AT FIRST glance, Lauren is the svelte young woman at a slimming group irritating all the other members who feel she’s rubbing salt in their wounds.

But, as Natalie Anderson points out, even though Lauren isn’t overweight she has her share of insecurities.

The Bradford actress plays Lauren in Fat Friends the Musical, Kay Mellor’s stage adaptation of her popular TV series about various colourful characters who meet up at their weekly Super Slimmers class.

The musical is being staged until Saturday this week at Bradford Alhambra.

The show centres on Kelly, played by Jodie Prenger, who is preparing for her wedding, a day she has dreamed of all her life.

Kelly is happy in her skin, and fiance Kevin likes her the way she is, but when she can’t fit into the wedding dress she falls for, she decides to buy it anyway and starve herself into it.

Add to the mix her mother Betty, a champion slimmer, and Super Slimmers chief Julia Fleshman, who sets about turning Kelly into a social media sensation, and you have a funny, poignant show that takes a swipe at the diet industry and encourages us to be happy in ourselves.

Natalie said: “Lauren thinks she has to look perfect. Even though she’s not big, she’s obsessed with her weight.

“A lot of women relate to her. She owns a wedding boutique and is an eternal romantic, but she’s neurotic and can’t find the right man. This show has a big heart and examines the pressures we face to look a certain way. Social media has a big part to play in all that.”

The show also stars X Factor winner Sam Bailey as Betty and Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton as Julia.

Visit bradford-theatres.co.uk or call 01274 432000 to book tickets.