Jody Bunting (born 27 January 1978), is a fitness instructor who was the 31-stone[1] TV host of Lose it with Jody on Channel 4 television's former morning show The Big Breakfast between 2001 and 2002.[2]
Jody Bunting | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 January 1978 Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England |
| Education | High Peak College, Buxton |
| Occupations |
|
| Organisation | Slim Brother |
| Height | 6 ft 0.5 in (184 cm) |
| Spouse | None (single) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | IFS Group Exercise Manager of the Year 2005 |
| Website | jodybunting |
Early life
editBunting was born on 27 January 1978 in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.[3][better source needed] In 2000, he became father of a girl. One year later, he separated from the mother of his child.[4]
Career
editIn 2001, Bunting stopped working at a call centre to teach fitness full-time.[5] He also starred in the line up to turn on the Burton-upon-Trent Christmas lights.[6]
After losing 275 pounds (125 kg) between 2001 and 2004,[7][8] Bunting underwent surgery in 2004 to remove his excess skin.[1]
He has won the "Group Exercise Manager of the Year"-award in 2005.[9]
Bunting moved to work in Egypt in 2006[4] and his company "The Fat Factor" was featured on BBC's The One Show in 2008.[4]
In 2009, he advised that less stress would encourage losing weight and launched relaxation and fitness classes with Lesley Smith.[10] In October 2009, Bunting helped raising money for a breast cancer charity by cycling in pink[11] and by abseiling down Derby Cathedral raised money in aid of the Derby Mountain Rescue Team.[12]
He offered weight-loss courses in Derby in 2010[13] and some of his clients were featured in the local newspaper for their weight loss success.[14]
In 2016, Bunting offered free online weight loss courses called Slim Brother, plus classes in Derby and Burton-upon-Trent. He revealed that in his 15 years in the fitness industry he would have helped over 5,000 people lose weight and taught over 78,000 hours of fitness classes.[15]
Bunting presented a talent show, "Sharm's Got Talent", in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in 2017.[2]
In 2018, Bunting came out publicly as gay on a YouTube video and champions Derbyshire LGBT+ Pride, admitting he knew he was gay when he was 13-years-old.[16]
He re-started his fitness program Slim Brother after parting company with Weight Watchers in 2019.[17]
In 2021 Aldi UK hired Bunting to taste test their new Easter Chocolate Egg range.[18]
In 2022 Bunting dressed up as "Pink Gaga" and appeared in his local village carnival.[19] Later in the year he supported one of his slimmers to run the London Marathon.[20]
2023 saw Bunting's daughter Phoebe thank him publicly for helping her transform her body when she became vegan.[21] Later in the year Bunting wrote a piece for Derbyshire Live stating why he thinks obesity shouldn't be normalised.[22]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ITV's The Trisha Goddard Show | Guest | "Is fat sexy" Episode |
| 2001-2002 | Channel 4's The Big Breakfast | Diet & Fitness Expert | 40 Episodes |
| 2001-2003 | Ram FM | Outside Broadcaster | 500+ Shows |
| 2002 | Sky's Lorraine | Weight Loss Expert | Guest Expert |
| 2003 | BBC's SAS: Are You Tough Enough | Weight Loss Expert | Celebrity Contestant |
| 2003 | Channel 4's The Fit Farm | Diet & Fitness Expert | Teaching the guests how to pole dance |
| 2003 | Channel 4's The Salon | Fitness Instructor | Colonic Irrigation Patient |
| 2003 | ITV's The Jeremy Kyle Show | Weight Loss Expert | "Lose weight or die" Episode |
| 2008 | BBC's The One Show | Weight Loss Expert | The Fat Factor auditions |
| 2017 | ITV's This Morning | Fitness Instructor | Holidays in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt |
| 2023 | GB News Channel | Obesity Expert | Should Obesity Be Normalised? |
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Last hurdle for dieting champion". BBC News. 19 May 2004.
- ^ a b "Derbyshire TV fitness guru Joseph Spendlove - formerly known as Jody Bunting - defies terrorists". Derby Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017.
- ^ "jodybunting.com - About". Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Jody's vow to be world's top pop". Burton Mail. 24 October 2008. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Obese fitness instructor appeals to the masses". Leisure Opportunities news. 22 June 2001. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "'Fantasmagorical' switch on". Burton Mail. 22 November 2001. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ Fearnehough, David (15 December 2010). Derbyshire Extremes. ISBN 978-1-4456-2780-9.
- ^ "Lightweight Jody looks flab-u-less". Burton Mail. 13 September 2003. Archived from the original on 6 December 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Jody scoops top fitness award". Burton Mail. 15 June 2005. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Meditation and fitness class at Tutbury Castle". Derby Telegraph. 29 June 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Pedal 1,426 miles? No sweat!". Derby Telegraph. 7 October 2009. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Slimmers get sinking feeling". Derby Telegraph. 6 October 2009. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Slimmers urged to be big losers". Derby Telegraph. 23 January 2010. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "How a health scare led to a happier me". Derby Telegraph. 7 January 2010. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Quirky fitness instructor Jody Bunting reflects". Derby Telegraph. [dead link]
- ^ "Gay dad champions Derbyshire Pride - after estranged daughter reached out to him". DerbyshireLive. 8 September 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "TV fitness guru Jody Bunting apologises after being sacked by Weight Watchers". DerbyshireLive. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Derby weight-loss coach becomes Aldi's Easter egg taster". DerbyshireLive. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Jody Bunting joining Hatton Carnival parade dressed as woman named 'Pink Gaga'". StaffordshireLive. 13 July 2022.
- ^ "Derby grandad's three stone weight loss transformation". DerbyTelegraph. 28 August 2022.
- ^ "Ex-binge eater from Derby goes vegan, ditches pizzas and now teaches her own fitness classes". DerbyshireLive. 2 January 2023.
- ^ "Jody Bunting: 'I used to be 31st but being overweight shouldn't be normalised'". DerbyTelegraph. 8 March 2023.