LIKE many of us, Dr Ranj Singh hopes to shift a few pounds before summer – though perhaps this year more than most.
"I've got my 40th birthday coming up; it's a big milestone for me and I NEED to fit into my party wear," quips Ranj, This Morning's resident doctor.
"I'm going to have a month of celebrations throughout June," he says excitedly. "I'm going to have parties, I'm going on a cruise, I'm going to America on holiday... I'm going to make sure I celebrate it with a bang!
"But I am really conscious right now of how I look, so I want to be as healthy as I can and I want to feel comfortable. Everybody wants to look great on their birthday, don't they?"
They certainly do. And it looks like the return of his hit ITV consumer show, Save Money: Lose Weight, could well do the trick.
Back with a brand new eight-part series, following a 60-minute special last month, Ranj and co-presenter Sian Williams will again look at how we can we beat the bulge without breaking the bank – from uncovering vital money-saving tricks to debunking weight loss myths.
How? The show's 28-day road test returns to discover which off-the-shelf diet delivers the best value for money according to £s spent for lbs lost. It's a winning formula, says Ranj.
"One of my friends put it in a great, succinct way – he goes: 'There are two types of shows that I love watching: one is health and two is money'. And this show combines those two things that everybody worries about into one, and I think that's why it's so successful.
"It also cuts a lot of the nonsense out and gives people useful information that they can use in their everyday lives – and everyone is interested in that sort of stuff."
So who will be putting the eight diet plans through their paces?
"Our road testers in this series range from about 30 years old to 54," Kent-born Ranj, best known for co-creating and presenting the CBeebies show, Get Well Soon, says. "This is the typical age that, one, people will notice the effects of their weight; and two, they will want to be losing weight. So it's very much the right window of people to be looking at.
"But the results are translated downwards too and people in their 20s, if they're struggling, can get tips and tricks that they'll find useful as well."
But while the diets featured have seen results, it's important to remain wary of the plethora of plans upheld by endless famous faces, warns Ranj.
"What we have to be careful about is that you do not need a medical degree or a nutritional or dietetic degree to put out a diet. Anyone can do it," he says. "Just because something is endorsed by a celebrity, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's accurate or that it will give the results you want. And that especially becomes the case when you go on to social media, where there's a huge issue around celebrity endorsement of health plans and diets.
"It falls to people like myself and other healthcare professionals to try and provide balanced, accurate information that is evidence based."
The NHS-trained medic continues: "What you have to think is that social media, for example, is one perspective on someone's life. That is someone's life through a window, through a filter, and it's not their whole life.
"It's a life that has been almost polished," he says. "And that's fine, there's nothing inherently wrong with that, provided that people know that."
Does he feel an additional pressure to look good himself, being in the public eye?
"Yeah, absolutely. And that's part and parcel of the job, being on screen, that you're acutely more aware of how you look – and there is a pressure to be a certain way," he says. "Also, remember I am a healthcare professional and I almost have to set an example.
"But I'm not perfect and I'm not saying I always make the best food choices and I get enough exercise all the time.
"But I'm trying and I think that's the message to get across to people: this is me, I'm still trying my best, everybody is trying their best, so let's not beat each other up; let's try and support each other."
A huge turning point for Ranj's health journey was his appointment on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.
"I hate exercise because it's so boring and I used to force myself to do it," says the TV presenter, who was partnered with professional Janette Manrara. "And I found dancing became my exercise and I loved it and my body changed and I got fitter and healthier.
"I've started taking dance classes [now] – and it's not just because I love dancing, it's a great way to keep fit," he maintains. "And it's a great way to manage my weight.
"It's all about finding that thing that you love doing. I get excited about it – and I never thought I would say that!"
:: Save Money: Lose Weight starts on ITV tomorrow.
