Gok laid bare

There aren’t many stylists who would admit to having the occasional sartorially bad day but Gok Wan isn’t your average fashion expert.

Affable and kind yet brutally honest, Gok freely admits even the professionals can make a fashion faux pas sometimes.

“A few years ago I woke up and thought, ‘I’m going wear beige today’. I put on a beige roll-neck jumper, a pair of beige shoes, beige trousers and a beige jacket. I was working at a furniture store at the time and everyone laughed at me – I looked like the interior of a Ford Cortina.

“It was the most hideous outfit I’ve ever worn and my best friends still take the mickey to this day,” admits Gok, laughing at the memory.

With his boy-next-door charm and ability to transform the most self-loathing women into catwalk models, Gok, 33, has earned a place in the hearts of the female population.

Born to an English mother and Hong Kong/Chinese father, the path to being a super-stylist hasn’t always run smoothly. His early years were spent on a council estate in Leicester before moving to London to study acting and education at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

At that time he weighed 21 stone. “I was twice the size I am now,” he says.

“Weight is such a visual thing that people automatically judge you. When I got to drama school I decided to lose the weight because I was fed up with explaining why I was big and I was desperate to be an actor at that time.

“It worked but dieting was a hard thing to do, especially as my parents owned a restaurant. When I lost my weight I was at a stage where I was starting to understand who I was as a person.

“Looking good is about maintaining who you are and if you don’t like that person from the start, then you don’t stand a chance,” he explains.

Empathetic to anyone’s battle of the bulge, Gok doesn’t advocate extreme diets and now eats sensibly himself.

“I have a couple of golden rules that I still live by to maintain my weight. Drinking lots of water is the first one and I try to cut out fried food as much as possible. I love sushi and I snack on nuts.

“But I do have some vices; I smoke and I drink – my favourite drink being lager – and that puts weight on you,” he says.

While fashion is often written off as frivolous and disposable, Gok firmly believes what you wear can transform your life.

“I’ve always loved the idea of image being able to change how people treat you. The psychology behind fashion has always interested me. I think self-esteem, self-worth and confidence are more important in our lives than we give them credit for,” he says.

Despite being a household name, Gok is still devoted to his family – mum Myra, dad John Tung Shing, sister Oilen and brother Kwoklyn. “I couldn’t work out why I was in such a bad mood the other day and then I realised it was because I hadn’t spoken to my mum.

"So I spoke to her for two hours, then to my dad and then my brother. They make it all feel all right and are a huge influence in my life,” says Gok.

The first series of How To Look Good Naked screened in 2006. Gok isn’t just the presenter but helped to create the format.

“I think a lot of the success of the show is down to the off-screen banter, which breaks down boundaries.

“On Naked we have this incredibly tight production unit and we get on really well. The women who are taken on the journey are automatically a part of that group. I feel I’m doing something good. I hope I’m changing people’s lives and I care about that,” he says.

Currently Gok is supporting this year’s Cancer Research UK 5km Race For Life, plus helping women achieve the seemingly impossible – how to look good while exercising.

“Luckily, the days of Spandex and Lycra are gone. Fashionable exercise clothing is key – not only will it make you look and feel good it will make your workout more comfortable,” he says.

Although Gok already has a packed schedule, it hasn’t stopped him taking on new projects.

“I am about to start filming a new show for Channel 4 called Gok’s Clothes Show. I’ve got a new book coming out, which I’m having to write at midnight because it’s the only spare time I have.”

Gok admits he’s still adjusting to being recognised wherever he goes. “Going out food shopping is like going to a party. I get people coming up to me saying, ‘How’s your mum?’ It’s phenomenal.”

But being a TV personality has had one unexpected advantage for Gok.

“People got wind of the fact that I’m single and since then I’ve had a lot of blind-date offers. Everyone seems keen to set me up with their gay best friend. That never happened before I was on television,” he jokes.

** Gok Wan is backing Tesco’s association with Cancer Research UK’s Race For Life.

To enter the event, visit www.raceforlife.org or call 0871 641 2282.

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