Tom Kerridge, 49, is 12 stone lighter than he was when he first burst onto our screens as a competitor on Great British Menu. However, after returning to the BBC show as a judge, the chef has admitted in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk that being surrounded by temptation makes keeping the weight off “very, very difficult”.

While speaking about the 2023 Great British Menu series, Tom candidly revealed: “Some of the dishes are absolutely outstanding.

“One of the hardest things is to try not to eat all of the food, that’s the problem.”

Tom went on to explain he has to find a balance between sampling delicious recipes prepared by the talented Great British Menu contestants, and maintaining his healthy lifestyle.

He divulged: “My life is all about food.

“You know, if you spend your whole day being around food the whole time, you’ve got to try and find that balance between having days where you try not to eat anything at all, or very little.

“Because, you know, one day you’re going to be eating loads, and then trying to get to the gym as often as possible.

“I think I try to put everything in context and balance, but if your world is about food, sometimes it’s very, very difficult.

“It does make it very hard,” the restauranteur said.

Tom started his weight loss journey when he turned 40 after a warning from a friend.

Prior to shedding the pounds, Tom weighed 30 stone and admitted he was drinking up to 15 pints a day.

When he turned 40, a pal told him, “we’re halfway to death now”, which made Tom worry: “I’m much closer than that if I don’t do something about it.”

According to MailOnline, Tom began a lifestyle overhaul after his milestone birthday – giving up alcohol and trying to get fitter.

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Despite having to avoid overindulging on set, Tom was full of enthusiasm about his time as part of the judging panel.

He told Express.co.uk about filming this year’s series: “It’s fantastic.

“We’ve just just finished the banquet. So we’re done and dusted and finished filming.

“But it’s been an amazing adventure, and the chefs who have done it have been incredibly creative.

“It’s super, super wonderful to see the dishes they’ve been putting together.

“So yeah, it’s been an amazing series to be a part of.”

He continued: “The creativity is fantastic, the energy that the chefs bring is first-rate and the actual skillset, the cooking, is just mind blowing.

“Some of the dishes are absolutely outstanding,” Tom praised.

Great British Menu airs tonight at 8pm on BBC Two.

Tom Kerridge will be hosting various locations across Pub in the Park. The ultimate food and music festival will be touring ten UK locations this Summer. Visit www.pubintheparkuk.com for tickets and further information.

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