Ruth Jones credits hypnotism in weight loss as she marks split from husband

Ruth Jones has revealed she turned to a hypnotist to develop an aversion to chocolate in a bid to lose 4.5 stone, just weeks before publicly confirming her split from husband David Peet after 26 years of marriage. The Gavin and Stacey star, 59, has been showing off a slimmer frame in recent weeks, including appearances after she and Peet announced their separation.

Jones showed off her transformation after attending the National Television Awards earlier this month, where she wore a sequinned burgundy gown as she accepted the award for Best Comedy following Gavin and Stacey’s finale. The star has been candid about her attempts to slim down and the measures she has tried along the way, including working with a hypnotherapist to curb her cravings for chocolate.

In a late-2024 interview, Jones said she enlisted hypnotist Paul McKenna to help her engineer an aversion to her biggest vice. “I was a little bit cynical. You think of something you hate eating, then think of the chocolate. And keep alternating,” she recalled, adding that she remembered mushy peas from school dinners and that the technique “completely worked. I didn’t eat chocolate for five years. I couldn’t stand the smell of it.” The transformation has been described in media as substantial, with fans noting a visible change by the time she appeared at the NTAs.

Jones later told the Table Manners podcast that she thought she was “sorted,” and she subsequently unsubscribed from McKenna’s email list. She noted that the aversion faded over time, and that chocolate once again became part of her routine. The split from Peet was announced weeks after she described her ongoing efforts to manage her weight, and Peet has since moved on with another partner.

The couple’s separation was confirmed in May, with reports that Peet relocated to Canada to be with education assistant Jayne Charity Cook. In a joint statement, they stressed they remained on good terms and that their friendship had endured the split. The news surprised many in show business, where the pair had long been considered a stable fixture.

Jones has spoken in the past about weight loss, including an earlier 2011 effort in which she shed 4.5 stone over 22 months by controlling portions and calories rather than adopting fad diets. She has cited a daily intake of approximately 1,250 to 1,500 calories during that period, emphasizing a long-term, sustainable approach rather than short-term fixes.

In addition to her screen career, Jones has been promoting other creative projects. She appeared recently without her wedding ring at appearances, including a Bath Literary Festival event this spring where she discussed her novel By Your Side. Following Gavin and Stacey’s finale, she and longtime collaborator James Corden are developing a new show for Apple TV, titled The Choir. Deadline reports the six-part series centers on two previously estranged siblings, Ben (Corden) and Lisa (Jones), as they navigate a life they thought they had left behind. The project lists both as executive producers, signaling a continued high-profile collaboration between the pair.

As Jones moves forward with her professional projects, the focus remains on her public life, her health and wellness journey, and the creative ventures that have kept her at the center of British culture and entertainment for decades. The 59-year-old star continues to balance personal changes with a prolific career, underscoring the evolving narrative of a performer who remains a recognizable face in television, literature, and streaming.