Former Baywatch Star Donna D’Errico Reveals How She Looks So Young At 53

Former Baywatch star Donna D'Errico has finally revealed how she has managed to look so young all these years.

The 53-year-old shocks her fans on social media with her youthful appearance and she reckons it's all down to her diet.

She was once invited on director and producer Sam Simon's podcast, where he brought up the topic of being vegan.

Donna admits she'd never really heard of or understood the lifestyle and was interested to know more.

Speaking to Fox News, the former TV star said: "We were chatting and then he asked me if I was vegan.

"I grew up in Alabama and Georgia. We had barbecues, chicken, steak, venison - all kinds of meat. So he stopped the interview. And he said, 'Would you be willing to go in the next room and watch a video?'

"I thought to myself, 'This is Sam Simon.' And I really respected him. So I said sure. I went to the next room and he had me watch this undercover footage of a factory farm.

"At that time, I had no idea there were factory farms or what they were. I didn't know what conditions these animals were in before they ended up on our plates and in grocery stores. I lived in the dark."

She said the footage was enough to make her give up meat and switch to a vegan diet.

"I watched the video. I came back to the room where he had his podcast studio set up and I was in tears," she said.

"I told him I was never going to eat meat again. He said, 'Well, great. Let's finish the podcast.' And we did. But from that point on, I didn't need meat anymore."

Vegan protests regularly show videos of what it's like on some of the worst farms and how animals get treated before they're killed.

While some of what's shown in these undercover stings aren't widespread or traditional, there are some elements to meat production that would unsettle some carnivores.

Donna said since switching to veganism she's found it's helped her feel much younger.

"There were happy benefits, like clearer skin, better digestion, better sleep - but that's not why I do it...I do it for the animals," she said.

While she appreciates everyone's comments on her youthful appearance, she reckons it can be reductive sometimes.

"I like to look my best and I do that for myself. I don't do it to be compared to other women or to be complimented. I don't do it for those reasons. I do it for me," she explained.

"It doesn't feel nice to hear somebody say, 'You look great for your age' or 'You still look amazing.' Why not just say, 'Wow you look amazing,' and just move on?

"I think critiquing women based on their age is unfair. Men don't face the same scrutiny and I don't think they would like either. But I know it's not going to go away because it's part of our culture."

Topics: Entertainment, Celebrity, Vegan

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie