TOP TV chef Tom Kerridge launched his new six-part BBC lifestyle series with a trip to Hartpury’s new £8.8m Sports Academy.

The Gloucestershire- raised foody has recruited 11 volunteers from the county to join him on his weight loss and fitness challenge.

Ranging from their 20s to 60s, the group members are overweight and some have diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis.

In the first episode of Lose Weight and Get Fit, broadcast last week, the group were shown meeting Tom at Hartpury to begin their journey to improved health and fitness.

Everyone was weighed, had their body fat measured and their fitness tested in the university and college’s Human Performance Laboratory – one of the state-of-the-art facilities within the Sports Academy.

While most of the group already knew how much they weigh- ed, no one knew what was going on inside their bodies or how unfit they were.

Tom believes that ‘boring’ food and tiny portions are a recipe for diet failure so, acting as team chef, he promised to provide the group with dozens of generous and tasty calorie-counted recipes which everyone can enjoy without feeling like they’re on a diet.

For the exercise part of the challenge, which took place on Hartpury University RFC’s rugby pitch, personal trainer Adam Peacock showed the group fitness routines to help achieve their targets which could fit around their busy lifestyles.

The participants were also shown eating food Tom specially prepared for them in Gloucester Rugby’s kitchen at their Hartpury training base.

In the final episode, the group will be shown being retested at Hartpury, to see if the changes they have made to their lifestyle over two months, have made a difference to their health and fitness.

Tom said: “This isn’t about fitness fads or crash diets. I want to see what we can achieve by simply following doctor’s orders and sticking to it for a couple of months.

“I’m hoping to prove that a pain-free lifestyle change will do the trick.”

Russell Marchant, vice-chancellor of Hartpury University and Principal of Hartpury College, said: “We were absolutely delighted to host the team from Lose Weight and Get Fit with Tom Kerridge because it’s such a fantastic cause.

“I think we could all probably do with a bit of help to get fitter and lose weight after Christmas and at the start of the new year – I will certainly be watching.”

The first episode of Lose Weight and Get Fit with Tom Kerridge is available on BBC iPlayer and the series continues on BBC2 tonight (Wednesday, January 15) at 8.30pm, with a repeat on BBC1 on Saturday (January 18) at 11.30am.