Man loses 11 stone to become Mr England finalist in dramatic body transformation

A handyman who tipped the scales at 25 stone and was too ashamed of his appearance to leave the house has undergone a huge transformation to become a model and Mr England finalist.

Alex Major, 25, has gone from hiding indoors to being picked to compete for England in international beauty pageants after an incredible body overhaul.

As well as being overweight, he previously suffered badly from acne, which left him with such 'low confidence' that he sometimes wouldn't leave his home for months at a time.

But after shedding 11 stone in three years by making changes to his diet and hitting the gym, he has turned his life around and now weighs 14 stone.

Alex, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, will compete at Mr Global on Sunday September 27 and has also made the final of Mr England, which is run by the Miss England contest.

Alex has shown off the results of his hard work with diet and exercise to become a contestant for Mr England (SWNS)

Alex says he battled an unhealthy relationship with food, and confessed that he was sometimes eating up to 15 times a day.

He also said his acne issues left him feeling unable to chase his childhood dream of becoming a model.

Alex said: "My confidence was extremely low.

"I struggled to look people in the eyes and would often walk down the street looking at the ground because I wanted to avoid eye contact.

"There were times when I felt so low that I wouldn't leave the house for weeks, sometimes months, because I didn't want people to see me.

"I would just eat everything and anything in the fridge as well as takeaways such as Indian, Chinese, KFCs and McDonald's.

"It made me feel very down and I knew I had to make a change."

He has lost 11 stone in total, and has documented his progress (SWNS)

Alex transformed his lifestyle through a combination of fitness and eating healthily, gradually rebuilding his physique and self-belief.

He added: "I've wanted to be a model since I was a child, but getting started wasn't easy.

"I had to overcome a lot personally before I had the confidence to pursue it.

"I simply made changes to my diet, cooking healthier foods like chicken, tuna salads, beef and lots of eggs. I stopped drinking beer.

"I just started going the gym about six times a week for two hours at a time, just doing cardio and slowly the weight came off."

He said many people assume he used GLP-1 jabs to achieve his new look.

“I lost the weight naturally through healthy eating and exercise. I didn’t use any weight-loss jabs," he explained.

He said he previously had a very unhealthy relationship with food (SWNS)

"Most of my exercise is still gym-based, although I also go running when the weather is good enough, I want to prove to myself that the dreams I had when I was younger really are possible if you're willing to believe in yourself, work hard and never give up," insisted the 25-year-old.

"I want people to see the journey behind the person they see in the photographs, I want people to see how far I've come from being the person who couldn't look anyone in the eye, who isolated himself and sometimes wouldn't even leave the house because he didn't want people to see him, to someone who now wants the whole world to see him."

"When I think about that transformation, it honestly sounds crazy. But that's exactly what motivates me," he revealed.

His dramatic transformation finally gave him the confidence to step in front of the camera around a year ago.

Alex began landing opportunities overseas, including a week-long photoshoot in Portugal after a photographer spotted his potential.

He added: "He gave me some incredible advice, particularly about letting myself relax, stop overthinking and simply be myself in front of the camera.

"I could see a dramatic improvement in my photographs.

He now models and has a newfound sense of confidence after struggling with low self-esteem for years (SWNS)

"My pictures feel much more natural now and I feel much more comfortable in front of the camera."

Alex now combines his modelling career with helping elderly people through his job with Age UK Bolton.

He added: "What I enjoy most is the people themselves.

"Every person I meet has their own incredible life story, experiences and lessons to share, and I genuinely love listening to them.

"When I work with older people, I don't really see them as 'old'. I see the younger person they once were, someone with dreams, ambitions and goals, just like I have today.

"Sadly, some of the people I meet didn't get the opportunity to achieve everything they dreamed of.

"Seeing that has given me even more motivation to believe in myself, take opportunities when they come my way and work towards achieving my own dreams."

Organisers are still searching for more contestants to enter Mr England which takes place in Melton Mowbray, on October 11.