Josie Gibson shares details of radical new diet after ending up with gout

Wales Online

22-04-2025

Josie Gibson shares details of radical new diet after ending up with gout
Josie Gibson was shocked to discover she had gout after living a lavish lifestyle while filming her Channel 5 show Around The World In First Class with Josie Gibson
Josie Gibson has always been open about her weight struggles
(Image: Mike Marsland, Mike Marsland/WireImagevia Getty Images )
Living a life of luxury, filled with champagne, Michelin-starred meals and private jet flights, might sound like the dream. However, for Josie Gibson, it led to a health crisis.
After filming her Channel 5 travelogue Around The World In First Class, she underwent a health check-up in preparation for her next TV challenge, The 1970s Diet.
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Unfortunately, the results were far from positive - blood tests revealed that Josie was suffering from gout. "I kept saying to the nurse 'My toes keep hurting'," shares Josie, 40.
"I thought gout was only for old men but I have been living quite a lavish life. Before I filmed this show, I caught a lot of flights, I drank a lot of champagne, I ate a lot of rich food and I had little sleep. That's how I ended up getting gout."
Thankfully, her new series The 1970s Diet involves a much simpler diet. It sees her trading high-end restaurants for boiled potatoes, liver and spam.
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"I've come from one extreme to the other," Josie chuckles. "I went from living my finest life ever to being brought down to earth with a bang."
Living the high life left Josie with gout
The 1970s Diet has Josie exploring the food, drink and health culture of the 1970s to determine if our lifestyles were actually healthier back then. In 1970, only about 10% of Britons were classified as obese - a figure that has now tripled.
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"I was surprised by that," admits Josie. "I think of the 1970s and I think of madeira cake, trifles, angel delight... it doesn't scream healthy - not to me!"
A nutrition expert provided Josie with a tailored meal plan featuring smaller portions typical of the 1970s, along with a vintage-style dinner plate. Josie feared it would make her gain weight - and she didn't like the look of tripe or liver. "There were a lot of carbs on the menu," she says. "I thought looking at the diet, I'd definitely put on weight."
Beyond the dietary differences, the 1970s were also marked by higher levels of physical activity, with people walking more, doing manual household chores, and tending to vegetable gardens.
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Josie went through a health MOT before appearing on the show
(Image: ITV )
To track her progress on the show, Josie visited Kingston University for body fat and weight measurements. Having struggled with her weight, fluctuating between a size 8 and 22, Josie bravely stepped on the scales, revealing a weight of 16 stones (102 kilos) and a body fat percentage of 48%.
Despite this, she was committed to transparency for the sake of the experiment.
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"If I'm taking on this experiment, then I'm showing it all, that's the experiment," Josie explained. "If you don't show the experiment, what's the point?"
She was, however, pleased to discover that her fitness level was superior. "It was nice to know that even though I was overweight, I was at a supreme fitness level," Josie said.
Josie shot to fame after winning Big Brother 11
(Image: PA Archive/Press Association Images )
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"I was expecting to have a low fitness level, even though I've always exercised. But he was like, 'No, you're at a superior fitness rate.'" On the show, Josie is seen effortlessly cycling on an exercise bike without breaking a sweat, despite pedalling at speed.
She expresses her confusion over her weight, considering her active lifestyle: "I'm one of the most on the go people I've ever met but my size doesn't fit with my activity. It never has. I do not stop. I've got friends that are really slim and I'm thinking, 'I run rings around you!' Sometimes I think, 'Is it fair?' but we're all different. I am fit but I am also overweight."
Josie is relieved to be in good health now, especially after overcoming gout. She attributes her recovery to fewer flights and more water, less champagne: "As soon as I stopped catching all the flights and started drinking a bit more water and less champagne, it levelled itself out," she explains.
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Josie Gibson is a regular on This Morning
(Image: Instagram )
While Josie's experiences on The 1970s Diet and whether she lost weight remain a mystery until the show airs, it has certainly sparked a desire for change. She's keen to engage more with her community and incorporate more walking into her routine — an activity that she believes will also benefit her seven year old son, Reggie.
"What I realised about Reg is he is a bit lazy," Josie remarked. "I'm like, 'Reg, come on, let's walk up the shop.' And he's like, 'No, mum, can we take the car?' We have kept trying to keep at the walking but I've got to really gear him up."
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Delving into the vibes of the 1970s helped Josie to appreciate the era's emphasis on the family unit. Lacking the luxury of a supportive partner as a single mum, she was struck by the realisations this exploration brought her.
"It has really opened my eyes. Back then I think the man needed the woman, and the woman needed the man," Josie reflects. "I love the fact that I can have a career but relationships in the 70s I suppose they stuck together because they needed each other more. They were more solid as a family."
Yet, despite these insights, Josie maintains her focus is not on dating at the moment, saying, "It wouldn't be fair."