TV star Jane McDonald has divulged her secret weapon for dropping a remarkable four stone, contributing to her slimmed-down figure.

The 61-year-old television icon, famed for her roles on popular programmes such as Loose Women, Jane McDonald: My Yorkshire and Cruising with Jane McDonald, caught media attention with her lifestyle overhaul, according to the Daily Record.

In 2016, Jane made the decision to revamp her diet while participating in ITV's Sugar Free Farm which saw celebrities including The Chase star Mark Labbett and former Coronation Street actress Tupele Dorgu take on a sugar-free diet.

On this show, where celebrities commit to conquering their sugar habits and changing their diets, Jane connected with nutritionist Angelique Panagos, discussing her dietary struggles. It was Panagos who introduced Jane to a bread alternative that quickly became her go-to snack for curbing those carb cravings.

Sharing her experiences, Jane said: "The only bread I eat is one that I've got a recipe for from Angelique. It's got no yeast in it and it's made with lots of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, wholemeal flour, oats and yoghurt of all things."

Describing the effortless process of making this bread, Jane remarked: "It's literally 20 minutes and it's made ready to put in the oven. I don't eat a lot of it but when I'm really craving a bit of starch I just get some out of the freezer and stick it in the toaster and it's done."

Jane has opened up about her dietary overhaul, ditching white carbs such as pasta and flour for healthier options.

The celebrity shed nine pounds in a mere two weeks during her stint on the ITV programme, leading to a complete transformation of her eating habits.

McDonald admitted: "I lost a stone and a half from taking part in the TV show Sugar Free Farm. I used to eat so much rubbish. I didn't realise how much rubbish I used to eat."

Speaking to OK! magazine last year, Jane addressed the common excuse of age preventing new endeavours, saying: "I've always loved a pie and I was very carbohydrate-led as I was always hungry. I ate far too much and all the wrong things.

"I didn't realise that if you eat the wrong things, it doesn't feed your body so you will want more. I like my life, and my schedule takes a lot of energy, but I was beginning to get quite tired and I was blaming it on age."

At 61, Jane had accepted a larger waistline as the norm until Angelique introduced her to the possibility of increased vitality and a leaner figure. Post-show, she applied her newfound knowledge, resulting in an additional one-and-a-half stone weight loss.