Funnier Fat? Celeb Dieters Lose More Than Weight

Star Jones and RoseanneEver notice how some of your favorite celebs lose more than just weight when they go on a health kick? Being healthy should definitely be a priority, but there's no doubt that sometimes jokes get bigger laughs when they come from bigger bodies.

In their quest to avoid becoming another plus-sized comedy casualty like Belushi, Candy or Farley, some stars have had to sacrifice their funny bone in order to shed their big bones.

Check out which celebs traded being fun for being fit.

Star Jones
Star Jones

Star Jones Reynolds has dropped 150 pounds and gone from pleasantly plump to frighteningly freaky. Unfortunately, it seems that along with the fat, she also had all the fun sucked out of her, too.

Ever since Star announced her engagement to former bachelor Al Reynolds and started her dietapalooza - things have gone downhill.

First came the criticism for commercializing her wedding plans on "The View," followed by rampant rumors questioning Al's sexuality - which Star vehemently denies.  The final straw may have been the fact that she has never revealed how she drastically lost all her weight -- a point that soon to be "View" co-host Rosie O'Donnell has been very vocal in critiquing. And after ABC let Jones go, even Barbara Walters admitted "the audience was losing trust in her. They didn't believe some of the things she said."

One thing is for sure: whether fat or thin, Star will continue to be the butt of jokes.

Al RokerAl Roker

As a 320-pound weatherman, Al Roker made finding out what was "going on in your neck of the woods" a jolly good time.

In his big days, Roker routinely appeared on comedy staples like "Seinfeld," "Will & Grace" and "Saturday Night Live." But ever since he lost 100 pounds via gastric bypass surgery in 2002, Al has become somewhat of a comedy black cloud. 

Furthermore, his new camera-ready look has led to more serious interviews and segments on the show -- like interviewing former fatty Star Jones Reynolds on Friday.  While we're all for a healthier Al, we just wish he'd take a cue from his weight loss and lighten up.

RoseanneRoseanne

Whether trading barbs with the rest of the Conner clan on her TV show or famously butchering the Star Spangled Banner, no woman was funnier than Roseanne in the 90s.

Famous for her plus-size domestic goddess chic, Roseanne and her self-titled series spent six years in the top five in the ratings. After the show went off the air in 1997, Roseanne lost weight, went blonde, had plastic surgery and saw three projects get cancelled or die a premature death. 

While she make look slightly more glam, sadly, the funniest thing about her career these days is that she barely has one.

Ricki LakeRicki Lake


Ricki Lake first garnered nationwide recognition playing overweight characters in campy, over-the-top films like John Waters' "Hairspray" and "Cry-Baby."

Those stints and a little thing like a 125-pound weight loss led to her role as a trashy talk show host. Throughout the 11 seasons of her self-titled talk show -- that's right, 11 -- Lake's low-rent topics proved to be more tragic than anything else.

Since the show's demise in 2004, Lake hasn't regained any of the weight -- or her career.

Filed under: Wacky & Weird, Life Style

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(Page 3 of 3)Previous 15 Comments

31. I don't mind celebrities losing weight. I think they just lose their CORE audience when they not only lose the weight but develope the same attitudes and predjudices against other fat people; ie: Star Jones.

If Star Jones was a smart and savvy businesswoman(and she is NOT) she could have done as Oprah did-take her audience on her journey. I agree with Star for not promoting ONE particular weight loss method-BUT she could have mentioned her struggles, Pre-Shine and her audience would have been far more receptive to her book Shine.

Star Jones played her audience for fools. She had the procedure pre Al, the public really didn't SEE the results until after the wedding. Gay or straight, I could care less about Al, but Star continuosly lied to her audience and consistantly made hypocritical statements.

I can remember when she lost me as a fan: The moment she stated that now that she had Al-she didn't need FRIENDS. This came from a woman whom for YEARS touted her friendships and the value of her friendships-now that he had a so-called pedigreed man-the rest are now irrelevant.

Oprah never turned off her audience. She carried them with her on her journey and that is why Oprah remains beloved by her audience-while maintaing her personal life unto herself.

Posted at 7:31AM on Jul 5th 2006 by C.C.

32. i just want say that no matter what or how star lost the weight ,she has really changed and i felt like i lost a friend ,i mean she seemed to me happier and funnier when she heavy ,and closer to her view friends.and fans...i don't really like looking at her that much anymore and i do wish she would relize that the way she lost the weight was to quick,and unhealthy... and if her man loved her like he do ? then he should have said something to before and while her weight was dropping so fast...i just want everyone to know that i still see the old and beautiful STAR JONES....UNIQUE LYRIC

Posted at 8:24PM on Jul 5th 2006 by niki

33. i just want to say to that muff chick. YOU ARE SO CRUEL AND NO MATTER HOW YOU FEEL YOUR HEART WEIGHS LESS THAN A PENNY YOU ARE VERY THOUGHT LESS AND MEAN FOR ALL WE KNOW YOU MIGHT 400 POUNDS AND HURTING INSIDE AND THE ONLY WAY TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF IS TO DOWN PEOPLE THAT LOVES THEM SELVES,GET THERAPY!!! YOU BITCH!!!

Posted at 8:29PM on Jul 5th 2006 by niki

34. i just want to say to that muff chick. YOU ARE SO CRUEL AND NO MATTER HOW YOU FEEL YOUR HEART WEIGHS LESS THAN A PENNY YOU ARE VERY THOUGHT LESS AND MEAN FOR ALL WE KNOW YOU MIGHT 400 POUNDS AND HURTING INSIDE AND THE ONLY WAY TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF IS TO DOWN PEOPLE THAT LOVES THEM SELVES,GET THERAPY!!! YOU BITCH!!!

Posted at 8:29PM on Jul 5th 2006 by niki

35. Well rather for health reason alone these people are better off.

Posted at 9:08PM on Jul 5th 2006 by Stan Heck

36. One more thing why did you forget Carnie WIlson?

Posted at 9:10PM on Jul 5th 2006 by Stan Heck

37. Star is beautiful the way she is. You people who have nothing better to do than critisize her because her head is "too big for her body" etc....I'm sure y'all have flaws too. No one is perfect. What matters is that she has lowered her risk of heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. She has prolonged her life, not only for herself, but for her family and the people who care about her. She was the only "real" person on the View. She never hid behind a mask. She is who she is. And I applaud her for standing up against Barbara. And talk about plastic surgery! Barbara is as old as time, yet somehow her skin continues to look great.......
Star wil go on and do her own thing.

Posted at 2:13AM on Jul 7th 2006 by Tara

38. Is it me or does Star Jones look extremely creepy?
What's up with the same pose in every single picture?
She has been stating that her viewers deserve the truth about her being fired. What about coming clean on the plastic surgery and gastric bypass?

Posted at 11:41AM on Jun 1st 2007 by Kelly

39. Creepy McSpookster - The mayor of Yuckville, home of the heebiejeebies!

Nuff Said

Posted at 11:42AM on Jun 1st 2007 by Kelly

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