Chris Appleton showed off his Strictly transformation (BBC/Guy Levy | Instagram/chrisappleton1)

Chris Appleton says Strictly Come Dancing training helped him lose 30lb, after sharing a striking Instagram before-and-after post following his time on the show.

Alongside the side-by-side images, the celebrity hairstylist wrote: “30 pounds down, before and after. I saw dancing as entertainment, but the physical side is something else.”

He competed on the current series with professional dancer Amy Dowden, though they became the first to be eliminated.

Pro dancer Dowden responded in the comment section with a flame emoji.

Earlier this month, Appleton and Dowden were knocked out following a dance-off against actress Jaime Winstone and her partner Carlos Gu. Dancing a Cha-cha-cha to the Baywatch theme tune, ‘I’m Always Here’, they were beaten when the judges unanimously opted to save their opponents.

The exit marked an early end to Appleton’s run, after he had teased BFF Kim Kardashian could end up in the audience one week.

Speaking on the BBC One show after he was eliminated, Appleton said: “It’s been such a whirlwind of emotion, I’m 43, I got good at what I’m doing which is hair and to come into something like this, I felt so out of my comfort zone.”

He went on: “I saw myself in a way I’ve never seen myself and it challenged me in ways that I never knew I could be challenged.

“I’m very grateful for everyone that has been involved. All the celebrities, cast and crew, it has just been so amazing to be part of such a special thing that I grew up watching and I feel very proud to be part of it.”

After leaving the competition, Appleton became tearful while appearing on It Takes Two, reacting to a montage of his highlights from the series.

“Why did you have to show that? Oh my God, it’s just been a phenomenal experience,” he said. “I said to my kids… I can’t even talk… just challenge yourself and do it anyway.”

Dowden also reflected on their exit, saying: “From the first day to dancing on Saturday night, he grew and grew and grew and I’m just gutted that we didn’t get the chance to continue. I honestly think there was so much more to come.”

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.

Please login or register to comment on this story.