockdown.

Now, three months later, the reality star tells us she’s two stone lighter and feeling much more confident.

“I felt really down about it, but my confidence now is great,” the 38-year-old reveals.

“Not only have I lost nearly two stone, I feel healthier, too. My skin looks healthier and my friends tell me I’m glowing. I put that down to eating well three times a day.”

Feeling healthier and happier is a huge stepping stone for the mum-of-one, who is hoping she’ll find love this year after splitting from fiancé Michael Strutt last January.

“Losing weight has made me feel a lot more confident about getting back to dating,” Chantelle tells us.

Here, the former Celebrity Big Brother star chats lifestyle changes and why she’d love to get married again one day…

Hi Chantelle, you’re looking great! Following your break-up, has losing weight made you feel more confident about dating again?

Oh, definitely! Being single, I’m not afraid to be on my own. I know there are a lot of people out there who would be with someone for the sake of it as they can’t be alone, but I can be alone.

It might sound cheesy, but I’d rather be alone for the next five years and then meet someone I can be happy with for the rest of my life, rather than being with someone who’s not right and being miserable.

What does your ideal man look like?

I don’t really have a type, but I like a man to actually be a man rather than someone who dresses in skinny jeans and tight tops.

That whole gym look isn’t for me. I’d like a builder or something like that. A manly man!

Have you tried dating apps?

I’ve not been on any dating apps. It’s been a year since I split up with my ex. I’m in a good place. We’re still friends. I’m not heartbroken, I’m just living my life.

I’m open to dating and think it would be quite nice to meet someone through somebody – just to know that they’re not an axe-wielding murderer!

But I’m happy as I am and losing weight has finally made me feel a lot more confident about getting back to dating.

You’ve had your fair share of heartbreak, would you still like to get married one day?

I’d love to get married. I know I have been married before. What me and Preston [who she met on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006] had… our marriage was completely real.

I loved him wholeheartedly and wanted to marry him. I don’t look at it as
a failed marriage because I was 21 and we were in a crazy world back then.

I don’t look at it as a real-life marriage, even though it was. I’d love to do it again, though.

Speaking of Preston, do you keep in touch?

We do. We text every few months or something like that. We’ll always be friends.

We’ve got such special memories together and have inside jokes no one else would get. It’s nice that we’ve kept what we had.

So, how are you feeling having lost two stone?

I feel so much better. I don’t feel as sluggish or as heavy. I’ve definitely lost weight off my tummy, thighs and face.

I feel more confident. I’m wearing clothes that are actually fashionable rather than clothes that are baggy to cover up.

I’ve been out shopping and squeezed into a size 10. I’ve not done that for as long as I can remember!

What made you want to diet?

All of a sudden I just thought, “How did I get this big?” With lockdown, I was eating rubbish and not moving as much as I would normally.

I felt really embarrassed. I didn’t want anyone to see me and I was wearing oversized clothes to try and cover it up, which in turn was making me look even bigger than I was.

I just felt a bit ashamed that I’d let myself get that big.

Which diet are you following?

It’s called MuscleFood, which is so simple. You pick the food you want that week and it gets delivered right to your door and everything is prepared for you.

I’m eating three meals a day and getting the vitamins and nutrients I need.

Not only have I lost nearly two stone, I feel healthier, too. My skin looks healthier and my friends tell me I’m glowing.

I put that down to eating well and healthily three times a day.

How long have you been following it?

Over a period of three months. I chose the Super Slimmer plan as I wanted to concentrate on weight loss. I’ve been training consistently with a PT as well.

Have you had any slip-ups?

I haven’t got a sweet tooth at all, so I haven’t really. At Christmas, I had a few too many roast potatoes! But otherwise I’ve been quite good.

The meals haven’t felt like diet dinners – they are exciting and taste great.

What exercise do you do?

I’ve been doing a lot of low-impact stuff. I love swimming, boxing and interval training.

I’m not the kind of person who would go running for 30 minutes on a treadmill, I find it boring.

So it’s nice that I can do it with my personal trainer, who mixes it up.

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You recently shared a photo of yourself in an ambulance. Are you OK now?

I’m fine, yes. Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with a heart condition called supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT. My heart sometimes races and it can even go up to 400 beats per minute.

If I can’t get out of the episode myself then I have to call 999 and they help. They’ll do manoeuvres to get it back to normal.

That sounds scary…

A few years ago, they actually had to stop my heart, which was frightening. It’s just something I live with.

I can have an ablation, where they go up through the veins in my thigh and freeze
the bits of my heart that aren’t working, which I’m considering.

Chantelle is following the MuscleFood Goal Getters Super Slimmer meal plan. For more info, visit musclefood.com/goal-getters. new readers can get £10 off the first three Goal Getters boxes when using the code NEWGG.

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