"Big Bee" is celebrating his new wasp waist after shedding more than 11 stone from his oversized body.

Brendan O'Donnell's feat won him the title Slimming World's Man of the Year 2014.

"I was nicknamed ‘Big Bee’ as a child and had struggled with my weight since school" said the 31-year-old from Driffield, East Yorkshire. "I’d been lucky and didn’t have any health problems, but I began to wonder how long I could continue with the lifestyle I was leading and remain reasonably healthy."

The turning point came on a flight home from a Spanish holiday when he had difficulty fastening his seat belt. So he joined Slimming World with his wife Sarah, and after initial nerves, changed takeaways, ready meals and convenience foods for home cooking.

Now after dropping from a XXXXXXL size and a 48-inch waist to a M-L size and a 34-inch waist, he is planning to learn to fly. Up to now he's been too heavy to go in light aircraft.

"People always say that losing weight has given them a second chance at life but I’ve never been this slim before so I feel like this is my first chance and I’m determined to make the most of it," he said.

"I’m never going back to the old Brendan, this is me forever now.”