Gloria Hunniford, 84, reveals she was forced to ‘take my life in my hands’ and make changes to her diet after a stark warning from her GP

Gloria Hunniford has revealed how she was forced to ‘take my life in my hands’ and change her diet after a stark warning from her GP.

The Loose Women panellist, 84, admitted that the shocking news gave her the ‘determination’ to continue making healthier choices after years of dieting.

Gloria, who was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, opened up about what she eats on a typical day in a new interview.

She told Woman Weekly: ‘I’ve dieted before, but when you go on a medical diet it gives you determination.

The presenter explained how she now sticks to basic products and avoids sugar as much as possible.

‘For breakfast I have eggs or sausage, but no bread. For lunch it’s soup or salad with fish, and in the evening I replace the potatoes with cauliflower, which has the same crunchiness,” she said.

Gloria added, “My doctor said I was pre-diabetic and told me to take my life into my hands.”

She recently spoke about the tragic loss of her husband of more than two decades, Stephen Way, when she returned to Loose Women for the first time since his death in October.

The broadcaster said she was “determined not to cry” as she joined the panel and opened up about how she has been coping since Stephen died in August at the age of 85.

She admitted that her “life had changed” and that she didn’t know what it would be like “moving forward” and explained that she had lost weight during her husband’s illness.

Gloria said: ‘It’s a heartbreaking situation to lose your partner. One moment you know what your life is, and the next moment you think about how this life will continue.

‘I’d like to thank all of you at home and everyone at Loose Women because the messages have been just fantastic. I can’t tell you what they ultimately mean.

‘It obviously changed my life. It’s amazing how sometimes your kids become parents because they worry about you. But the letters and the cards and messages really sunk into my soul.’

Struggling to hold back tears, she continued, “I’m determined not to cry today, I’m trying not to cry.”

The Loose Women panelist, 84, admitted the news gave her the ‘determination’ to keep making healthier choices after years of dieting (pictured last month)

She recently spoke about the tragic loss of her husband of more than 20 years, Stephen Way, when she returned to Loose Women for the first time since his death in October.

Co-star Charlene White then asked Gloria how the grief had affected her physically, and she admitted that she had struggled to eat but insisted she was fine.

She explained: ‘The thing is, of course, when your partner is sick, the fear and worry and all that – of course I lost weight because you don’t eat right and you’re always thinking about the other person.

‘But I’m fine, thank you. My two sons, Paul and Michael, when they come to visit to see what I’m eating, they say, “You haven’t finished your chicken yet!”

She continued, “I’m struggling with a lot of things but trying to bounce back. I’ve been working since I was seven.

‘I know work, I love work and I know where I stand with work, while with all the emotional things and sadness I don’t know where I stand. So I’m happy to be back and see all of you and the crew behind the scenes.”

Gloria married businessman Stephen in 1998 and said he would “leave the biggest void, not just in my life, but in our entire family.”

The broadcaster said she was ‘determined not to cry’ as she joined the panel and opened up about how she has been coping since Stephen died in August aged 85 (pictured together)

She admitted that her ‘life had changed’ and that she didn’t know what it would be like to ‘move forward’ and explained that she had lost weight during her husband’s illness (pictured together in January)

In a statement announcing his passing, his family said: “It is with great sadness and very heavy hearts that we share the passing of Stephen Way, Gloria’s beloved husband, who lost his battle yesterday afternoon.

‘Stephen had fought heroically against his illness… but always with great tenacity and a positive attitude.’

Gloria added at the time: “Stephen was a gentleman and a giant of a man, who will leave the biggest void not only in my life, but in our entire family.

‘He was an incredibly kind, generous and caring man, with a wonderfully quirky sense of humor that remained until the end.

‘We had a very happy marriage for 25 years and did so many beautiful and exciting things together that I will always cherish.’