Topless James 'Arg' Argent bares all after 13 stone weight loss and gruelling skin removal surgery | The Sun
WEIGHING in at 27 stone, James ‘Arg’ Argent was one of the largest celebs in the UK.
And the Essex star’s binges on curry dinners, chocolate bars, fizzy drinks and ice cream left him dancing with death.
But things couldn’t be more different for the ex Towie legend two years on, having shed 13 stone and unveiling his new body in The Sun after a tummy tuck following gastric sleeve surgery.
Bronzed, chiselled and sober, Arg, 35, is slimmer than ever in our exclusive photos and proudly plays up to the camera – barely breaking a sweat while smashing out 20 press ups with his top off.
Four months post op and he’s also covered in scars, with two beneath his hips from his tummy tuck that will fade over time
And they’re the only physical reminder left of his former 27 stone body.
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In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Arg said: “The surgery went amazing.
“There's still a little bit of swelling, actually, because I think the swelling goes down after, say, six months.
"And listen, I do have a few scars, but I know that they'll go faint. I think it's quite cool to have a few little battle scars or battle wounds along the way.
“You never know, give it another six months and maybe I will be ready to get into some nice navy Speedos!”
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The star – who catapulted to fame on Towie in 2013 – has nearly a million followers on Instagram and gets thousands of likes per post, but incredibly, people do a double take when they see him.
Some think he is “Arg’s slimmer brother”.
Arg laughs and says: “They recognise me, and they know me. But they don't clock it's actually me and then they'll be like, ‘oh my God, you've lost so much weight!’
“It feels good when people say to keep going or ‘well done’. And, ‘you look well’ and stuff like that. It always means a lot.”
Arg hasn't touched a drop of alcohol since he suffered a terrifying relapse 18 months ago on a night out with pals, and paramedics were called to his home.
Now he's swapped boozy nights for romantic dates and holidays with his stunning new girlfriend Stella Turian, and he spends his days boxing, swimming, and travellng the country with The Arg Band.
The once troubled star has his priorities right for the first time and is fiercely protective of Stella, who is younger at 19.
He explains: “I've got a girlfriend and she lives in Italy. Yeah, we're good. We're happy. But I just don't really want to… if you don't mind. The thing is with Stella, she isn't in the public eye.
“She's really working hard on achieving things in Italy at the moment. And, for the time being, we just try and keep it as private as possible. I've never posted Stella on my social media and stuff like that.
“We're very supportive of each other and we're very happy. And everything's good.”
And his transformation has no doubt boosted his love life.
“I feel good naked, I feel good round the beach, I feel good round the swimming pool!
“I think in the next five years, the most important thing is being clean and sober. That's number one," he adds.
“Number two is keeping up my healthy lifestyle. Be it a healthy, balanced diet and exercise. Number three is being the best wedding singer I can possibly be and having the best functioning band.
“Yeah, and maybe progress in my relationship.
“My weight now is perfect. I just want to be more toned, do more work around the back of the legs.
“I did have a bit of a man boob problem back in the day and now it’s not too bad, I’ve still got a bit of work to do on my chest.
"Before I was really self-conscious about excess skin and fat which I couldn’t shift no matter how much I dieted or exercised.
"Since my surgery at the start of the year I’ve been able to go on holiday with my girlfriend and my mum, and I have no hesitations about what I’m wearing and no longer panic at the prospect of taking my t-shirt off."
This is all worlds away from his life two years ago before his gastric sleeve surgery with Transform Hospital Group.
Arg says he would end up on the sofa in a lethargic slump after raiding the snacks cupboard first thing in the morning.
With an expression of disbelief he recalls needing family to help him to get dressed at his biggest.
“To be honest with you, when I was 27 stone, I used to wear slip-on shoes,” he says.
“I used to ask a lot of people to help me tie my shoelaces."
Now he wakes up to a healthy shot of ginger, a small glass of fresh orange juice, and a bowl of porridge oats. And for lunch and dinner, he still enjoys all of his favourite things, but he is more considerate about it.
He says: “I don't binge anymore. I'm not having tiny portions anymore, either.
“I'm still a big, big Indian lover. But I don't have the poppadom, the naan breads, or the bhajis all at once anymore.”
But Arg appears to show symptoms of PTSD from reliving his past in his nightmares.
He says: “My lowest point was just when I hit rock bottom, and I was in an awful place.
“You know, there's been times, it was well documented, that I'd end up in an ambulance and be taken to hospital and things like that. But I'm a long way away from that now."
Asked if remembering those moments makes him afraid of a relapse, he says: “It's really funny you say that because people get complacent when you forget how bad things were.
“But I'm quite good at remembering the bad times now, and even it's funny you said that because the other night I actually had my first kind of, like, a bit of a nightmare where it was a relapse, but in a nightmare.
“And I remember, you know when it's so vivid and so real. I even woke up and I was shaking.
“I woke up and it was like the best relief ever, knowing it was just a nightmare.
“I think it's important to remember how bad things were to stop you from thinking, ‘Oh, was it that bad?’
“Because sometimes you have to be careful. Your brain can say to you like, ‘Oh, was it really that bad? Or, ‘it will be different this time, you can control it this time’
“I have to be reminded, it's important for me to be reminded about how bad things were.”
He never had suicidal thoughts, but had prayed for the nightmare to end.
He says: “There definitely were times when I was in the thick of it and in a terrible place where I was just like, I’m done. Even asking God to take me.
“I never wanted to take my own life.
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"It was difficult though there were times where I was so deep, I just didn’t know if I could possibly get out of it. But it’s good to know that not everybody has to end in tragedy.
“You know, there are people that can really turn it around.”
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
- Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
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