Man loses 10 STONE to stop cruel strangers calling him ‘the pirate’ after he became so obese he could only wear cut-off joggers and vests 

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A man who weighed in at 24 stone said he finally decided to lose weight after people nicknamed him 'The Pirate' because the only clothes he was comfortable in were cropped jogging trousers and vests. 

Russel Newland, 55, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, tipped the scales at 24 stone 3lbs and had a 44 inch waist.

However, his vest and cropped trousers look, teamed with a red bandana around his head, left him the subject of cruel taunts with people shouting 'aaarr' at him in the street. 

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The pirate of High Wycombe: While Russel Newland, 55, played along with taunts that he looked like a pirate, he says he really only wore the unique outfit because he didn't feel comfortable in anything else

Slim Jim! Russel shows off his dramatic weight loss, after he lost ten stone and now weighs in at 14 stone 7 lbs

The only clothes that would fit comfortably were cut off jogging bottoms and vests which, coupled with the bandana he wears to keep his long hair tidy, led colleagues and customers at the charity shop where he works to name him 'the pirate'. 

Relief manager Russel joined in for a while and nicknamed himself Lieutenant Fat Pigeon, as a comic take on 'Jack Sparrow' from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Realising his novelty image was making him depressed, he decided losing weight was the only way to ensure people viewed him differently. 

After being approached by producers of ITV's new programme This Time Next Year, hosted by Davina Mccall, Russel has completely overhauled his diet, dropping to just 14stone 7lbs.

'Being the size I was, I couldn't find jeans and chinos my size,' Russel,, said.

Telly boost: Russel's weight loss improved dramatically after he agreed to take part in the Davina McCall show This Time Next Year. After already losing 3 stone, he managed to shed a further seven

While losing weight, Russel still dressed in comfy t-shirts and shorts but after cutting out biscuits, cakes and sweets watched the weight drop off

Looking good! Russel said that people just thought of him as a jolly chap; and blames his over-eating on growing up in a large family where there often wasn't enough food for seconds, so you had to grab it quickly

'I couldn't feel the cold because of how big I was, so I'd cut off my joggers at the bottom to make them into shorts.

'I kept my image day and night, at work, in pubs, driving around - wherever we went I was a pirate. People would say 'arrrrrr' when I walked past.'

Raised in a big family, Russel developed a huge appetite as, if there was food around, you had to eat it quickly, because it wouldn't be around for long.

He avoided vegetables, instead munching on meat, sausage rolls and pasties, but was an energetic teen and liked playing out with friends on push bikes, so he avoided putting on weight.

Aged 24, he started working at a factory, where the tradition was to go to a nearby fish and chip shop for lunch.

With less time for exercise as an adult, the pounds gradually piled on and by the time he met his partner, Kate Scarsbrook, 57, six years ago, he weighed 17 stone. 

When the weight started to drop off, Russel began to slowly ditch the pirate look. His partner Kate, says the 55-year-old now takes longer to get dressed than she does

'I knew I was obese, but it didn't bother me because I felt strong and could move equipment around at work easily,' Russel said.

'People just thought of me as a jolly chap.

Settling into family life with Kate and her three children Emma, 26, Gemma, 25 and George, 22, his unhealthy lifestyle continued and his waist just kept expanding.

'I think I even changed Kate's diet, because I'd often cook for her and her kids,' he said.

However, during a trip to his GP to examine an injured foot, after stubbing his heel on a kerb in July 2015, Russel's doctor told him he needed to lose some weight to alleviate some of the pressure on his injury.

As he stood on the scales at the doctor's surgery he was shocked when they read 24 stone 3lbs.

'I agreed to go on a 12 week NHS weight loss plan,' he said.

'When I set my mind to something, I do it, and the weight just started dropping off.

'I cut out bread, biscuits, cakes and fizzy drinks and introduced fruit, vegetables and yoghurt into my diet.'

Russel lost three stone in three months, and although people at work noticed the difference, he knew he still had more to lose.

He started working at a charity shop in July 2013 and his colleagues thought it would be funny to nickname him 'the pirate' because of his image.

He explained: 'Members of the public and kids walking past would say 'there's the pirate.'

A local radio station even spotted him and interviewed him in June 2015.

But in August 2015, he was contacted by a production company working on behalf of ITV, who thought he looked like an interesting character and wanted him on their new show.

Russel says he's quicker at moving around and can even fit into 'skinny jeans and chinos'

A different man: Russel was helped along by Lighter Life and reveals his new look on This Time Next Year on December 14th at 8pm on ITV1

When he met Davina at the start of the year, he pledged to change his life by losing a further seven stone.

Russel joined LighterLife in May, after a friend recommended it, and he switched fatty foods for their nutritious meals, such as shepherd's pie and spaghetti Bolognese, and snacked on healthy bars and shakes.

By sticking to the plan, he lost seven stone and on the last day of filming in September 2016, he weighed just 14stone 7lbs.

'There were times I didn't know if I'd make it, but I pushed myself to the limit and now I'm waiting for December 14 when I'll be on TV,' Russel said.

'I'm quicker at moving around, and I even get into skinny jeans and chinos and feel great.

'Now some people jokingly call me 'the ex-pirate,' whereas others don't recognise me and come into the shop asking where the jolly pirate is.'

Russel's partner Kate, a nanny, said: 'He's much more interested in his appearance now and takes longer to get ready than I do.

'I'm proud of what he's done and I have even lost a stone with him by eating healthily. He's still the pirate underneath though.'