Derbyshire woman's 5st weight loss scores her a place at Slimming World finals and congratulations from a rugby legend

And she celebrated her incredible achievement with former England rugby international James Haskell, who described her as a ‘role model’.

Joanna Dalby was one of just 42 women to secure a place at the semi-finals of Slimming World’s Woman of the Year 2025 competition, held at Slimming World’s head office in Derbyshire, after losing an incredible 5st 4lbs.

Joanna, who slimmed from 17st 13slbs to 12st 9lbs, earned her place at the semi-finals after the members of her group in Kimberley voted for her to represent them nationally. She says: “Before I joined Slimming World, I felt stuck. My weight was affecting me on the inside and out – it impacted my health and the way I felt about myself. My confidence was low and I was self-conscious about my size, but I didn’t know how to change things.

“It was a holiday at the end of 2022 where I realised that I’d lost control with food and that it was affecting my mental health and self-esteem that jolted me into doing something about it. Finding Slimming World was a turning point. I didn’t realise then that it would be the best decision I’d ever make.

“I discovered a way of eating that worked for me and my life – it wasn’t like a diet at all and I couldn’t believe it when I lost 6lbs in my first week. I didn’t have to give up the meals I loved, old favourites like lasagne, pasta and cooked breakfasts were still on the menu, just cooked in a healthier way. I started using low-calorie cooking spray instead of oil for instance. It wasn’t long before people started noticing, and that gave me the motivation to keep going.”

Joanna says the support of her Slimming World group kept her motivation high too: “My Slimming World group and my Consultant Caroline have been incredible. The support, ideas and encouragement from everyone each week helped me believe I could do this. Going to the group each week was a reset for me, and they’ve been there for me every step of the way. Each week we’d talk about any challenges we had coming up or share new recipes we’d tried, and I learned so much – about food, and about myself and my own relationship with food.”

As Joanna started to lose weight she began to think about becoming more active. She says: “My Consultant Caroline would often talk about Slimming World’s activity support programme and how important activity was for your overall health. As I lost weight and felt more confident, I decided to give it a go. I started by doing home workouts and swimming and now I’ve joined a circuit class and love hula hooping and walking. I find it really helps me mentally and emotionally too.”

James, who played for England in two Rugby World Cups and earned 77 caps for England, is known for promoting mental and physical wellbeing and was full of admiration for Joanna’s journey. He said: “Joanna has done something truly inspiring. She’s taken control of her health, built her confidence and developed life-long healthy habits. It shows that with the right support and mindset, you can achieve the things you set out to. She’s become stronger – physically and mentally – and for that she’s a real role model.”

Caroline Radford who runs the group that Joanna attends says she is so proud of what she’s achieved she says: “Joanna is a star and watching her journey has been a privilege. She’s not just lost weight, she’s grown in confidence and self-belief. She’s a huge support to others in group and a brilliant example of what can be achieved. Losing weight isn’t easy, we know that, and support plays a huge role in people’s motivation and success.

"Whether you are just starting your journey, need some extra support to develop healthy eating alongside weight-loss medication or you’ve been a member before, we’ve made some exciting new changes at our groups and I’d love to welcome anyone to pop along to our group at Rumbletums Cafe on Tuesdays at 7:30am, 9am, 5pm and 7pm. Or, you can call me on 07956082755 to find out more.”