Cliff Parisi reveals weight loss after filming Celebrity MasterChef

Cliff Parisi lost half a stone in a week after filming 'Celebrity MasterChef'.

The 'Call The Midwife' actor - who is a self-confessed "demon with a barbecue" - was delighted to sign up for the BBC cooking competition, but he's now thinking about his health after appearing on the programme, despite his love for the likes of "curries, fish and chips, a fry-up".

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I've been trying to eat more of a balanced diet.

"I do soaked oats twice a day. I try to avoid chocolate biscuits, and I’ve lost half a stone this week. I want to stay healthy."

The 62-year-old star - who will appear on the programme alongside the likes of Mojo, Chris Eubank and All Saints singer Mel Blatt - was surprised by the way the culinary show has affected him.

He explained: "It evokes emotions, about your childhood, like cakes that grandad used to cook. And when they like what you cook it really wells you up, it’s like they’re acknowledging a bit of you.

"[The judges] John [Torode] and Gregg [Wallace] become like mummy and daddy, you just want to please them all the time.

"It's like presenting them with your newborn child, you really want them to say it's pretty."

Meanwhile, Cliff hailed the impact of his wife of 12 years Tara - the mother of his two youngest children - and the advice she gave him before he started filming the show.

He said: "She's been brilliant, written out all my recipes and got me the ingredients so I can test them at home.

"And she's given me lots of advice. Like, don't be an idiot, keep pulling your shirt down so you look presentable, don't swear.

"She gives me advice all the time, I don't always listen to it but I should."