Actor and I’m A Celebrity runner-up Jamie Lomas talks beach bodies, boxing and baring all in… Blackpool

These pictures of Jamie, 43, modelling the Jacamo Summer 2018 range, are, well, easy on the eye. But are those muscles and definition really all his – and without the help of a little Photoshop nip and tuck here and there? We sat down with the (sadly, now fully-clothed) actor for a chat…

You’ve just fronted a new campaign for Jacamo swimwear – and we have to say the shots are pretty fine! Did you go on a massive fitness regime when you found out you’d got the gig?
‘After the jungle all I’d been doing was eating and drinking because my body felt like I was never going to eat again after losing all that weight. I had five weeks to prepare so I had to really put the work in. I was doing a lot of boxing and training.’

Spill the beans… did you pile on fake tan prior to the shoot?
‘No, it was all natural – we’ve been so lucky with the weather recently, so I just got outside!’

And did Jacamo whisk you off to an exotic location to snap the images?
‘Yes – Costa Del Blackpool! It was great, though, as it brought back a lot of memories for me from when I used to visit when I was young.’

Why did you agree to front their latest campaign?
‘Jacamo is a Manchester company, and being a Manchester lad it was a great fit! I always thought Jacamo was for bigger and taller people, but it’s not – they cater for everybody.’

Fitness is obviously a big part of your life. Do you think men are under the same amount of pressure as women when it comes to having the right ‘type’ of body and certain look?
‘With social media and people posting, I think everybody is under pressure. I do it to keep myself healthy and fit and for that reason alone. As we’re getting older we have to look after ourselves, don’t we?’

What about airbrushing – were you tempted to ask the Jacamo team to add more definition or make your muscles look even bigger?
‘Ha ha – no way! That’s all mine. Everybody can do anything they want to their pics these days, and if it makes people feel better then that’s fine. I don’t personally agree with it, but even the filters on your phones make you look slightly different in the pictures.’

So what’s your ideal type of woman and why?
‘I’m a sucker for a pretty face, but I need somebody I can have a laugh and conversation with.’

Back to fitness… what’s your secret?
‘I train with a mate who’s a personal trainer, and we meet up three to four times a week. I also box a couple of times a week, but I usually have the weekends off.’

What about food and healthy eating? Are you all lean protein, eggs and avocado 24/7?
‘It depends. If I’ve got something that I’m working towards, like this campaign for example, then I’m good. But that’s also why I train as well, because then I can eat what I want in moderation. You are what you eat at the end of the day, so I try to eat well Monday to Friday then have what I want at the weekend.’

What about grooming? Does being in your 40s mean you now spend more time looking after your skin?
‘I moisturise every day, and go for a wet shave at the barbers every week and trim my beard, too.’

You’re also well immersed in the fashion world now, working with both Jacamo and Matalan. Have your views on men’s fashion, and what you like to wear, changed over the years?
‘I think they change all the time, and you have to go with what’s relevant from year to year. I try not to follow the crowd as such and I wear what I feel comfortable in. But then I did this shoot, trying different clothes on that I wouldn’t normally wear, and it really changed my opinion. I’ve started to try a few new looks now.’

What outfit are you most comfortable in and why?
‘Probably a black t-shirt and jeans.’

And what outfit would you never be caught dead in and why?
‘A pair of Speedos!’

Moving on to acting. Are there any worldwide TV shows on your bucket list?
‘There are so many great shows at the moment I couldn’t choose, but Netflix and Amazon are really upping the game at the moment.’

Which actors would you love to work with and why?
‘Where do I start? There’s loads of people I’d love to work with, but maybe Tom Hardy and Robert De Niro?’

Finally, please tell Celebrity Secrets one secret that you’ve never revealed until now…
‘If there’s something they don’t know then there’s a reason why they don’t know it! I’ll keep that one to myself…’

As part of an ongoing relationship with Jacamo, Jamie Lomas is modelling the Summer 2018 range that is available exclusively online from Jacamo, with sizes up to 5XL. Jacamo.co.uk