Beating the bulge

PICK DAY

SAVE MONEY: LOSE WEIGHT

STV, 8pm IN sceNes of commitment to the science behind dieting, watch out for Dr Ranj singh squealing as he’s wrapped in warm clay.

The TV doctor and Strictly star has agreed to be the guinea pig as he investigates whether there is such a thing as weight loss without the effort of dieting. We’ll just say this, what it doesn’t cost you in biscuits, it will certainly cost in cold hard cash – the freezing therapy that he’s also subjected to will set you back £2000.

In this one-off special, he and Sian Williams present five of the hottest new diets that are vying for our money, working out which delivers the best value – for pounds lost and pounds spent. “You shouldn’t have to break the bank to beat the bulge,” says Dr Ranj.

From extreme detoxing on Radical Metabolism to veganism and the latest keto diet, valiant testers will try them for 28 days with some jaw-dropping results.

Among the dieters are Louise, 47, who weighs in at 16st 4lb and spends a whopping £900 a year on snacks. “I’m a big snacker,” she says. On the Radical Metabolism diet she’ll have to endure the first four days on liquids that look like something from an I’m A Celeb Bushtucker trial.

Elsewhere, James, 40, is 18st 12lb and spends nearly £8000 a year on takeaways.

Faced with going vegan for a month, how will he cope when his burgers are replaced with cabbage and chickpeas? Tough times.