Real Bodies: ‘I used to weigh 18 stone – but I’ve got no problem taking my clothes off’

Chris Owens, 35, London, Entertainer

One of my friends said, you’re always in your underwear all over Facebook, so it’s about time you did it in a magazine, and I thought yeah you’re probably right! I used to be quite a big guy, I was about 18 stone, and through dance and everything I lost the weight, and I’m more comfortable in my body than I’ve ever been so I have no trouble taking my clothes off at all.

Height: 5ft 9inches

Weight: 11 stone

Diet: Most days I make a homemade soup or I have salmon and spinach, eggs, healthy things like that, lots of protein and stuff. I am usually very careful, but once a week I will have a cheat day where I eat anything I want. I think you’ve got to have a cheat day because otherwise you crave what you want. I don’t drink that much—because by the time I finish doing the show on a Friday or Saturday night, everyone else is already on their way and I can’t be bothered to play catch up, but I do like the odd glass of wine, of course.

Guilty Pleasures: I don’t like chocolate but cheese is a massive downfall for me. I eat strong mature cheese, I don’t believe in mild cheese, it just looks like butter and probably tastes the same as well. I’d buy a Cathedral City block of cheese and a packet of crackers and that’s me happy, I could eat the whole thing in one night.

Losing Weight: I did every diet. Cabbage soup, Slimming World, Weight Watchers, the Atkins, every single one over a couple of year and got the weight down, and it’s just stayed that way now. I have quite an energetic job: I am part of a Take That tribute act where I do Mark and sometimes Robbie, and I’m in a One Direction tribute act where I do Zayn. We dance and sing and that’s quite energetic, we usually do that Fridays and Saturdays, and then I gym in the week, and I teach dance on the weekends as well, so I do get quite a lot of exercise and it balances out quite nicely because I like my food!  I think my metabolism has levelled out now so I can eat what I want to. I’m on the go all day every day anyway. I think if I sat down and had to do a 9 to 5 job maybe it would change and I would fill out a bit.

Manscaping: I trim, because I’ve got a tattoo on this arm, and I wouldn’t trim one and not the other so I do them both so it’s evened out. I trim my chest and my stomach. I used to live in Spain and the Spanish trim head to toe, everything, so I used to do that. Maintenance and upkeep is very important, especially in my industry.

Top Body Product: Since I was 16 I’ve only ever used the Nivea moisturiser. Every time I shower I literally moisturise head to toe. If I’m splashing out I’ll get Clinique, that All About Eyes cream and stuff like that.

Clothes: I pretty much live in vests, but I think that’s from living abroad as well, you’re always in vests and shorts and stuff like that. My friends say I’ve got quite a commercial look, jeans and vests or jeans and t-shirts. But I like to keep up with fashion too.

Do you think the gay community puts too much emphasis on bodies?

Massively, but I mean everyone’s got that little bit of superficiality in them. But it’s not just us, it’s the tabloids and all. In general the world is a very superficial place, but especially in the gay community. It’s all about how you look, and you’re put into categories. I think there’s a lot of pressure on the younger generation. If you look back 10 years it wasn’t this bad. All my friends who are gay are very body image heavy, definitely.

What do you think is responsible for that?

I’d say it’s a lot to do with Grindr and Tinder and all these different gay apps that you have. You can put any kind of image on, with phones now. You can change how your body looks a bit, and change the lighting and the shading, bring out muscle, tonnage and all that. If you look on Grindr you can see all these great pictures but meeting people in real life it’s a lot different.

Do you filter your pictures?

I do a lot of Snapchat, and all I’ll do it lighten it or darken it, but I don’t adjust anything, because I want people to see me as I am. I don’t tend to put proper pictures of myself on Facebook it’s usually people taking them off me when we’re out in a bar, and then I’m getting my clothes off!

Are you happy with your body?

Yes, now I am. It’s taken a long, long time. After the weight loss I went the other way and lost too much weight, and earlier in the year I put a photo up of myself and I was horrifically skinny, I was 9 stone. Everyone thought I had a problem, and I probably did at the time and it’s partly to do with the industry I’m in, and looking good on stage, but also the gay community which can be very superficial. Now I’m so comfortable I just don’t care.

What would your advice be to people who aren’t quite there yet?

I’d say just be yourself, because at the end of the day, someone’s going to love you for you and it is about the person inside. Just take your time, and enjoy life, and don’t worry so much about fitting in and what everyone thinks about you, just worry about yourself.

You can read more from Real Bodies in the new issue of Attitude, available to download and in shops now. Also in our March Issue, alongside all your usual fashion, fitness, travel and real life stories:

• We explore gay sex, love and relationships in our Valentine’s Love & Dating special, as we delve into the world of apps, hook-ups, and how to make a relationship last.
• Attitude meets hot young thing and rising star Douglas Booth, who talks equality, his breakthrough gay roles and new film Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.
• Aussie singe-songwriter Josef Salvat discusses sexuality, experiemtation and why as a straight man he’s not afraid to kiss men in his music videos.
• This Book Is Gay author Juno Dawson speaks to Attitude as she begins to undergo her transition, ahead of a new monthly column exploring the best of LGBT culture.
• Sheila Reid has a right ole’ knees-up playing How Gay Are You? as Benidorm returns to UK screens.

The new issue of Attitude is now available as a digital download from pocketmags.com/attitude. It’s in shops now and print copies are available to order from newsstand.co.uk.

More Real Bodies:
‘Comfortable naked? After a couple of drinks, yeah!’
‘I don’t have the perfect body – but I’m proud of it’