Ricki Lake refused to take Ozempic when her doctor tried to "push" it on her.
The 55-year-old television host is feeling the "best" she has done in years after shedding 35 pounds but revealed that medics were keen for her her to have the controversial weight-loss drug before she ultimately decided to go it alone.
Speaking on 'Good Morning America', she explained: "The doctor was pushing it for people who were overweight. And he was saying you weren't going to be successful without it, is what he said to me, really. And I like a challenge. And I like proving people wrong. And so it p***** me off. I just was reluctant, and I wanted to give it a go on my own."
The Emmy Award-winning star - who shot to fame as a teenager when she took on the leading role of plump wannabe dancer Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 comedy 'Hairspray' before it was turned into a smash-hit Broadway musical - tied the knot with Ross Burningham in 2022 and reflected that the "only thing" that was wrong with their marriage beforehand was their "extra weight".
She said: "I have this new marriage, and I'm so blissfully happy with this amazing man.
"My perfect man. And you know if I pinpoint one thing that was not working in our lives is that we were carrying this extra weight."
Ricki - who was initially married to Rob Sussman from 1994 until 2004 an then to the late Christian Evans from 2012 until 2015 - has lost weight in the past but insisted that this time round it is all a "lifestyle change" rather than a quick fix.
She said: "This is a lifestyle change. I've made this my job, and it's become my joy. Like, I just … I love it. I think it's safe to say I'm in the best shape of my life.
"I say, this is what happy looks like. Like this is really – I could cry. I'm so happy. I'm so happy."
