A Luton famiily are going from fat to fit thanks to a life-changing appearance in a television series.

Linda Haddrell, her sister-in-law Eileen Haddrell, and Eileen's daughter Sarah and son-in-law Matt took part in Sky 1's Fat Families earlier this year.

Harsh though the name of the show may be, it gave the Sundon Park family the boost they needed to get off the sofa, get active and start losing weight.

For Linda there was an added incentive for getting fit - completing a cycling challenge to raise money for the Sue Ryder home at Stagenhoe Park near Hitchin where her husband, Terry, who has Parkinson's Disease, has been cared for for the past four years.

After being chosen for Fat Families last November, the foursome had a 24-hour visit from the show's diet and fitness guru, Steve Miller, who showed them where they had been going wrong.

Linda, 59, a credit controller at SKF, said: "It's basically a case of eat less, move more. At my age I pretty much know what things I should and shouldn't be eating, but portion sizes were a problem.

"I'd had arthritis and a hip operation, which had prevented me from exercising, and prior to that I had been working full time and looking after Terry. There wasn't really any time for exercise in my life.

"Being on the programme gave us a fantastic lift. It was a real eye opener."

Linda, Eileen, Sarah and Matt were each assigned a personal trainer and were schooled in making healthy choices when it came to eating.

"Steve was a great mentor," said Linda, who has had to buy a whole new wardrobe after dropping from a size 26 to a size 18. "He still keeps in touch with us now to check up on how we're getting on."

Linda lost nearly three stone, and Eileen, 50, of Fairfax Avenue, went from 22st to 17st 1lbs.

Sarah and Matt, of Whitefield Avenue, went from 21st to 16st 12lbs and from 17st 8lbs to 12st 9lbs respectively.

The whole family were there in May to cheer on Linda when she cycled 14km in one hour on her exercise bike to raise money for Sue Ryder.

"I couldn't have done even half that before," she said. "We're so grateful to Sky for the opportunity of meeting Steve. He was an absolute godsend.

"It's given me a new lease of life - I feel like I'm 40 rather than nearly 60."

The £710 she raised will go to the physiotherapy and activities departments at Stagenhoe, where Linda says the Sue Ryder staff do an amazing job looking after her husband.

"I really can't praise enough," she said.