A HEREFORD man has made made the semi-finals of a competition to find the UK and Ireland's top male slimmers.

Ross Smith was one of 37 men to win a place at the semi-finals of Slimming World's Man of the Year 2019 competition after losing 6st 4lbs. It was there that he was congratulated by the former England, Leicester City and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey.

Mr Smith, 37, used to be 20st 11.5lbs and said he knows how difficult it can be for men to admit they are unhappy with their weight and that it can be even more difficult to have the courage to do something about it.

He said: "Getting to meet Emile was brilliant too. I never imagined I would be part of a slimming competition when I first set out on this journey, let alone meeting someone like Emile Heskey, it's incredible.

"Before I walked through the doors of my Slimming World group I'll admit I was nervous that I'd be the only bloke in the room, I wasn't though.

"And, even if I ever was, it didn't matter because everyone there is so supportive.

Heskey, who gained over 60 caps playing for England, was blown away by the achievements of the men he met at the competition. He said it was a pleasure to meet Ross and hear about his transformation.

Laurel Oliver, who runs the Hereford group that Ross attends, said: "A lot of people think that slimming clubs are female-only zones, but that's not the case at all and Ross is proof of that.

"There are now 60,000 men attending Slimming World groups, and we understand that men need just as much support as women to slim down and improve their health.

Although he made the final 10, unfortunately Ross was not the overall winner of the competition. Slimming World's Man of the Year 2019 will be announced in August.