My Man Had A Midlife Makeover

Teeth whitening, supplements, face creams. We find out what it’s really like when your partner becomes a self-tanning hunk

- Alley Einstein

What do Simon Cowell, Gregg Wallace and Huw Edwards all have in common? They have all had a midlife makeover – with gym routines, spray tans and pearly-white teeth. Music mogul Simon, 60, even went vegan and cut back on alcohol, losing a​ stone and a half in weight. Fans were shocked at the transformation, but one woman has seen it all before. Here, Cara French, 45, explains how she watched as her chain-smoking, takeaway-loving partner Neil, 46, changed into a vegan gym-lover and self-tanning hunk.

‘I joked that he was having an affair with the gym’

Cara French is a lab technician. She lives in Rhyl, Denbighshire, with her partner, Neil Coates, 46.

‘Neil and I met at a party nine years ago,’ explains Cara. ‘He was working as a firefighter, doing 12-hour shifts. He loved his food and had takeaways at least four times a week. And at weekends, we enjoyed long lie-ins and going out for a curry.’