Fern BrittonFern BrittonThere's been much chatter around Fern Britton and her waist size.

But what's the, erm, skinny on it all?

Well, the TV presenter has admitted to having a stomach operation to help her shed unwanted kilos.

Fern admitted she had a gastric band fitted two years ago to help her lose weight, and the Daily Mirror says she's since shed around five stone.

The ITV This Morning co-host released a statement saying that while she was "very pleased" with the results, she wouldn't necessarily want to influence others in following her lead.

Her statement said: "As I know, many people are interested in my weight loss over the past two years.

"As interest is so high, I am making public, as a personal choice, that I had a gastric band operation two years ago.

"I did this purely for myself and I would not wish to influence others to do the same. But for me it has worked and I am very pleased with the results."