James ‘Arg’ Argent has revealed he fears for his health after weighing in at 24 stone.
The TOWIE star has opened up about wanting to lose weight, admitting he fears he could become ill or die.
Arg made the comments as he signs up for new Channel 4 show, Sink or Swim.
It will see non-swimming celebrities take to the water in support of Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), swimming the channel from England to France in a relay.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper, Arg said the series was the opportunity for him to ‘sort his life out’.
He said: “I’ve had check-ups. My heart’s OK, I have no signs of diabetes and my cholesterol is not too high. But I was weighed and I was the biggest I’d ever been — around 24 stone. I could become ill or die. The swim is an opportunity to sort my life out.”
Arg added to the tabloid: “I need to lose about eight stone or more. I’ve got a long way to go even after I swim the Channel. But it’s just a perfect way to kick-start my healthy weight loss.
“I get a bit of stick on social media for my size. You try to be thick-skinned but it does affect you.”
Alongside Arg, other celebs taking part are Olympic gold medallist Linford Christie and Coronation Street star Sair Khan.
They’re joined by The Last Leg’s Alex Brooker, TOWIE’s Georgia Kousoulou, Blue singer Simon Webbe, Love Island’s Wes Nelson and Hollyoaks actress Rachel Adedeji.
Completing the cast are television presenter Diane Louise Jordan and Linford Christie’s fellow Olympic gold medallists, Tessa Sanderson and Greg Rutherford.
They’ll team with a group of leading figures and professionals from the world of swimming who will offer vital training and support for their big swim.
The experts include Olympic silver medallist Keri-anne Payne and adventurer Ross Edgley (best known for being the first person in history to swim around Great Britain), with support from Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds.
