Hugh Bonneville underwent a huge weight-loss transformation in the months leading up to his shock split from ex-wife, Lulu Williams.
Back in 2023, Hugh confirmed that he and Lulu had split. The confirmation came days after he was seen at an event alone, without his wedding ring.
But in the months prior to the split, Hugh, 62, underwent quite the transformation…
Hugh Bonneville’s weight loss
Lulu and Hugh lived together in West Sussex. But the actor had been filming away from home a lot in the months leading up to the split. And, while he was away, it was reported that he lost a chunk of weight.
A source alleged to The Sun at the time of the split: “Hugh has been away from home filming a lot this year. He has lost a bit of weight this summer. He was looking trim, tanned and relaxed.”
However, that wasn’t the only time Hugh – who’s on The Jonathan Ross Show this weekend (February 7) – had shifted some pounds. After his appearance in 2008’s Bonekickers, Hugh completely changed his lifestyle. As a result, he lost just over a stone in weight.
And it was a pretty candid comment from Lulu that sparked his transformation that time around…
‘You are as fat as a pig’
Hugh previously revealed that his 16lb weight loss was sparked after Lulu told him he was “as fat as a pig”. This immediately pushed him to make a change. He told The Telegraph that he hired a personal trainer, who then began getting him into exercise. He also overhauled his diet.
Speaking in 2009, Hugh said Lulu told him: “You are as fat as a pig.”
He added that his personal trainer, Grant, changed his diet – which consisted of mainly bacon butties and high fat foods – and told him: “Little and often, and no carbs in the evening.”
Why did Hugh and Lulu split?
In October 2023, it was reported that Hugh and Lulu’s marriage had ended. It was claimed that Lulu spoke about the breakdown of their marriage with pals at a pub near their home. Lulu allegedly told friends that Hugh sat her down in July that year on an evening, and said their marriage was over.
A source told MailOnline: “She got incredibly emotional talking about the break-up.” Meanwhile, another commented: “It’s clear that Lulu feels as if 20-odd years of marriage counts for nothing.”
In March 2024, a ‘trim, tanned and relaxed’ Hugh moved on.
Hugh’s new loves
First, he was linked to actress Claire Rankin. Claire is a Canadian actress who stars in the Canadian comedy series Son of a Critch. Hugh and Claire were spotted on various dates in London and seemed to be smitten with one another. The Sun reported that Hugh even took Claire to Buckingham Palace for an event hosted by Queen Camilla in February 2024.
However, it clearly wasn’t to be and, by July, he was spotted with vegan influencer Heidi Kadlecova, 53. They confirmed their romance in October 2024, before their first public appearance together just a few months later.
One insider told the Mail: “Hugh and Heidi seemed really loved up and excited to be in each other’s company. They came across as a really sweet pair, like a couple of lovebirds.”
Earlier this year, they hit the red carpet for the premiere of Is This Thing On?. The appearance came after Hugh declared: “I do feel very blessed and very content to have started a new chapter.”
He also reflected on his health and mortality and said: “I am more accepting of the wheel of life and how fortunate I have been to have, on the whole, good health and to do something I love.”
Catch Hugh on The Jonathan Ross Show on Saturday (February 7) at 9.30pm on ITV1.
Read more: The biggest celebrity splits – from Hugh Bonneville to Richard Hammond
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