Cruel jibe led to EastEnders’ Keanu’s jaw-dropping four stone weight loss
EastEnders actor Danny Walters, who plays Keanu Taylor in the BBC soap, has opened up about his astonishing four-stone weight loss - and the cruel jibe that prompted him to completely overhaul his lifestyle
Actor Danny Walters, best known for playing EastEnders’ Keanu Taylor has opened up about how he managed to lose an incredible four stone after a doctor warned he was at risk of having a heart attack. Although the 30-year-old actor now prioritises keeping on top of his health and fitness, this wasn’t always the case and he had to deal with cruel comments about his weight as a teen.
One particularly mean jibe left Danny in floods of tears, however, this upsetting experience also ended up being the catalyst for a complete lifestyle overhaul, which saw the actor slim down from 16 stone to 12 stone and grow exponentially in confidence.
Danny managed to turn his life around (
Instagram/danny_walters)
During an appearance on the My Time Capsule podcast, Danny told host Mike Fenton Stevens that his weight issues as a youngster had put his health at risk, with a doctor warning him that he would end up having a heart attack if he carried on the way he was going. It wasn’t until a girl rudely referred to him as the “ugly fat guy” while he was on holiday that he decided to change his ways.
Danny, who was targetted by bullies while at school, recalled: “We [he and his brother] were talking to these two girls on the sun loungers and I came out and said, ‘Hey’ and they turned around and said ‘Oh my God, who’s this ugly fat guy?’ I was like: ‘Woah’ and my brother said: ‘Hey, that’s really harsh’. I started crying and ran off.”
He added: “This is not what I wanted people to see me as — the funny fat guy. So I was like, I’m done with that. I want girls to like me, I want girls to love me.” Back in 2018, Danny offered a little insight into how he’d managed to feel happier and healthier in his body, by working with personal trainer Harry Smith.
In an Instagram post complete with before and after pics, Danny revealed: “Since working/training with Harry Smith, I feel like I’m starting to get in the best shape of my life. I will never stop improving. I finally feel confident in my body and feel like I am now on the right path to achieve greatness.
“As an actor working on TV and stage, I do multiple auditions a week and will be judged within the first five seconds I walk into the audition room. Now, I feel more confident in my own skin, I can walk into the audition and feel positive I am making a powerful first impression.”
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In the same post, coach Harry praised his client for his hard work and dedication, writing: “Danny worked his arse off, this wasn’t easy. He did all his workouts, 5-6 times a week. Lifting weights and building strength. He actually gained around 10-15kg strength on most of his big lifts.
“He was bang on his calorie target every day. This is really hard to do, especially when life happens. There was a couple of weeks where we had to work around some really stressful events too but he still nailed it. He followed a flexible diet where he could have treats but he still made sure he ate all his fruit and veg every day.
“Danny’s schedule is all over the place being an actor. It would have been all too easy for him to sack in his diet for the day or a skip a workout but he never did. Danny’s transformation is an example of the kind of transformation you can make if: You already have some experience lifting weights & you check all your boxes your coach sets you every single day.”
