A SINGER has celebrated being in tune with Weight Watchers for 50 years.

Jean Cohen, 82, from Prestwich, first joined in 1972 after giving birth to her youngest son, Andy, when she weighed in at 12 stone.

While working as a singer in a men's club, she said she did not feel confident in the clothes was wearing and decided to make a lifestyle change.

After much hard work and dedication, she reached her goal of nine stone in just 12 months and has stayed on top of her weight ever since.

She credits her success to a balanced diet of vegetables, water, chicken, fish, fruit and water, alongside plenty of exercise with the occasional gin and tonic or apricot brandy.

Jean said: "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change, I still enjoy hot chocolate and cheese and biscuits but everything is measured and enjoyed in moderation.

"Weight Watchers have given me an absolutely fantastic programme and it's amazing to think that it's only been 50 years.

"I was very lucky back in the day to have a great agent who got me a good job as a men's club singer from the 1950s through to the 1970s, but I was never fully comfortable with the way I looked.

"In the beginning, there were a few wobbles where I put some weight back on and had some ups and downs.

"But a friend of mine told me the programme was rather like buying a film ticket, because you wouldn't buy a film ticket and leave the cinema before the end.

"Weight Watchers is much the same, because if you pay for it, you've got to stick with it no matter how hard it gets, and that's the secret."

She added: "A lot of people struggle with their weight and it's nothing to be ashamed of.

"You've got nothing to lose by giving it a try and you'll be rewarded for your commitment with so much extra confidence and a sense of wellbeing and accomplishment.

"If I can keep on doing it at my age, anyone can."

Jean still attends a Weight Watchers workshop in Radcliffe every Friday morning.