Lack of overweight nurses on TV is unrealistic, says Riley

MEDICAL dramas such as Casualty and Holby City are unrealistic because they do not feature any overweight nurses, according to the actress Lisa Riley.

The former Emmerdale and You’ve Been Framed! star, who has lost 12st (76kg) in weight over the past two years, told Radio Times: “The TV industry is changing and people are more accepting of different body shapes on screen these days.

“But I’d still love to see an overweight nurse or midwife on telly.

“Because, trust me, when I spent time in hospital, there was not a single size-six nurse, and that is not what’s being portrayed in medical dramas.”

The 42-year-old, who will next appear in BBC One drama Age Before Beauty written by Poldark writer Debbie Horsfield, said that she is proud of her weight loss, but added: “I do wince when I look back at myself on TV. In fact, every single garment they put on me in You’ve Been Framed! made me look like a giant Christmas tree.”

‘Trust me, when I spent time in hospital, there was not a single size-six nurse and that is not what’s portrayed’

Speaking of her dieting, she said: “I look in the mirror now and I feel proud.

“I lost weight the hard way … No slimming pills, no gastric band. I’m a fitness addict – I work out twice a day. I do yoga, high-intensity interval training, body combat, everything.

“There is no fat on me, I’m solid.”