xCharliex
19-07-2006, 19:23
I HAVE LOST 2ST AND LOVE MY SEXY NEW IMAGE
BAD GIRLS STAR ANTONIA OKONMA HAS SHAPED UP, AND WITH A NEW IMAGE IS HOPING TO CRACK HOLLYWOOD. HERE'S HOW SHE GOT HER SEXY BODY BACK
By Steve Smith
FANS of Bad Girls may have noticed something different about Yardie drug dealer Darlene Cake lately...
Gone are all those shapeless gangster rapper clothes. These days Darlene looks more like a hotpantswearing Bond girl.
And the reason for this sexy new image? Antonia Okonma, the 22-year-old actress who plays her, has just lost two stone, and can boast she's now the same weight as when she was a 16-year-old model.
Antonia, who was born in London to Nigerian parents, hit the headlines a couple of years ago when she talked of being bullied by some older cast members on the hit ITV1 drama.
One actress had called her "a big dog" and taunted her for having a belly at her age.
"She was right," says Antonia, who's enjoying a break in Malta. "All my weight goes to my belly, and I used to look pregnant when I'd overeaten.
"Back then I lived on McDonald's and crisps. Once, while I was munching down my third bar of chocolate, one of my friends joked, 'Eat like that, baby, and the only movie you'll be doing is Big Mama 3...'
All the jokes and teasing hurt me at the time but they made me take a good look at what I had become."
Having gone into modelling at such a young age, Antonia was no stranger to yo-yo dieting. She says she often had to starve herself. "But when I was 18 I gave myself a reality check - it's just not healthy or wise for a young woman not to eat."
Faced with losing weight this time around, however, Antonia decided to be sensible and asked Patrick Topolis, a personal trainer who's worked with Hollywood stars, to help devise her own diet and exercise plan.
"I knew I couldn't starve myself like I used to because I'd been eating like a horse and I needed plenty of food," she explains. "So with Patrick's help I created my own diet.
"First I cut back on wheat and dairy. Then we worked on the principle that if I ate small amounts of food six times a day, instead of three large meals, I'd be less likely to snack on junk and I wouldn't get bored. It took a few days to get used to but I'm thrilled with the results."
Antonia's new body is also the result of a well thought-out exercise plan - although she's careful not to overdo it.
She says: "I hit the gym four times a week now. But gym junkies can be as unhealthy as food or drug junkies. I have seen friends get moody or even depressed just because they haven't been to the gym or had a workout that week."
Antonia uses a running machine three times a week for 30 minutes a time. "I press the 'fat burn' level and increase the resistance to the maximum. Then instead of running I power walk, which burns more fat than jogging and is much better for my joints. I have to be careful, being 6ft tall, that I don't hurt my knees or my back when I exercise.
"After that I lift weights for half an hour, exercising a different body part during each workout. On top of all that I take the stairs at work and walk wherever I can. And I'm really careful to listen to my body, which is important."
Antonia's strict Christian upbringing - which couldn't have been more different from Darlene's - has helped keep her feet on the ground. As well as her faith, she is involved with charities, helping to take sick children to Lapland and working with Water Relief in Africa. Despite having been introduced to a showbiz lifestyle - thanks to her own career and a former relationship with Big Brovaz rapper Flawless - she'd never entertain taking drugs, even if they kept her weight down.
"I don't even drink," says Antonia. "In my family, there is no such thing as class C or A drugs - they're all bad. I realise I have an addictive personality and I would be the one to get hooked.
"Apart from cannabis, I hadn't even seen drugs until recently when I was at a party and an actor I know went to get something out of his wallet and all this white powder came flying out.
"I had no idea what it was - I'd never seen cocaine before. No matter how trendy it is, I never, ever want to go near it."
Another thing she's steering clear of is a musical career. Mention her moment as Tina Turner on ITV1's Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes and the colour drains from her face. "I cried when they finished making me over. I had heels that made me 6ft 5in, red lips and the worst wig. It was: 'Tonight, I'm going to be Lenny Henry in drag.'"
But in all the excitement, Antonia had forgotten one vital point - she couldn't actually sing. Even now, recalling the whole thing makes her squirm, and it's safe to say there won't be any more quests for pop stardom any time soon.
The third series of Bad Girls will, however, be the last, and in true Darlene style she leaves Larkhall Prison with a bang. "I can't give much away, but you do see Darlene's sensitive side. And there is a fire and kidnapping involved."
After promoting her final stint in Bad Girls this August, Antonia's off to find fame and fortune in Hollywood. She has an agent and manager in Los Angeles and her return to her earlier super-svelte form has helped her cause no end.
"When everyone pointed out I was getting more like a house than a house model, my confidence took a nosedive," says Antonia. "Being so tall and overweight, I used to feel like a transvestite. But as you can see now, I'm definitely all woman.
