Top slimmer loses job as credit crunch bites

Mar 1 2009 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

TIME has been called on telly super-slimmer Charlie Walduck after the bingo hall where he works became the latest victim of the credit crunch.

Cumbria-born Charlie has become a national inspiration after losing an astonishing 31 stones in less than two years with help from ITV’s This Morning and the show’s Dr Chris.

Yet Charlie, 40, has revealed that his TV success has not been mirrored in his private life, having just lost his job as bingo caller following the closure of The Astoria, in Manchester.

After 16 years in the numbers game Charlie — who went from 45st to 13st — says he’ll now concentrate on working full time on helping others.

He said: "It was quite sad last Sunday when we opened for the last time, and I’m now looking for new work.

"People say I should get into the business of helping people and I already get lots of emails from people wanting my help.

"The last few months of my life have been my most depressing. I went travelling and when I came back I had great financial debts, the threat of repossession and all the other problems people up and down the country are suffering.

"So, the next six months for me are about recreating ‘Brand Charlie’, getting focused and moving forward."

Charlie, who often returns to Cumbria to visit his parents, has already embarked on launching his new career in the public eye, through his own radio show on Manchester Radio Online, in which he and a panel of life coaches will offer support for listeners on a range of topics.