Sarah Jayne Dunn showed off her impressive two-stone weight loss transformation in a before-and-after snap as she discussed the recent Hollyoaks cast cuts, her love for pole fitness, and her latest career venture.
The actress, 43, who played the role of Mandy Richardson on the Channel 4 soap from 1996 until 2021, looked nothing short of sensational as she showed off her six-pack in a blue sports bra.
She teamed the sports bra with a pair of figure-flattering black cycling shorts as she posed up a storm for the camera.
While discussing her fitness journey, Sarah said she was excited to ‘feel strong again,’ adding that her son Stanley, seven, has been a huge inspiration.
Sarah Jayne Dunn showed off her impressive two-stone weight loss transformation in a before-and-after snap as she discussed the recent Hollyoaks cast cuts, her love for pole fitness, and her latest career venture
She revealed: ‘This is not the first time I’ve done this with U.P. but it’s been a few years and (is) a very different situation to what I was in last time’.
‘I was postpartum last time, whereas I’m now in my early forties, so I feel so good, one for committing to it again and for getting the results that I wanted.’
She added: ‘I feel like I’ve got more energy. I feel strong again. It’s really nice to put the work in and then see the results. Not just physically but mentally as well.’
She also admitted that her original goal was never to lose weight, instead, she wanted her gym training to go hand-in-hand with her pole training.
She said: ‘By getting stronger and a bit lighter, it’s made a massive difference to what I’m now capable of doing in my pole sessions. But like I say, the goal for me was never to lose weight, and it never has been.’
‘(fitness) is mainly to do with the way I feel and to stay physically fit and strong for me.’
Sarah also claimed that she wants to inspire her son and be a good role model for him when it comes to fitness.
She said: ‘I’ve got my little boy so I want to be a good role model for him. I want him to see that going to the gym and training isn’t a punishment.’
While discussing her fitness journey, Sarah claimed it was not her first time training with U.P., as she previously trained with the company after giving birth to her son Stanley, seven
She revealed: ‘This is not the first time I’ve done this with U.P. but it’s been a few years and (is) a very different situation to what I was in last time’
‘I was postpartum last time, whereas I’m now in my early forties, so I feel so good, one for committing to it again and for getting the results that I wanted.’
She also admitted that her original goal was never to lose weight, instead, she wanted her gym training to go hand-in-hand with her pole training
‘He’s getting to an age where he plays a lot of football now and he does a lot of extracurricular things at school, and I want him to do that and not feel like he has to do that.’
Discussing how amazing her personal trainer Adam Newton from Ultimate Performance Cheshire has been through her journey, Sarah said: ‘It’s like he was as determined about my goal as I was.’
‘I think when you’ve got someone like that going “Hey how are you doing today?” or “How are you feeling after yesterday’s session?” it really does spur you on.’
Meanwhile, her trainer Adam added: ‘When Sarah came to U.P. she wanted to lose body fat whilst being able to increase her overall strength for her pole training.’
‘Now that she is in her 40’s she wanted to feel strong again and she wanted to be a good role model for her son and other women and mums.’
He added: ‘Sarah has been ideal to train. She has fully committed (to) the programme and she is getting the results for this commitment.’
During the interview, Sarah also expressed her love for pole fitness and how it has changed her life over the past two years.
She said: ‘I started my pole fitness journey two years ago now and I am absolutely obsessed with that.’
‘I love it. I love the community. I love the challenge. I love the sport. I love everything about it.’
‘I love the heels and when you get to wear amazing outfits. I think that (pole fitness) spurred me to train with U.P. because I wanted to complement that and get better at pole.’
During the interview, Sarah also expressed her love for pole fitness and how it has changed her life over the past two years
She said: ‘I started my pole fitness journey two years ago now and I am absolutely obsessed with that. I love it. I love the community. I love the challenge. I love the sport’
Sarah admitted: ‘I don’t want to get into my fifties and sixties and suddenly not be able to stand up very easily.’
‘Or not be able to run, I want to do those things, so by putting in the work now I’m conditioning my body to get to that point and just be used to it.’
Sarah starred on Hollyoaks for 25 years before she was dropped from the soap in November 2021 after joining OnlyFans.
Her exit from the soap came after an unnamed co-star logged a formal complaint and bosses have since changed cast members’ contracts to ban them from launching their own OnlyFans.
However, as of late the popular soap has been making cuts elsewhere too as they continue to tighten their budget.
The news comes amid plans for a whopping 20 actors to be culled as the TV show tries to stay afloat.
Budget cuts have forced Channel 4 bosses to carry out a mass axing of cast and crew, as well as scale back episodes to three a week.
Discussing her latest reunion with the Hollyoaks cast members’ Sarah said: ‘I did go to the reunion a couple of weeks ago and caught up with a load of people’.
‘It was really gorgeous to see loads of people that I never got to say goodbye to because obviously my contract was terminated so abruptly.’
She added: ‘It also felt quite sad as well because a lot of people have lost their jobs and that breaks my heart.’
Sarah played the role of Mandy Richardson on the Channel 4 soap for 25 years
But was dropped from the soap in November 2021 for joining OnlyFans and her exit came after an unnamed co-star logged a formal complaint and bosses have since changed cast members’ contracts
‘People have dedicated their lives and missed out on family occasions and school nativities because they had to be at work and then the reward was that they lost their job.’
The star also revealed that she doesn’t know the future for Hollyoaks, but claimed the drama soap will always ‘have a special place in my heart’.
‘I just hope that people that have lost their jobs go on to do amazing things (but) I know that a lot of people (who) have left the show, whether they chose to or not, are already doing other things (and) that makes me happy seeing that.’
The star also revealed that she does not regret leaving the show when she did.
She revealed: ‘(I have) zero regrets. I’ve had the most amazing three years since, and I’ve always said this from the beginning, (but) I wish that it happened in a better way.’
Aside from fitness, Sarah also revealed that she recently qualified as a pole instructor and will soon qualify as an intuitive psychology coach
The actress has been married to Jonathan Smith since 2018 and the couple share their son Stanley, seven
Discussing her axing from the show, Sarah added: ‘It didn’t need to happen the way it did but everything happens for a reason.’
‘It’s one of the best things that could have happened to me in terms of the freedom it’s given me in many aspects of my life and the opportunities to try other things.’
She added: ‘I probably would have never left (the show) and now I’d be in (the same situation) that a lot of people are in there not knowing what’s going on.’
Aside from fitness and her Hollyoaks reunion, Sarah also revealed that she recently qualified as a pole instructor and will soon qualify as an intuitive psychology coach.
Revealing that her aim overall was to inspire women to feel more confident within themselves, Sarah said: ‘I just love what I’ve been able to do over the past three years. Now I inspire women to be more confident,’
‘Mums, women over 40, young girls to have confidence to just be themselves.’
‘I think ever since everything happened to me at work, and ever since I’ve turned 40 I’ve had a real epiphany of going “Why do I care what other people think?”
