MUCH of her party-mad twenties was spent making headlines for tumbling out of nightclubs worse for wear.
Former Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd had fallen into a destructive cycle of binge-drinking, drug-taking and living off junk food, which left her wracked with insecurities and deeply unhappy.
Unleashed Talent Management – Make up by Amanie GrewalDanielle Lloyd, now 39, is an image of good health — and boasting a toned physique and flat tum all the more impressive for being a mum of five[/caption]
INSTAGRAM/DANIELLE LLOYDDanielle with second husband Michael O’Neill and her children[/caption]
More than a decade on, the 39-year-old former lads’ mag favourite is the image of good health — and boasting a toned physique and flat tum all the more impressive for being a mum of five.
Danielle trains up to four times a week, follows a keto diet and rarely touches alcohol.
As a result, she feels in better shape now than she did at the peak of her modelling career.
She says: “I’m a totally different person and I feel the best I ever have.
“Back in the day, I didn’t care what I put into my body.
“I thought I was living life to the full, but I was totally lost.
“I was on the front pages of the magazines and everyone automatically thought I must love myself, but the truth was I was one of the most insecure people on the planet.
“I did not feel good about myself and I was using drink and drugs to mask a lot of that.”
Danielle is the first to admit she was a wildchild — out drinking in Liverpool nightspots from the age of 16.
She says: “A typical night out would mean downing shot after shot, getting as much drink down my neck as possible and having the minimum amount of sleep.
“I’d go out partying for days and wouldn’t come home, having drunk my own bodyweight in vodka.
“I don’t know how I survived, given the amount of alcohol I used to drink.”
As her career took off Danielle moved to London, where she would attend events most nights.
Drink flowed freely and her boozing started to spin out of control.
She says: “You’d get to the venue and be given your free bottle on your table, and I’d have all my little cling-on fake friends hanging around.
“And then that would turn into drugs. I’d take cocaine and smoke weed and then wake up the next day feeling groggy and wanting loads of pie-and-mash or takeaway, and fill my body with crap.
“The number of mornings I’d wake up thinking, ‘Where the f*** am I?’ was ridiculous.
“It was one big vicious circle.”
She looks back at photos of that time and barely recognises herself.
She says: “Obviously I wasn’t big, but I looked like a chubby teenager with puppy fat.
“It was all alcohol bloat, with the puffiness around my face and belly.
“Most of all, though, I don’t look happy, I look vacant, as if I’m not really there.
“I’d go to photoshoots for the lads’ mags, on zero sleep, and probably having done drugs an hour before turning up.
“And I’d spend the shoot thinking about how much I needed another drink just to get me through.
“I was in a really bad place, with really bad habits, and in a constant state of anxiety and stress, which was eating away at me.
“It got to the point where I didn’t want to be alive.”
The impact on Danielle’s mental and physical health was huge and would eventually see her checking into rehab at age 24.
Danielle out with ex-England footballer Teddy Sheringham in 2006Rob Kearney
Wild Danielle daring to bare all on a night out with the footie playerRob Kearney
She recalls: “I was out of control.
“I wasn’t at the stage where I was opening bottles of vodka for breakfast, but I was drinking far too much and wasn’t able to stop. And along with the drink came drugs.
“Rehab wasn’t just a wake-up for myself, it was a wake-up call for my family because they hadn’t realised what I was getting up to.
“As soon as my mum found out, she was there, and got me into rehab.”
But it was when she became a mum herself that Danielle really started work on her health.
She has sons Archie, 12, Harry, 11, and George, nine, with ex-husband and former footballer Jamie O’Hara, 36, and son Ronnie, five, and also girl Autumn with second husband Michael O’Neill, 35, an electrician.
When Harry was born ten weeks premature, he had to spend a few months in hospital.
Danielle was diagnosed with postnatal depression — and used exercise to help her cope.
She says: “The gym was really good for my mental health.
“Getting up early and doing exercise made me feel so much better.
“I started to understand my body — what to put into it and how to keep it in shape.
“Now I train three or four times a week doing weights and a bit of cardio.
“I’m not a runner but love to walk and do uphill hikes. Swimming is my favourite.
“I listen to my body and rest when I need to.
“I take my vitamins and do my breathing exercises.
“I get so many comments accusing me of having a tummy tuck but it’s not the case.
“I’ve just realised how to look after my body and, although it doesn’t come without hard work, you can achieve that flat tummy.”
Nights out clubbing have been replaced by early dinners.
She says: “Me and Michael sometimes go for dinner, but we’ll book the table for half-six and I’ll be in bed by eight.
“I don’t do late nights because the baby’s up early in the morning and there are school runs to do.”
‘Cling-on fake friends’
Alcohol is limited to a glass or two of wine now and again and Danielle is a fan of the popular keto diet, which involves low carbs, high fat and intermittent fasting.
She says: “In 2021 I did a whole year of not drinking and it’s the best I’ve felt in my whole life.
“I don’t want to go completely teetotal because I do enjoy a glass of wine with a meal, but I’ve got balance now.
“I try and stick to a keto diet, which I really enjoy.
“I eat a lot of fish and allow myself chips or mashed potato from time to time.
“I want to be a role model for my kids.
“I’ve got a one-year-old and need to be able to run after her, as she’s fast.
“And because I’ve got a younger husband, I need to stay in shape for him.”
The pair hope to have another child soon — Danielle would love a sister for Autumn.
“We’ll never say never,” says Danielle, who is rumoured to be part of the upcoming series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
“We’ve been trying but I’ve had some TV to film, so we’ll just have to see.
“I’m blessed to have five beautiful children, so if it doesn’t happen I’m very lucky already.
“It all goes so fast and I miss the baby stage.”
Despite her tough earlier years, Danielle insists she would not change anything about her past.
She says: “I believe everything happens for a reason — even that I was meant to abuse my body back then so that I can really look after it now.
“But I never want to go back to being the person I was in my twenties.
“I’m so happy with who I am and my life as it is today.”