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By SIMON CABLE
Desperate: Mary Byrne's daughter has said the X Factor contestant would consider having a gastric band fittedShe doesn't look like your average pop star.
But X Factor star Mary Byrne is so desperate to lose weight that she is ready to use a gastric band to help her slim down.
The Tesco worker, who has taken the show by storm, is currently competing against stick-thin acts such as Cher Lloyd and has already spoken of her battle to shed three stone.
Asked if her mother would consider having a gastric band fitted, Deborah Byrne, 23, said: 'If the offer was there she could but I think she wants to do it naturally.
'If it came down to the crunch, and she had to, she probably would,' she told New! Magazine.
'She gets down about her weight. She does want to lose weight, obviously for health reasons. But she doesn't complain about it.
But her daughter has now revealed that surgery may be the only option after failing to lose the weight naturally.
She has also admitted that her mother often takes to the stage in pain because she suffers from arthritis in her legs - a condition which is being made worse by her weight.
She has also claims that the pressure of competing in the show means the 50-year-old star is comfort eating and bingeing on junk food and chocolate.
On a mission: Mary has admitted she is keen to lose weight and get fitter'She only complains because of the effect it has on the arthritis in her legs. That's what gets to her. But, even when she's in pain, she still gives it 100 per cent.'
The star recently admitted she has been taking a cocktail of anti-depressants and blood pressure tablets to battle her weight problems.
In the first week of the programme Mary, from Ballyfermot, Dublin, collapsed in agony during rehearsals because of her arthritis.
'I'm also on blood pressure tablets and I know I have to lose three stone and I'm determined to do it,' she said.
'The arthritis gets really sore at times. During rehearsals on the first week I had to stop and sit down through them.'
The full interview appears in this week's New! magazine'After my partner walked out on me to bring up my baby alone I sunk into a dark depression.
'I coped with it by comfort eating and it was a vicious circle. The weight went on dramatically and I ended up hating myself.
'I couldn't stand what I saw when I looked in the mirror. It was very tough and my confidence was at an all time low.
'I was in a rut that I couldn't escape. You can't help but feel unwanted when your partner walks out on you. He didn't want to know about my daughter Debbie and that hurt deeply.
'I put on weight when I was pregnant with the baby then got back down to nine stone. But then it started piling on again as I adjusted to life as a single mum. It was lonely at times.
'But I'm on a mission to get fitter and be in good shape by the end of the show. It's the perfect motivation for me to get healthy.
'I've started to eat better food and try to maintain a healthy diet. I've made no secret of the fact that I'm on anti-depressants too to help me cope with the change of life.
'I'm not looking for sympathy though - I want people to vote for me on the X Factor based on my performances, not the sympathy vote.'
source: dailymail
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