Billy Gardell, best known for his role on Mike & Molly, stunned audiences with his remarkable weight loss transformation during an appearance on the Sherri Show on Wednesday. The 56-year-old actor revealed that he has lost 173 pounds and discussed the profound impact the change has had on his health and daily life.
Dressed in blue jeans, a beige cable-knit sweater, and a pink collared shirt, Gardell looked unrecognizable to host Sherri Shepherd, who joked, “When I saw you, I thought we had booked the wrong Billy!” Gardell confirmed that the drastic transformation has even caused strangers to fail to recognize him, quipping, “It’s like I put myself in the witness protection program.”
At his heaviest, Gardell weighed between 370 and 380 pounds and battled several health issues, including type 2 diabetes. His decision to prioritize his health came during the COVID-19 pandemic, motivated by a desire to be present for his son and continue sharing life with his wife.
“What motivated the whole thing for me was I need to be here for my son as long as I can, and I want to annoy my wife for another few years,” Gardell said. After trying various methods, he ultimately opted for bariatric surgery, having previously used Ozempic, a medication for type 2 diabetes that also suppresses appetite.
“I had bariatric surgery about four years ago,” Gardell said. “The punishment is I have to eat like all the people I used to make fun of.” He also addressed the online commentary surrounding his weight changes, highlighting a notable double standard: “The internet, when I was on Mike & Molly, was like ‘He’s too fat’, ‘He’s gonna die.’ As soon as I lost weight, [they said], ‘I think he’s sick.'”
Since shedding the weight, Gardell has embraced activities that were previously impossible. “I got to go horseback riding, I got to go surfing…buying clothes off the rack…but the big one,” he said, “I flew in a middle seat just because I could – out of spite.” He did admit to missing one part of his former life: “I miss my big boy pants. Whoever invented the skinny ankle should be set on fire.”
Gardell credited his transformation to a shift in his relationship with food. “Food is fuel. It’s not reward, it’s not soothing, it’s not medication. I had to get beyond my emotional relationship with food,” he told People. He added, “My diabetes is gone. I feel strong. I have energy. Losing weight saved my life.”
Billy Gardell starred alongside Melissa McCarthy on Mike & Molly for six seasons from 2010 to 2016, portraying a police officer who meets a schoolteacher at an Overeaters Anonymous group. He later starred in Bob Hearts Abishola from 2019 to 2024, which documented his weight-loss journey in real time.
