Ricki Lake has said grief made her gain weight following the death of her husband.
The talk show host and singer lost her partner Christian Evans in 2017.
She said the pain of the loss led her to gain weight, which she has now succeeded in shedding.
XCLUSIVE TEASER:Movie star ✅Talk show host ✅Emmy Award ✅Now, @rickilake is setting her sights on winning #XFactorCelebrity! Will she impress our Judges tomorrow night? #XFactor pic.twitter.com/5wGQC2CApO
— The X Factor (@TheXFactor) October 18, 2019
Lake is taking part in The X Factor: Celebrity and has been living in the UK for the show.
She wanted to return to the public eye having taken control of her weight, and feeling empowered.
Lake said: “I lost my husband two and a half years ago, to mental illness and death by suicide and for me, I was carrying a lot of that grief in physical weight.
“I was really ready to shed it, and so I just took the opportunity, I wanted to come back feeling and looking different, and I feel like I accomplished that.
“It’s like a control thing. The one thing you can control, and it’s empowering for me.“
Lake has taken part in US series The Masked Singer, and has enjoyed The X Factor experience.
The former talk show host said singing is a different challenge for her, and one she finds cathartic.
She said of her transformation: “I just feel a lot better. And so watching tonight, though I love the show, I think it’s hilarious and so well done and I’m so happy to be a part of it, it’s hard for me to see myself.”
X Factor: Celebrity continues on ITV on Saturdays