Littler Britton..

TV favourite Fern Britton hits the beach in a bikini and happily reveals she's not quite as big a star as she was.

Just three years ago ITV's bubbly This Morning presenter was snapped on the sands in a skimpy two-piece and definitely looked more flab than fab.

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Our unforgiving photo was enough to prompt mum-of-four Fern to take dramatic measures-and SECRETLY underwent a gastric-band operation.

Pride

As she continued to loudly champion the "fuller-figured" woman Fern quickly dropped four dress sizes-from a 22 to a more svelte 16.

In public she always credited her stunning weight loss to exercise and healthy eating, declaring: "It's taken me two years and a lot of hard work. I can wear my bikini with pride."

And she used her new slimline image to bank a £200,000 deal with crispbread firm Ryvita and make a top-selling fitness DVD. BUT when the News of The World exclusively revealed Fern's big fat fib in June, fans were furious at being misled.

Nevertheless, despite the shrinking figure her cuddly personality proved as big as ever. Fern, 51, owned up and confessed she'd been driven on by the fear of an early grave.

And on her family beach holiday in Cornwall, with TV chef hubby Phil Vickery, the newly-toned star looked full of life-if a bit glum-after bodyboarding in the surf.

In a recent interview with Slim At Home mag, Fern said: "Now I'm very happy. Enough weight has disappeared to make a difference. It's nice to inhabit a slightly different shape. Everything I have does seem to fit better."

So now just give us a smile. . . because you're looking GREAT Britton!