'I knew he was the one for me before I even met him!' Woman falls in love with slimmer she saw on Supersize vs Superskinny... and now they're to marry

• Jen Bramwell, 31, first saw fiance Chris Longley, 26, on television
• He appeared on Channel 4 reality series, Supersize vs. Superskinny
• At the time, Chris weighed 26st and was severely overweight
• Following the show, Ms Bramwell contacted him on Facebook
  
• The pair fell in love and Chris has now lost an impressive seven stone

By Ruth Styles

Published: 08:45 EDT, 21 November 2013 | Updated: 12:22 EDT, 21 November 2013

For most of us, love strikes at work, in a bar or even on holiday. But for teacher Jen Bramwell, 31, Cupid's arrow hit as she watched TV show, Supersize vs Superskinny.

While watching an episode of the popular reality series, Ms Bramwell, at the time living in Barbados, spied 25-stone takeaway addict Chris Longley, 26 and was instantly smitten.

Determined to meet him, she tracked him down on Facebook and sent him a message - and much to her delight, romance blossomed.

Love: 31-year-old Jen Bramwell fell in love with her fiance Chris Longley after seeing him on the reality series

Slimmer: Chris weighed 26st before his appearance on the show but has now slimmed down to 19st

Ms Bramwell, who hails from Greenwich in London, explained: 'I had been overweight myself so I could relate to the 'supersizers'. I was a serious chocoholic growing up.

'When I graduated from university in 2003 I was a size 22. But reading a book by health expert Jason Vale changed my life. I quit chocolate and joined a gym. I lost six stone.'

Nevertheless, as she reveals, her battles with her weight continued to affect her life. 'I had an ongoing fascination with other people losing weight,' she reveals, 'and as the contestants introduced themselves, Chris caught my eye.

'In a flash of inspiration I checked Chris’s surname on the credits and then typed "Chris Longley" into Facebook.

'Seconds later he was there in his profile photos, with Dr Christian Jessen, the doctor,' adds Ms Bramwell.

Supersize vs. Superskinny: Chris (right) pictured with presenter Dr Christian Jessen and skinny Nathan Smith

Smitten: The pair hit it off after Ms Bramwell contacted Chris through Facebook after seeing the show

Help: Ms Bramwell used to be overweight (right) and has helped her new fiance lose more than seven stone

'I typed: "Hi Chris. I’ve just seen you on Supersize vs. Superskinny and I just wanted to say congratulations. You’ve done so well and should be really proud of yourself." and sent it.'

That message proved to be the start of an unlikely romance, as, within moments of seeing it, Chris accepted the friend request from Ms Bramwell and the pair began chatting about their weight loss experiences, the show and their lives.

'We got chatting and Chris gave me all the gossip about his TV experience, and I told him about my life in Barbados,' she remembers.

'I told him I had never contacted anyone like this before and he told me he had had a few women propositioning him since the show, but that I was "definitely the most sane!"'

Their relationship soon progressed onto daily video calls and the couple fell madly in love. In July 2012, four months after the show aired, Ms Bramwell got a job in London and IT worker Chris met her at the airport.

He whisked her off for a romantic break in London before dutifully driving her back to her parent’s house in Manchester.

Romantic: The pair became engaged after Chris proposed to a thrilled Ms Bramwell during a trip to Barbados

Just three months later, the couple became fed up of their long-distance relationship and Chris moved to the capital from Portsmouth.

'He told me it was worse than when I was in Barbados so I said "let’s get a place together." He thought it was a great idea,' remembers Ms Bramwell.

'It helped with his weight loss journey too. On Sundays we would plan our weekly meals by writing the menu out on the kitchen table.

'It was a great way of keeping track of what we were eating and being sensible with money and ingredients.'

So effective did the dietary regime prove, Chris went on to lose another four stone, taking his total up to seven stone and making him the biggest loser out of anyone on the show.

In April 2013, a year after the couple first began talking, Chris took Ms Bramwell on holiday to Barbados and proposed on the beach. The couple are now planning a May 2014 wedding.

'I find it amazing that before I even met Chris I knew he was the one for me,' she reveals. 'Now we have the rest of our lives to enjoy together.'