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And she celebrated her incredible achievement with former England rugby international James Haskell, who described her as a ‘role model’. Jemma Jones was one of just 42 women to secure a place at the semi-finals of Slimming World’s Woman of the Year 2025 competition, held at Slimming World’s head office in Derbyshire, after losing an incredible 5st 13lbs. Jemma, who slimmed from 15st 10.5slbs to 9st 11.5lbs, earned her place at the semi-finals after the members of her group in Stafford Rangers voted for her to represent them nationally. She says: “Before I joined Slimming World, I felt stuck. My weight was affecting me on the inside and out – it impacted my health and the way I felt about myself. My confidence was low and I was self-conscious about my size, but I didn’t know how to change things. “It was struggling with sleep apnoea and needing a CPAP machine as well as always feeling achy and tired that jolted me into doing something about it. Finding Slimming World was a turning point. I didn’t realise then that it would be the best decision I’d ever make. “I discovered a way of eating that worked for me and my life – it wasn’t like a diet at all and I couldn’t believe it when I lost 6.5lbs in my first week. I didn’t have to give up the meals I loved, old favourites like spaghetti bolognaise, cheeseburgers, roast dinners and fajitas were still on the menu, just cooked in a healthier way. I started trimming the fat off meat and using low-calorie cooking spray instead of oil, for instance. It wasn’t long before people started noticing, and that gave me the motivation to keep going.” Jemma says the support of her Slimming World group kept her motivation high too: “My Slimming World group and my Consultant have been incredible. The support, ideas and encouragement from everyone each week helped me believe I could do this. Going to the group each week was a reset for me, and they’ve been there for me every step of the way. Each week we’d talk about any challenges we had coming up or share new recipes we’d tried, and I learned so much – about food, and about myself and my own relationship with food.” As name started to lose weight she began to think about becoming more active. She says: “My Consultant would often talk about Slimming World’s activity support programme and how important activity was for your overall health. As I lost weight and felt more confident, I decided to give it a go. I started by walking around the village after lunch and dinner and now I’ve built that up and go further for longer, even pushing my son in his wheelchair. I find it really helps me mentally and emotionally too.” James, who played for England in two Rugby World Cups and earned 77 caps for England, is known for promoting mental and physical wellbeing and was full of admiration for Jemma’s journey. He said: “Jemma has done something truly inspiring. She’s taken control of her health, built her confidence and developed life-long healthy habits. It shows that with the right support and mindset, you can achieve the things you set out to. She’s become stronger – physically and mentally – and for that she’s a real role model.” Julie who runs the Stafford Rangers Slimming World group says she is so proud of what she’s achieved. She says: “Jemma is a star and watching her journey has been a privilege. She’s not just lost weight, she’s grown in confidence and self-belief. She’s a huge support to others in group and a brilliant example of what can be achieved. Losing weight isn’t easy, we know that, and support plays a huge role in people’s motivation and success. "Whether you are just starting your journey, need some extra support to develop healthy eating, or you’ve been a member before, we’ve made some exciting new changes at our groups and I’d love to welcome anyone to pop along to our group at Stafford Rangers on Thursdays at 5.30pm and 7pm or you can call me on 07308 305090 to find out more.”
