Inside Blue's impressive body transformations - from drinking ban to losing two stone
Blue recently announced a reunion to mark their 25th year as a band, giving fans the chance to enjoy some quality pop nostalgia. The Noughties boyband revealed news of the tour on Good Morning Britain last October, and fans were thrilled at the chance to see Duncan James, Antony Costa, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe returning to stages up and down the country.
Titled the Greatest Hits Reunion Tour, audiences will be treated all the classics, including All Rise, One Love and U Make Me Wanna. But the bandmates have all been through a lot since they first got together in 2000, facing their own personal journeys over the years. Blue are one of the boybands featured in new BBC2 documentary Boybands Forever, which takes a deep dive into the experiences of a number of popular pop acts and how fame impacted them. Here, OK! takes a look at their impressive body transformations...
Antony Costa
Blue singer Antony Costa stunned fans with his amazing weight loss transformation by following a simple 12-week food and fitness regime.
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Antony previously opened up on his battle with his weight since 2010 when at 5ft 8in he weighed 14st. Speaking about watching himself on TV, he said: "I looked like a young Pavarotti – double the size of the guy I was in Blue. How come I hadn’t noticed? I had a double chin, a sagging midriff – I hardly recognised myself."
In 2018, the boy band star featured on Channel 5 Show Get A Holiday Body: Lose A Stone In Four Weeks. He said on the show: "My weight has always yo-yoed. My diet on the road, you’re eating fast food. Backstage, there’s chocolates and crisps, and you sit there just eating. I looked ballooned, I felt sick, gutted."
But then in 2021, he flaunted his two stone weight loss as he shared a side by side snap of himself to unveil his transformation. He said: "A pandemic and a national lockdown wasn’t going to stop me! 2 stone down in 12 weeks, I can’t quite believe it! And it’s all thanks to @mfgoalgettersuk. Honestly, with everything else going on, the one thing I wanted to focus on was my health. I’ve wanted to lose weight for a while and decided a few months back that it was time to take action so followed this plan!"
Antony added: "As a busy dad the last thing I really wanted to think about was having to prepare my meals and worrying about my calories. That’s why the MuscleFood Weight Loss Plan has been such a lifesaver! I chose which meals and snacks I wanted for the week ahead and everything was delivered to me. Really couldn’t be easier!"
Lee Ryan
Lee Ryan revealed that appearing on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 helped him give up alcohol. The singer, who went to rehab in 2014 after a drink-driving arrest, said the show changed his life and his professional dance partner Nadiya Bychkova encouraged him.
He told the Press Association at the time: "If anything I’ve lost a lot of weight, I haven’t weighed myself but my clothes feel massively different and I just feel great."
Lee said: "I’ve stopped drinking, I’m on the wagon. It’s good, though, because I have in the past dabbled and struggled and gone to rehab and stuff so I’ve just decided that drink is not good for me and it’s a really good thing (quitting). Nadiya really helped, she turned around and said ‘you should just knock it on the head’. Everyone has a strand of DNA and mine says ‘I can’t have just one’. I feel amazing for it (stopping drinking)."
But in 2023, Lee was handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence for racially aggravated common assault and being abusive to a member of cabin crew on a flight last year. The pop star was "slurring his words and staggering around" after drinking a bottle of port before a British Airways flight from Glasgow to London City Airport.
Lee had admitted he had no memory of the incident after drinking and eating cheese in the British Airways lounge at Glasgow airport when his flight was delayed.
Duncan James
In 2021, Blue star Duncan James shared how he honed his body ahead of his return to Proud Embankment's showstopper Cabaret All Stars after previously struggling with injury and the pressures of body image.
Duncan was diagnosed with Cauda Equina Syndrome, which affects the nerves in the lower back and can lead to paralysis or incontinence if untreated. He had to undergo emergency surgery in 2016 to correct the problem.
The hitmaker was then forced to switch up his workouts, and he now enjoys more low impact sports such as yoga and swimming. He spoke to MailOnline about undergoing non-invasive cosmetic treatments like trueSculpt flex and trueSculpt ID to manage his pain.
He said: "I was running around in heels when I did the musical Priscilla Queen Of The Desert and my back was getting worse and worse. But this treatment tightens up the area around the abdomen and makes sure the ab area is really strong. Which is great for wearing heels!"
Simon Webbe
In 2021, Simon Webbe proudly announced that he'd lost 7kg in two weeks after "a long road" in his boxing venture.
Sharing a snap to his Instagram, the singer shared: "It’s been a long road and i have worked hard. I’ve lost 7kg in 2 weeks. I still won’t be taking my top off at the weigh in lol Massive thanks to @essexfightacademy @mortlockboxing and @jimmymacjnr. So if you want to see me fight this Saturday click link in the bio and download the app. @boxstaruk."
The singer competed in a celebrity boxing match and has since been praised by fans for overhauling his entire diet and exercise regime with gruelling gym workouts to get back in shape.
Simon also became a dad again earlier this year, as he and wife Ayshen welcomed their second baby together. The news was a "miracle" for Blue singer Simon, 46, and Ayshen, 43, who have had IVF treatments and suffered several miscarriages. The couple are already parents to their daughter Cyan, whom they welcomed in 2021.
