Mel Sykes Graduated from lads
By Beth Neil, Photography by Derrick Santini
7? 30, 2011
Not only does Melanie Sykes have the most incredible body, devoid of any cellulite or wobbly bits, she also has a twinkle in her eye and a glow in her cheeks.
There's a new - much younger - man in her life and Mel, bless her, can't contain her delight.
"It's going fantastic!" she blushes.
"He makes me laugh like hell, I mean honestly, howl laughing - and we just have a really, really good time together. He's just fab.
"And his body!" she yelps. "He is RIPPED! I can't tell you. He's my fantasy man. Except he's not a fantasy - he's actually real!"
Sexy Mel Sykes
"I'm over the moon. I know there's more to life than looks, but believe me, they bloody help. He's just amazing -and right now, he's perfect for me."
The Adonis in question is personal trainer Craig Eleftheriou. At 28, he's 13 years Melanie's junior (she turns 41 next week) and the pair have been dating for four months after meeting at the gym.
"I'd had my eye on him for ages, like proper leching over him for months," says mum-of-two Mel.
Melanie wears: bra, Marks & Spencer. Male model wears: trousers, Topman
"I kept asking my trainer at the time if she thought he might fancy me. But she didn't give anything away. Then he asked her if I was single and I was like: 'Bingo!' So he got hold of my number and gave me a call.
"He's a lot younger. But my last boyfriend was 10 years younger than me - it's just what I go for. I'm not saying guys my age can't be attractive, but I just go for younger men. That's just what I fancy."
Good for you, girl!
"Good for me? Good for me? Good for him 'n' all, let me tell you!" she adds.
Mel admits herself that she's in the best shape of her life.
"I work out whenever I can and I eat well. I box and Ilift free weights. I don't do much cardio because I don't have much fat to burn.
"I play a bit of tennis and I've started to swim quite a bit. It's just become a really big part of my life in a way it's never been before. I never used to bother with the gym at all, but I'm getting older and you have to start working at it.
"I feel so much more confident. I look back at pictures of shoots I did in my 20s and I was quite rounded. I had a bit of a belly.
I go for younger men - that's just what I fancy
"I don't smoke. I gave up when I was 29, although I started again a little bit last year because I was seeing someone who smoked. Since then, I've stopped again and occasionally, if I have a glass of wine, I think it would be nice... But I'm so health conscious at the moment I'd be disgusted with myself if I did it.
"I want to look the best I possibly can. And when you're with someone who is into fitness because of his job and whose body is unbelievable, you've got to match that. I don't want to not measure up to him!
"I've actually just sent him a couple of pictures from today's shoot and he loves them. He's like: 'Wow!'"
Learning curves
And what about Mel? How does the former lads' mag pin-up feel posing semi-naked all these years on from her modelling heyday?
"I'm loving it," she says.
There are a couple of other reasons behind Mel's soaring body confidence. She confides that, after years of feeling insecure about her post pregnancies and breastfeeding cleavage (or lack of), she finally decided to go under the knife for a boob job back in February.
"I've done it and I love them!" she says. "I didn't realise how much I'd missed them until I got them back. I'd rather not reveal what size I've gone up to, but let's just say they're big!
"The surgeon worked on a friend of mine 12 years ago and all her mates since, so I knew I was in good hands.
"But yeah, I was terrified. It's the only thing I'll ever have done. That's me finished now, I'll never have anything done to my face. My boobs were so empty [after breastfeeding] and I wanted to feel like a million dollars. Now I can wear whatever I want."
Marriage split
Since splitting with her husband Daniel Cattagirone in 2008 and divorcing a year later, Melanie has shared custody of their two boys - Roman, nine, and seven-year-old Valentino - with her ex. The breakdown of a marriage is never easy, but Mel says that she and Italian actor Daniel have settled into what is now an amicable relationship.
"Daniel's very much involved with the kids," she says. "It's not 50/50 because they're with me Monday to Friday. But between us, we work it out and it's pretty good. The boys are very cheeky, very challenging, but great fun.
I'm my own boss, I can do what I want. I don't have to negotiate terms on anything
"My life's easier than it was when I was married because I'm my own boss, I can do what I want. I don't have to negotiate terms on anything."
Melanie wears: body suit, American Apparel; sunglasses, Topshop; shoes, River Island. Male model wears: trousers, Topman
She's not interested in getting married again. And more children aren't on the agenda either.
"I couldn't give a monkeys about marriage, to be honest. I just want to have a happy, healthy relationship and then if it ever doesn't feel good any more, I'll simply move on. I don't see why you have to get married in order to solidify feelings.
"I'm 41 next month and I don't know if I can be bothered. I love the outcome but I hated being pregnant. And I don't know if I can deal with having a baby all over again. I'm out the other side now and it's absolutely not on my list of things to do."
Lancashire-born Mel first found fame in the mid-'90s as the face of Boddingtons beer, coining the catchphrase: "Do you want a flake in that, love?"
She went on to host a string of TV shows, including standing in for Paul O'Grady and a chat show co-hosted with Denise Van Outen, and perhaps most famously Today With Des And Mel alongside Des O'Connor, which ran for four years until 2006.
Melanie wears: slip, Fleur of England; ring, Freedom
As well as her current Saturday night Radio 2 show with Alan Carr, she's about to launch Let's Do Lunch¿ With Gino And Mel, a food-based talk show with chef Gino D'Acampo, which will run throughout August. She will also front primetime Missing Millions this autumn.
"I'm just raring for the workload," she says. "I can't wait to get started with Gino. I'll encourage his naughtiness wholeheartedly! It's live TV, anything can happen and it's going to be really interesting having the food angle. It's never going to be a straight show - me and Gino are as daft as they come, so I'm looking forward to the laughs.
"And my radio show with Alan - oh, that man! It honestly doesn't feel like work. I love it so much."
Northern soul
Forthright and candid, Mel remains unapologetically northern. She doesn't indulge in poncy showbiz air-kissing, preferring a firm handshake. The Mossley accent, her trademark in the early days of fame, is as broad and as rich as it ever was.
"My accent is part of me," she says. "I'm very proud of being northern and all the stuff that comes with it.
"People are very open and honest in the north. Liam Gallagher's a prime example of: 'This is me, take me or leave me.' I like that. And that northern trait has served me very well. Everyone knows where they stand with me.
"My girlfriends know that if they ask my opinion on something, they're going to get the truth - whether that's good or bad. I'm a woman's woman."
She rejects any suggestion that she was a "ladette", dismissing the label as a mere press creation and adamantly pointing out that she won jobs on merit rather than notoriety.
"Yeah I was drunk some of the time, but I wasn't a boozing alcoholic mess. And I don't think it got me work. I got me work by nailing screen tests and looking good enough to do modelling campaigns.
"Most people in their 20s go out on a Friday and Saturday night, so I don't think I was doing anything unusual. I don't go out as often as I used to, but I wouldn't want to either. I'm happy being with my man and going out with the girls now and again."
She really does look like a girl who's having the time of her life.
"I haven't felt this good in so long," she giggles, no doubt thinking about her next steamy workout with Craig...
* Let's Do Lunch... With Gino And Mel starts August 8, 12.30pm, ITV1.
* Melanie also presents Missing Millions, coming soon to ITV1.
(By www.fabulousmag.co.uk)
