fern brittonFern Britton has admitted that she has had a gastric band fitted to help her lose weight.

The This Morning presenter previously claimed that she had dropped from a (UK) size 22 to size 16 by dieting and exercising - selling her slimming secrets in several magazine interviews - but has now confessed she had surgery too.

The gastric band reduces the size of the stomach so allowing the patient to feel full eating small meals and preventing them from overeating.

In a statement released yesterday, she admitted: “As I know, many people are interested in my weight loss over the past two years.

“As interest is so high I’m making public, as a personal choice, that I had a gastric band operation two years ago.

“I did this purely for myself and I would not wish to influence others to do the same. But for me it has worked and I am very pleased with the results.”

A spokesperson for ITV added that they weren’t aware of the surgery but that doesn’t change the fact that Fern still does exercise: “Over the last two years Fern has cycled down the Nile, she exercises most days and has a very healthy lifestyle and healthy diet.

“As far as we’re concerned, she lives and breathes what she talks about.”