Strictly’s Tyler West reveals secret battle with body image sparked by ‘gym obsession’

Strictly star Tyler West has revealed a secret battle with his body image, fueled by being “obsessed with the gym” and comparing himself to others on Instagram.

The 26-year-old Kiss FM presenter told MailOnline that his commitment to staying healthy and in shape “got a little out of hand” because he put too much pressure on himself to look a certain way.

In an exclusive interview, 6ft4 Tyler explained how joining the BBC One series and under the guidance of his partner Dianne Buswell, 31, has made him feel the ‘happiest’ ever with his body, having seen his weight drop from 104 kg to 97 kg.

He said: ‘Before I started the competition I weighed 104 kg and now I weigh about 97 kg. I’m lighter on my toes, lighter all around – I feel like a whippet!

“The show is so intense and so much work goes into each routine. It made me think differently about body image. I used to have body image problems.

“I used to compare myself to others on Instagram and look at myself and say ‘that’s not good enough’, so my obsession with the gym wasn’t necessarily just for health and fitness, but because I wanted to look a certain way . Things got a little out of hand.

“So now that I’m coming to the show, I’ll be honest, there have been days when I literally couldn’t eat enough calories. It’s taught me not to take things so seriously and to loosen up a bit, because I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been in that area.”

Tyler credits his newfound body confidence to his professional partner Dianne, who makes sure he is well nourished during their intense nine-hour rehearsals.

He added: ‘Dianne is Australian and says she’s a feeder – she always feeds me and brings a little snack station to every training session, which I love.

“Sometimes we have healthy snacks, but we also have our little sweet treats, but she’s been a huge influence on all of this because when it comes to social media, I just need to loosen up and learn not to take it all so seriously.” .’

Tyler, who also ran the London Marathon last month, flew to Mauritius and back on Wednesday to witness his brother’s wedding — and was in the Strictly training room as soon as he landed.

The DJ says flying abroad years ago would have “haunted” him, while he remembers a difficult chapter in his life, which he keeps private for now.

But overcoming the tougher days of his past has given him the motivation to be stronger and now Tyler takes on tasks that used to scare him more easily.

He said: ‘Years ago flying alone would have haunted me, but I’ve met so many people flying to Mauritius, it’s been amazing.

“I’ve been through something at home, and you know that when you go through those life experiences, it can make or break you, and one day I made the decision to completely step out of my comfort zone.

“You do it one day and then it gets easier. Now I have found confidence in new places.’

Tyler and Dianne perform the Tango on the Doctor Who theme on Saturday night to celebrate 100 years of the BBC.

The entire Strictly cast dances to iconic BBC theme tunes with Tony Adams performing a rendition of the Cha Cha on the Grandstand theme and Helen Skelton going back to her roots with a Charleston on the Blue Peter theme song.