Bob Hearts Abishola star Billy Gardell opens up about major weight loss as he admits he ‘had to make changes’ but feels ‘free’

BOB Hearts Abishola star Billy Gardell has completely changed since his early sitcom days.

The actor opened up about his weight loss to Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos and admitted he “feels free.”

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When Billy, 54, appeared on Live With Kelly and Mark on Friday to talk about the end of Bob Heart’s Abishola, Mark, 53, praised the actor for his weight loss.

“Billy, you look great,” he said.

“Ah, yes. I went from an old Jackie Gleeson to a young Paul Newman,” Billy joked.

The hosts laughed and then Kelly, 53, asked if he had been on a health journey for a while.

Bill said that over the past three years, he made a lifestyle change because he was at high risk of contracting Covid-19 due to being overweight, type 2 diabetes, asthma and smoking.

“I told my wife, ‘If they find a medicine where this stuff doesn’t kill us, I’m going to change everything,” the CBS star said.

“And as soon as they did that, I had bariatric surgery. And then I just followed a routine every day. And then I freed myself. I freed myself.”

The audience applauded as they showed a before and after photo of Billy.

The actor lost more than 150 pounds after surgery.

RECOVERY PROCESS

Kelly then asked Billy if recovery from surgery was difficult.

“Well, you wake up from surgery and you’re like, ‘Oh God. What did I do?'” the Mike & Molly star joked.

Billy said it was worth it when he saw his body change and his blood numbers drop.

“I’m not taking any medication, my diabetes is gone. So it’s all good, you know?” he told the hosts.

“This is amazing! Life changing,” Kelly said.

“And now I can annoy my wife a little more, so I’m happy about that,” Billy smiled at the camera.

Billy has been married to Patty Gardell, comedian and actress, since 2001.

They have one son together, a song named William III.

‘SO GRATEFUL’

Mark wondered if Billy still had any guilty pleasures.

“Well, the Hulk is still there. I have to keep him away, you know what I mean?” Billy said.

“I’m constantly a hostage negotiator between my brain and my stomach because my brain is like, ‘Uh, you can’t eat that. You’re full’ and my stomach is like, ‘That’s never stopped us before.'”

The hosts laughed when Billy said he balances himself and works on it every day.

“I’m really grateful. I mean, I don’t have to take a deep breath before I bend down to tie my shoes now, so that’s a good thing,” Billy concluded.

‘LIFE CHANGING’

Billy and the hosts then talked about the Bob Hearts Abishola finale, in which Billy’s weight loss was documented.

After five seasons, the CBS comedy is coming to an end and the cast recently wrapped filming.

Last week, Billy reflected on working at the Warner Bros. studio. for a decade.

I’m constantly a hostage negotiator between my brain and my stomach because my brain is like, ‘Uh, you can’t eat that. You’re full’ and my stomach is like ‘This has never stopped us before

Billy Gardell

Bob Hearts Abishola stars Billy as Bob Wheeler, a middle-aged compression sock salesman from Detroit, Michigan, who has fallen in love with his cardiac nurse, Abishola, a Nigerian immigrant, played by Folake Olowofoyeku.

Season 5 premiered on February 12th and will end on May 13th.

Billy shared a selfie from the Warner Bros. studio. in Burbank, California, where he stood before the sunset, looking stoically into the camera.

“My last night at Warner Bros, working for CBS,” he subtitled your post on X, formerly Twitter.

“6 years on Mike & Molly, 5 years on Bob Loves Abishola. Thank you for an incredible, life-changing journey.”

Billy starred in Mike & Molly with Melissa McCarthy, who has also lost a lot of weight recently.

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