Living the high life with champagne, Michelin-starred dining, and private jets may seem idyllic, but for Josie Gibson, it led to a health scare. The 40-year-old This Morning star discovered she had gout after her indulgent lifestyle while filming her Channel 5 travelogue, Around The World In First Class.

Ahead of her next TV challenge, The 1970s Diet, the mum-of-one went in for a health MOT - and the results were not good. Her blood tests showed that she was suffering from gout due to her lavish lifestyle, report the Mirror. She told press: "I kept saying to the nurse, 'My toes keep hurting'.

"I thought gout was only for old men but I have been living quite a lavish life. Before I filmed this show, I caught a lot of flights, I drank a lot of champagne, I ate a lot of rich food and I had little sleep. That's how I ended up getting gout."

However, Josie's latest venture is a far cry from her previous luxuries, as she trades in gourmet meals for simple fare like boiled potatoes, liver, and spam. She joked: "I've come from one extreme to the other. I went from living my finest life ever to being brought down to earth with a bang."

In The 1970s Diet, Josie explores whether the lifestyle of that era was healthier, noting the stark contrast in obesity rates between then and now. The This Morning star admitted: "I was surprised by that. I think of the 1970s and I think of madeira cake, trifles, angel delight... it doesn't scream healthy - not to me!"

Nutrition experts equipped Josie with a true-to-the-era meal plan featuring smaller 1970s portions and even provided an era-appropriate dinner plate to match. Josie, however, was not impressed by the spread laid out before her and worried it could lead to weight gain, especially with carb-heavy options and unappetising items like tripe or liver on the menu.

The doting mum confessed: "There were a lot of carbs on the menu. I thought looking at the diet, I'd definitely put on weight." But it wasn't just about food quantities back in the '70s, lifestyle played a huge part too.

With more walking, manual household chores, and gardening, people then lived far more active lives. Josie's weight journey has been tumultuous, fluctuating dramatically from a size eight all the way up to a size 22.

The TV star braveley agreed to reveal her weight as part of the Back In Time For The Weekend segment on the show. Standing on the scales, the result read 16 stones (102 kilos), paired with a body fat percentage of 48 which were difficult figures to confront, but Josie was undaunted.

She declared: "If I'm taking on this experiment, then I'm showing it all, that's the experiment. If you don't show the experiment, what's the point?" The revelation of her superior fitness level was the silver lining.

Despite her fears and her struggles with obesity, the fitness report classified her condition as top-notch. Elated, Josie shared: "It was nice to know that even though I was overweight, I was at a supreme fitness level.

"I was expecting to have a low fitness level, even though I've always exercised. But he was like, 'No, you're at a superior fitness rate'." In the programme, Josie is seen hopping on an exercise bike, effortlessly pedalling away at speed.

Despite her active lifestyle, she finds it confusing as her size doesn't reflect her physical efforts. "I'm one of the most on-the-go people I've ever met," she admits, "but my size doesn't fit with my activity.

"It never has. I do not stop. I've got friends that are really slim and I'm thinking, 'I run rings around you!' Sometimes I think, 'Is it fair?' but we're all different. I am fit but I am also overweight."

Thankfully, Josie's health is on the upswing – especially now that her gout has settled. She attributes the improvement to fewer aeroplane journeys and more water in place of champagne.

"As soon as I stopped catching all the flights and started drinking a bit more water and less champagne, it leveled itself out," confesses Josie.

The show also prompted Josie to engage in more physical activity by walking to local shops with her wheeled shopping bag regularly, targeting a daily step count reminiscent of the 1970s.

Furthermore, Josie dove headfirst into the fun of a disco-themed exercise class and relished flaunting 1970s attire on set. But her excitement was dampened when vintage shopping turned sour after realising that the dress sizes from that era were significantly smaller.

The experience brought her face-to-face with the reality of 'vanity sizing'. She exclaimed: "I think 1970s fashion was my favorite era. It's so gorgeous. When I got down there, I picked up my sizes that I am and went to the changing rooms and I was absolutely devastated. I didn't know about vanity sizing."

Josie Gibson revealed she's most content fitting into size 12-14 clothing but resists the urge to try trendy weightloss injections like Wegovy, despite many of her friends opting for them. "If something new comes out, I am not one to sign myself up for it first. I will sit back and watch what happens", Josie explained.