He reached a staggering 27 stone during lockdown as his eating spiralled out of control.

But now, TOWIE star James Argent had told how he’s keen to put weight on again after losing nearly 14 stone when he overhauled his lifestyle and underwent a sleeve gastrectomy procedure.

The reality star, 36, who rose to fame when he joined the Essex-set reality show in 2010, revealed he is now working on gaining weight, which is currently at 13.5 stone.

He spoke exclusively to the Mail’s comedy podcast, Straight To The Comments! which embraces the hilarity and uniqueness of the MailOnline comment section with the celebs in question.

‘At my biggest I was 27 stone. I took the p***. Now I’m about 13.5 stone,’ he said.

James Argent had told how he’s keen to put weight on again after losing nearly 14 stone when he overhauled his lifestyle and underwent a sleeve gastrectomy procedure (left, in January this year and right, before his 2021 surgery)

‘I think I was just acting out on feelings and emotions, eating and eating and then lockdown, Covid, that didn’t help.’

He admitted that his doctor told him he was ‘on death row’ when he was at his heaviest, during which time he ‘couldn’t tie my own shoelaces’ and was ‘finding it hard to breathe.’

Argent, known as ‘Arg’, said that he wasn’t even able to see his own penis, joking: ‘I can just about see it now.’

Despite his positive lifestyle change, Argent said that there were times when he actually got ‘too skinny’ and is currently trying to ‘up’ his protein and ‘gain a little bit more.’

He said that the supportive comments from fans spurred him on to lose weight, but that people have to be ‘careful’ about what they say.

‘You know when you get comments like, ‘You look well, keep going,” it does spur you on, it does make you feel better,’ he said.

‘I think you’ve got to be quite careful, if it’s about someone looking healthy, I think – I used to say to myself, “the more weight you lose the better,” so the skinnier you are the better, but that isn’t actually the case because there are times when you’re too skinny.’

He added: ‘And even now I’m trying to up my protein a little bit and trying to gain a little bit more.’

Argent, who saw his private and professional life play out on the ITV2 reality show for nearly a decade, has previously said having the gastric sleeve fitted in 2021 was ‘incredible and life-changing.’

Despite his positive lifestyle change, Argent said that there were times when he actually got ‘too skinny’ and is currently trying to ‘up’ his protein and ‘gain a little bit more’ 

The TV star recently made an unlikely friend in the form of former Health Secretary Matt Hancock when they appeared together on Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS.

He admitted they still keep in touch, with the former politician contacting him every now and again on WhatsApp.

‘He was very supportive towards me and kind to me and nice so as much as people would probably love me to slag him off and hate him I can’t,’ he told the podcast.

‘Sometimes I get the odd WhatsApp – yeah I’ve got him on WhatsApp.’

He said the last message he received from Hancock thanked him for being ‘such a legend’ and wished him a ‘happy New Year’ full of ‘joy and happiness and prosperity.’

Argent appeared as the week’s celebrity guest with Archie Manners and Josh Pieters as they helped break down some of the wackiest, front-page-worthy statements left under the MailOnline stories in the new podcast.

Online stunt creators and YouTube sensations Josh and Archie are best known for turning the tables on protesting giant Just Stop Oil by infiltrating the group and bringing a demonstration to a standstill.

Listeners can join Josh and Archie each week as they welcome a celebrity guest to help them break down some of the wackiest, front-page-worthy statements left under the MailOnline stories.

After all, who better to unpick the media and guess the story than the celebs themselves?

The TV star recently made an unlikely friend in the form of former Health Secretary Matt Hancock when they appeared on Celebrity SAS (pictured with TOWIE’s Amber Turner) 

Each episode takes Josh and Archie on a journey with their celebrity companion to uncover which bizarre story about them in the press correlates to the even more bizarre comments left under the articles.

From poking fun at their roads to success to spotting which celeb is wearing last night’s clothes, Straight to the Comments! is your new buzz-worthy listen of the week.

Listeners can expect behind-the-scenes intel on some of the celebs’ biggest headlines, gossip-fuelled tales and tidbits, and hilarious guest appearances. 

Follow Straight To The Comments! so it arrives on your device first thing Monday! On Apple here and on Spotify here  

Straight To The Comments is released every Monday and sees hosts Josh Pieters and Archie Manners embracing the hilarity and uniqueness of the MailOnline comment section