'I LOVED BEING A BRIDE FOR A SECOND TIME'

Amanda Blackburn, 46, lives in Colchester, Essex, with husband, Kris, and children, Lenny, 12, and Scarlett, seven. She is a member at Linda Duncan's Slimming World group in Colchester

- Amanda Blackburn

Looking super smart in his pale pink shirt, my son Lenny took my arm.

'We have to do this properly, Mum,' he said, as he walked me down to a marquee that overlooked a beautiful water feature. As my husband, Kris, came into sight, waiting for me next to our daughter Scarlett ready to renew our wedding vows, I had a tear in my eye.

This, I thought, is everything I've ever wanted.

Twenty years earlier, when Kris and I got married, I'd been over 13st heavier and wore a size-28 dress. I liked it - mainly because it covered my arms - but I couldn't say I loved it. And afterwards, while I liked our photos, I didn’t love those either. In fact, the only thing I did love about our day was my husband.

Back then, I was a room leader at a day nursery where there was a constant supply of chocolate and biscuits. I was living with type 1 diabetes and fibromyalgia, but my own health took a back seat once the children came along.