Bear Grylls Treasure Island star Elissa reveals devastating 1.5st weight loss after six weeks of ‘starving to death’

BEAR Grylls Treasure Island star Elissa Corrigan lost 1.5st after “starving” on the show. The nine contestants of the Channel 4 show lost twenty stone between them across six weeks as they consistently failed to find food on the island. Writer Elissa has opened up about the dramatic effect the show had on her body, […]

BEAR Grylls Treasure Island star Elissa Corrigan lost 1.5st after “starving” on the show.

The nine contestants of the Channel 4 show lost twenty stone between them across six weeks as they consistently failed to find food on the island.

Writer Elissa has opened up about the dramatic effect the show had on her body, with bleeding gums, huge weight loss and scars from insect bites.

Speaking to The Sun Online, Elissa said: “Weeks of no sleep turns your eyes pink and I was scarred by the sand fly bites – they took two weeks to fade.

“My gums were really inflamed because I couldn’t brush my teeth properly for so long. I found a washed up toothbrush on the island, but lost it.

“I went in weighing 65kg, and left weighing 55kg – but since I came back, I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been because my body was in extreme starvation mode.”

The castaways struggled to find a clean water source or find food, having to survive off coconuts and winkle [an edible sea snail] soup.

Their fishing exhibitions failed and the contestants fantasied about fish and chips on the beach.

Jack manged to kill a seabird and an iguana with a machete, but food quickly ran out as chief meal hunters Marco and Ivar tracked down the money hidden around the island instead of dinner.

Channel 4/PA Wire

Channel 4

Contestant Ben even drank his own urine within hours of being on the show – taking inspiration from Bear Grylls.

A show insider told us: “The weight dropped off them without three meals a day – plus the constant walking and swimming.”

Channel 4 confirmed the cast lost twenty stone between them.

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