Three Fat Brides, One Thin Dress

Their wedding is the most exciting and stressful occasion of most women’s lives, and among all the things to worry about there’s always one big worry which plays on every bride’s mind in the build up to the big day – her weight! In Three Fat Brides, One Thin Dress, formidable diet dictator, Gillian McKeith, turns her attention to big girls who are looking forward to their big day.

In each episode Gillian meets three bulging brides-to-be who are all in desperate need of her help. They’ve got just eight weeks to transform their appearance and well-being, with the prize of the wedding dress of her dreams for the bride who has the greatest success. But it’s not just about weight loss: the brides must pledge to stick to Gillian’s vows, and the winner will love her foods, homour her regime and obey her rules to her wedding day and beyond.

Along the way, Gillian will hear from our brides’ fiancés, friends, families and prospective in-laws as she gets to the bottom - quite literally - of their weight issues and worries about the big day.

Gillian reveals our brides weekly combined food intake as a gruesome wedding banquet that will shock them into understanding that what they are feasting on now is ruining their dreams of a perfect day. She’ll also show each bride the dastardly effects of their individual bad habits using gruesome toxic shock tactics.

Gillian will not limit her involvement to our blushing brides’ bursting seams. She’ll reveal some ghastly wedding facts, including what’s really in that beautiful looking wedding cake and the shocking amount of sat fat, calories and alcohol most of us pack away during the average big day, as well as helping the brides limber up with dance classes in preparation for that all important first dance.

During the eight-week regime we’ll follow the three brides-to-be as they prepare for their big day and compete for the dress of their dreams whilst contending with teetotal hen nights and a pre-wedding colonic along with the usual pre-wedding rehearsals and jitters.

But how will they cope with the added pressure of Ms McKeith on the wedding scene? Will they make it to their big day a few sizes smaller? Or will they want to call the whole thing off?

Episode One – 26th June 2007

This week’s contenders for the dress of their dreams are 25-year-old Katrina, 40-year-old Jacqueline and 27-year-old Lisa Lazell.

Katrina Payne is a Welsh WAG in waiting and while hubbie-to-be Gareth is aiming for his next goal, his beloved WAG is also scoring - her next drink, and her next and her next, at the local wine bar. Katrina is a binge-drinker, sometimes downing 3 bottles of wine a night. Carb-craving Katrina can’t keep her hands off the jacket potatoes, chips, bread, and more jacket potatoes, and knows that she doesn’t look like the other WAGS at the club. She’s particularly self-conscious of her fat back and the thought of squeezing it into her beautiful designer wedding gown fills her with dread.

Jacqueline Webster from Glasgow is getting married for the second time but if she can’t give up her indulgent eating habits, instead of being belle of the ball, she’s going to be belly of the ball!

Jacqueline has an almost perfect life - an adorable son, a loving fiancé, a beautiful home, but also a rather imperfect extra 3 stone! Jacqueline turned to food after her first marriage broke down, and she’d love to start her new married life feeling great in a bikini on honeymoon. Jacqueline’s downfall is eating out socialising. She also loves butter, which she smothers on bread, jacket potatoes, and even digestive biscuits, and with a family history of Type 2 diabetes, it’s not just her waistline this habit is ruining!

Born again virgins Lisa and her fiancé Gary have decided on separate bedrooms until their wedding day and Gary has never seen Lisa naked. She may have taken away temptation but sadly that’s not al! 17 stone Lisa also ‘takes away’ from her local takeaway - at least 5 times a week. The thought of her wedding night terrifies Lisa. She’s hoping her future husband will find her worth the wait, but she’s worried that he’ll be amazed for all the wrong reasons when he finally sees her love handles.

Jacqueline, Lisa and Katrina have no idea that they will be competing against each other. But it’s not just about weight loss – Gillian is looking for the bride who is most committed to her regime, and will award the dress to whoever best honours and obeys her rules.

For better or for worse. Let battle commence!

Channel 4, from Tuesday 26th June, 8pm.