Nearly four months on from the grand finale, the Operation Transformation fab five are reunited and with Kathryn Thomas behind the mic, it's a veritable family reunion.  They've escaped the watchful eyes of trainers, producers and the ever-present cameras, but it seems that even without the constant supervision, this lot have gone from strength to strength.  Maireád Redmond, Chris McElligott, Yvonne Keenan-Ross, Seán Daly and Marie Grace are in studio to talk about life through a lens and beyond.

It's safe to say that Sean is a changed man, but it's not all hard graft.

"For me, I have to have balance.  I enjoy the odd drink at the weekends, I enjoy going out, but I don't get up the next morning and eat a breakfast roll.  I get up and go for a run"

For Yvonne, it's all about the walking.

"Sometimes I lie in bed trying to think of an excuse… Then when I'm walking I'm delighted I did, but for the first half hour it's a struggle!"

With college exams to grapple with after the season finished, Mairéad continued her eating plan but put the exercise on hold, although once those were out of the way, it was straight back to business.

 "I finished my exams on the Saturday and I was back to the gym on the Sunday!"

One of the biggest changes for Mairéad is the level of confidence she has knowing she can look and feel good on a night out.

"I always found it really hard to get really nice stylish clothes that didn't look like you just threw on a black bin bag going out….  You were self-conscious then because you were uncomfortable and you were worried about how you looked and you were just like, I'd rather not be here…  Now it's grand… It's just so much easier to shop!" 

Marie too is excited to fit back into the clothes she loves and is engaging in the retail therapy in a big way.  "I'm shopping nearly every day now," she confesses, and Sean says "She's actually worse than me!"  For Marie, running is key to maintaining mental and physical health.

"I just find if I've had a bad day, I just go out and run. I suppose I do a bit of a Forest Gump on it and I just keep running, running, running until I feel a bit better!"

Chris is also loving his new and improved physique.   Exercising has proved tough as his prosthetic leg has given him some trouble, but with a new cast on the way, he's looking forward to be back on target in the next few weeks.  Despite the setbacks, he's thrilled to report the weight has continued to plunge and he last lost over three stone at this point.

It's success across the board, with all leaders continuing to drop the pounds since the show wrapped.  More importantly though, it's about how they feel.  For each of them, it's so much more than a new dress size, it's a whole new world of possibility.

For the full interview, click here.