Mr Motivator reveals he thinks people now take criticism of their weight ‘too personally’ despite levels of diabetes and obesity going ‘through the roof’

He rose to fame for being the man who got the nation moving – influencing people to lose weight and start exercising.

But Mr Motivator thinks that people now take criticism about their weight ‘too personally’, despite the fact levels of diabetes and obesity have ‘gone through the roof.’

The fitness fanatic, who featured on GMTV throughout the 1990s to perform exercise routines, said back then you could ‘prod’ someone’s belly and tell them they needed to shape up.

But today, people are too sensitive about their shape and size and complain that they have been fat-shamed if they’re told to get in shape, he said.

Speaking on the Loose Ends podcast, he said nowadays in the body positivity era, everyone believes they have the right ‘to be any size you want to be’.

Born Derrick Evans, 71, but known for his unitards and colourful spandex outfits, Mr Motivator said levels of diabetes and obesity have ‘gone through the roof’ because Brits spend too much time in front of the TV.

He said: ‘In those days you could actually say someone was fat if you wanted to, no one really took it that personal.

‘You could prod someone in the belly and say ‘you need to deal with that’, but we’re talking about the early 90s.

‘Now, times have changed you don’t do that because everybody should have the right to be any size you want to be.

‘But I believe my job is to say to you ‘listen, you can be a size 20 if you want, but you can be a fit 20.’

He said that he has always liked to ‘dress it up in sugary coating’ and make getting into shape ‘bright and colourful’ and ‘fun.’

He added: ‘Our obesity levels, our diabetes levels in this country have gone through the roof.

‘It’s gone through the roof because people have become lazy, we spend too much time in front of the television, we don’t actually think about the fact that we’re a wonderful specimen and we need to look after that.

‘So, my drive now is to say, ‘listen I’m 71 years of age and as far as I’m concerned I want to be the living example of someone who is going over the hill but picking up speed’.’

Mr Motivator burst into the spotlight in 1993 as the health and fitness guru on GMTV, leading the nation in their early morning workout sessions.

In September, 30 years on from his show’s debut, he delighted viewers as he returned to daytime TV for an interview on This Morning. 

The fitness instructor wowed fans with his youthful looks and abundance of energy as he chatted with Holly Willoughby and Dermot O’Leary before demonstrating an exercise routine.  

The lycra-loving legend revealed the key to his demeanour was his mindset, explaining: ‘I know being positive every day means negativity doesn’t affect me. 

‘If you practise being positive, you will always be positive.’

It hasn’t always been easy for the star, however, who reflected on the period of time when he was homeless.

The Jamaican-born fitness expert said: ‘I was living near Arsenal and I went to a homeless family unit and I’d sit outside, on my suitcase, waiting each day for them to give us somewhere to stay and to eat.

‘But all through that I really kept hope alive. All of us are going to go through difficulties but it makes you appreciate when the good times come along.’