A WEIGHT loss leader prepared for a busy new year by meeting reality TV star Mark Wright.

Amie Meloy, who manages Slimming World groups in Burnley and Pendle, said she is aiming to promote the importance of improving health as the new year starts.

The Only Way is Essex star Wright, who now fronts ITV2 show Take Me Out The Gossip, met Amie recently at the weight loss organisation’s annual awards ceremony to celebrate its most successful slimmers.

Amie, who lost 10 stones with the weight loss programme, was thrilled to get the chance to pose for a photo with Mark, at the event in Birmingham.

Mark said: “I was abs-olutely blown away by the people who joined us on stage.

“I couldn’t believe how much weight they’d lost, and what a difference it had made to their lives.

“They were like compl-etely different people.

“In fact, throughout the day I met so many fantastic people, not only the slimmers collecting awards, but also amazing people like Amie, who run and manage the Slimming World groups and help them achieve so much.”

Amie, who slimmed down from 21 stone 8lbs, said meet- ing Mark was the perfect ending to a great year.

“But there’s still a lot of work to be done,” she said.

“With one of the highest levels of obesity in Europe right here in the UK, we want to help even more people to slim down and improve their health start-ing this January.

“At this time of year lots of people will be making new year’s resolutions and pledging to lose weight, and we’d love anyone who wants to make a change to come along and join us.”

More details of the Burnley and Pendle groups can be found by calling 0844 897 8000 or visit www.slimm ingworld.com