"Darlene is a lot sexier this time round, so watch out boys!"
BAD GIRLS STAR ANTONIA OKONMA HAS SHAPED UP, AND WITH A NEW IMAGE IS HOPING TO CRACK HOLLYWOOD. HERE'S HOW SHE GOT HER SEXY BODY BACK
By Steve Smith
FANS of Bad Girls may have noticed something different about Yardie drug dealer Darlene Cake lately...
Gone are all those shapeless gangster rapper clothes. These days Darlene looks more like a hotpantswearing Bond girl.
And the reason for this sexy new image? Antonia Okonma, the 22-year-old actress who plays her, has just lost two stone, and can boast she's now the same weight as when she was a 16-year-old model.
Antonia, who was born in London to Nigerian parents, hit the headlines a couple of years ago when she talked of being bullied by some older cast members on the hit ITV1 drama.
One actress had called her "a big dog" and taunted her for having a belly at her age.
"She was right," says Antonia, who's enjoying a break in Malta. "All my weight goes to my belly, and I used to look pregnant when I'd overeaten.
"Back then I lived on McDonald's and crisps. Once, while I was munching down my third bar of chocolate, one of my friends joked, 'Eat like that, baby, and the only movie you'll be doing is Big Mama 3...'
All the jokes and teasing hurt me at the time but they made me take a good look at what I had become."
Having gone into modelling at such a young age, Antonia was no stranger to yo-yo dieting. She says she often had to starve herself. "But when I was 18 I gave myself a reality check - it's just not healthy or wise for a young woman not to eat."
Faced with losing weight this time around, however, Antonia decided to be sensible and asked Patrick Topolis, a personal trainer who's worked with Hollywood stars, to help devise her own diet and exercise plan.
"I knew I couldn't starve myself like I used to because I'd been eating like a horse and I needed plenty of food," she explains. "So with Patrick's help I created my own diet.
"First I cut back on wheat and dairy. Then we worked on the principle that if I ate small amounts of food six times a day, instead of three large meals, I'd be less likely to snack on junk and I wouldn't get bored. It took a few days to get used to but I'm thrilled with the results."
Antonia's new body is also the result of a well thought-out exercise plan - although she's careful not to overdo it.
She says: "I hit the gym four times a week now. But gym junkies can be as unhealthy as food or drug junkies. I have seen friends get moody or even depressed just because they haven't been to the gym or had a workout that week."
Antonia uses a running machine three times a week for 30 minutes a time. "I press the 'fat burn' level and increase the resistance to the maximum. Then instead of running I power walk, which burns more fat than jogging and is much better for my joints. I have to be careful, being 6ft tall, that I don't hurt my knees or my back when I exercise.
"After that I lift weights for half an hour, exercising a different body part during each workout. On top of all that I take the stairs at work and walk wherever I can. And I'm really careful to listen to my body, which is important."
Antonia's strict Christian upbringing - which couldn't have been more different from Darlene's - has helped keep her feet on the ground. As well as her faith, she is involved with charities, helping to take sick children to Lapland and working with Water Relief in Africa. Despite having been introduced to a showbiz lifestyle - thanks to her own career and a former relationship with Big Brovaz rapper Flawless - she'd never entertain taking drugs, even if they kept her weight down.
"I don't even drink," says Antonia. "In my family, there is no such thing as class C or A drugs - they're all bad. I realise I have an addictive personality and I would be the one to get hooked.
"Apart from cannabis, I hadn't even seen drugs until recently when I was at a party and an actor I know went to get something out of his wallet and all this white powder came flying out.
"I had no idea what it was - I'd never seen cocaine before. No matter how trendy it is, I never, ever want to go near it."
Another thing she's steering clear of is a musical career. Mention her moment as Tina Turner on ITV1's Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes and the colour drains from her face. "I cried when they finished making me over. I had heels that made me 6ft 5in, red lips and the worst wig. It was: 'Tonight, I'm going to be Lenny Henry in drag.'"
But in all the excitement, Antonia had forgotten one vital point - she couldn't actually sing. Even now, recalling the whole thing makes her squirm, and it's safe to say there won't be any more quests for pop stardom any time soon.
The third series of Bad Girls will, however, be the last, and in true Darlene style she leaves Larkhall Prison with a bang. "I can't give much away, but you do see Darlene's sensitive side. And there is a fire and kidnapping involved."
After promoting her final stint in Bad Girls this August, Antonia's off to find fame and fortune in Hollywood. She has an agent and manager in Los Angeles and her return to her earlier super-svelte form has helped her cause no end.
"When everyone pointed out I was getting more like a house than a house model, my confidence took a nosedive," says Antonia. "Being so tall and overweight, I used to feel like a transvestite. But as you can see now, I'm definitely all woman.
"Darlene is a lot sexier this time round, so watch out boys!"