How I Met Your Mother star Alyson Hannigan has revealed she lost 20lbs during the 11 weeks she danced across the hit ABC show Dancing with the Stars.
Sharing a before and after picture, Alyson thanked her professional partner Sasha Farber for helping her to ‘shed my insecurities and getting me the confident and strong place I am today”.
“The before and after says it all,” she began her post, which featured a promotional picture of ALyson before the show began in September, and a second, taken during the finale. “I lost 20 pounds of both weight and emotional baggage during my time on @dancingwiththestars. I can’t thank @sashafarber1 enough for helping me shed my insecurities and getting me to the confident and strong place I am today!”
Fans loved her message of empowerment – something that led Alyson to the final of season 32 – although one follower called on her to “throw away the scale”.
“The emotional growth. Throw away the scale. You look just gorgeous in both pictures. Your worth has never been tied to your weight,” they write. “You’re absolutely beautiful both ways, but love to hear you regain your confidence… that’s crucial,” added another.
© ABCAlyson responded to several comments, including one fan who shared their thanks to the actress for “being so vulnerable and letting me know that I can still thrive and find myself again as a mother with so many insecurities and just not really knowing who I am”.
“The hardest part is starting but you can do anything you want!” the mom-of-two shared in response.
Sasha also shared a series of heart emojis in response, while another professional, Alan Bersten, added: “Incredible!!!!! Congrats on such a good season.”
© ABCAlyson had become a huge fan favorite and made it to the final despite only ever receiving one ten – from judge Bruno Toniolo in the final. But her determination and weekly improvements endeared her to fans, and she and partner Sasha made it all the way to week 11, where they were tasked with performing her week one salsa as a redemption dance, receiving 25 out of 30 from the judges.
For the second half of the finale, the finalists were all given the chance to perform a freestyle routine where Alyson received her first 10 for her routine, which mixed Latin and ballroom.
Xochitl Gomez won Dancing with the Stars season 32 after two incredible performances – a tango and a freestyle – that wowed the judges, scoring two perfect 30s for each dance. Xochitl, 17, and her partner Val beat out fellow finalists Alyson, Ariana Madix, Charity Lawson, and Jason Mraz.
Former season 32 celebrities including Barry Williams, Harry Jowsey, and Lele Pons also returned to the dancefloor during the final to perform a group routine, while the three-hour long episode also saw performances from former winners Charli D’Amelio, Hannah Brown (season 24) and Rassha Jennings (season 18).
