PICS: Before and after RTE's Operation Transformation - as one leader reveals nearly 3st weight loss

After weeks of tears and triumphs, 2024’s Operation Transformation stars have crossed the finishing line on their weight transformation journeys and we have our big weight loss reveal!

This time around we met six leaders – Edel O’Malley, Anne Cushen, Noel O’Connell, Michelle Rogen and Darragh Fitzgerald – who were all on mission to get in shape and adopt healthier lifestyle habits and those of us at home were with them every step of the way.

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There were tears but this time happy ones after the results were received and each of the leaders deserved a pat on the back but in particular David Fitzgerald who managed to drop the most weight over the series.

Here’s how the reveal breaks down with the before and after of each leader:

Edel O’Malley

Edel O’Malley. Pic: Supplied

With her job at the ritzy Ashford Castel it looked like Edel was living a very glam lifestyle but she very quickly struck a chord with mums around the country by sharing her relatable story of the struggles she faced as a new mum.

Despite her hectic workload Edel was on-board for all the challenges the show threw at her and never lost her sense of humour so there was no surprises to see the audience burst into applause when she strutted on screen in the final, and strut she did!

Edel could easily pass for the kinds of Hollywood A-listers that stay at her hotel in her glittering blue and gold sequin wrap dress and couldn’t resist giving a little dance as she was greeted by host Kathryn Thomas who pulled out all the stops with her €1,900 red velvet dress.

Speaking to the host about her time on the show Edel insisted that weight loss was just a small part of how much she has achieved.

Edel O’Malley on Operation Transformation. Pic: Andres Poveda

It [weight loss] never has been, [the main priority] that number reflects a small bit of what I’ve done over the past eight weeks, small so that’s the biggest thing I keep in mind.

Opening up about her biggest takeaway from her time on Operation Transformation she said it was ‘To trust myself, I can do these things I saw with you eight weeks ago and said their is no way on this earth that I will run a 5K and yesterday I did so I can do hard things and I can trust myself and I don’t have to be so hard on myself all the time.’

Judge Karl Henry congratulated Edel for nurturing her newfound self-belief but it was her husband Martin who was the proudest on the night and showered his other half with praise for how far she’s come. During one sweet moment there were tears as her friends spoke of their delight in seeing Edel smile again so how did she do?

Starting weight

• 16 stone 8 pounds (105.4KG)

Finale weight

• 14 stone 11 pounds (93.7KG)

Total weight loss

• 1 stone 11 pounds

Noel O’Connell

Operation Transformation 2024 team leader Noel O’Connell. Pic: Supplied

There were calls for 57-year-old Noel O’Connell to front his own cooking show with his wife Katrina as he stepped out for the grand finale.

The dad-of-four sashayed down the runway with a little help from his adorable son Ollie before circling back for a second ‘victory lap. ‘

Noel’s motivation for joining Operation Transformation was to tackle concerning health woes including high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, high cholesterol, type two diabetes and sleep apnea and stick around for his family for as long as possible.

Noel O’Connell on Operation Transformation. Pic: Andres Poveda

He was on the verge of tears as he spoke of the family finishing the 5K run together. Noel might have been the comedian in the group but he also found himself an advocate for men’s mental health.

Noel started out with a metabolic age of 72 and touched on how when he joined the show he was determined to do so ‘warts and all’ in the hopes of inspiring other men.

By the time the finale rolled around he had managed to claw back 21 years with a new metabolic age of 51! Dr. Sumi Dunne thanked Noel on the night for ‘opening the door’ of men’s health and highlighting the importance of screening.

Despite his enormous success, Katrina jokingly insisted that he’s still banned from their kitchen!

Starting weight

• 17 stone one pound (108.2 KG)

Finale weight

• 15 stone two pounds (96.1KG)

Total weight loss

• 1 stone 13 pounds

Michelle Rogan

Michelle Rogan. Pic: David Cantwell

When Michelle joined Operation Transformation she felt that her health anxiety was getting in the way of her living a full life.

She told Kathryn that when she looked in the mirror on finale night her first thought was ‘ah you ride!’

Michelle went on to share that ‘confidence’ and ‘believing in myself’ were her biggest transformations over the past eight weeks.

Michelle Rogan on Operation Transformation. Pic: Andres Poveda

She joined the show with a waistline measuring 45 inches and two months on managed to shave that number down to 39 inches.

Michelle set herself a personal goal of losing a stone and there was some great news on the night when she smashed her target. She won praise from Dr. Sumi for opening up about her health anxieties.

Her husband David was delighted to see her get her confidence back and spoke of how ‘she’s enjoying what she’s doing, and going shopping for herself’ and learning to occasionally put herself first.

Starting weight

• 12 Stone 7.5 pounds (79.6KG)

Finale weight

• 11 stone 7 pounds (73.3KG)

Total Weight Loss

• 1 stone 0.5 pounds

Darragh Fitzgerald

Darragh Fitzgerald. Pic: David Cantwell

Fan favourite Darragh Fitzgerald set tongues wagging in WhatsApp groups across the country. His inspiring story started out by feeling a little disconnected to his family after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in his teens,.

He was suited and booted when he stepped out for the finale but confessed that walking out was harder than his 5K run. Over the weeks Darragh and his finacée Yvonne opened up their lives to the nation.

‘Laying it all there, that’s probably been the most difficult and the most rewarding I think, I ‘m just very proud of where we’re at as family from Christmas until now, it’s been fantastic.’

Darragh Fitzgerald on Operation Transformation. Pic: Andres Poveda

After dropping close to three stone, utterly thrilled Yvonne had never known him at that weight.

‘Now I see a man that’s at the heart of his family and engaged and present,’ Dr. Eddie Murphy said of his progress.

Starting weight

• 20 stone 11 pounds (132.1KG)

Finale weight

• 17 stone 13 pounds (114KG)

Total weight loss

• 2 stone 12 pounds

Anne Cushen

Anne Cushen is a team leader on Operation Transformation 2024. Pic: Supplied

She may have arrived at assessment day on crutches but there was no slowing down Anne Cushen’s determination and most especially when she crossed the finishing line of the 5k run.

The finale proved to be a double win for Anne who was not only celebrating her Operation Transformation journey but also her birthday.

‘It’s like a horse to water, I was brought, they gave a drink and I took it’ she told Kathryn of her time on the show.

‘When I started I wasn’t able to walk properly, I thought I was doing okay, but I knew mobility wasn’t doing right so I had to do something about it so when you led me the way and I started feeling more life in myself, I started to feel alive and the exercises were great… and then I started changing myself.

Anne Cushen on Operation Transformation. Pic: Andres Poveda

Anne was blown away and honoured by the effect she has had on the nation and said ‘little changes will get you there.’

When she was first tested, 56-year-old Anne had a metabolic rate of 65 years but on finale night it was down to 50 and her weight loss journey was equally impressive.

‘I just feel so alive it’s a feeling on the inside, it’s not just the outside moving better but I’ve energy now to burn in the right direction.

Starting weight

• 11 Stone 9 Pounds(73.8KG)

Finale weight

• 10 stone 8 pounds (67.1 KG)

Total weight lost

• 1 stone 1 pound

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