Looking at her shapely legs and ultra-slim size 8 waist, it’s hard to believe there was once a time when the 5ft 5in actress was unhappy with her figure.

But three years ago, Charlie – who has recently signed a £100,000 deal to return to Walford as super-bitch Janine Butcher – was a size 16 and desperate to lose the weight she’d gained after giving birth to her daughter Kiki, now three.

She embarked on a healthy eating and fitness plan, dropping from a size 16 to a size 8.

The DVD revealing her weight-loss secrets became the best-selling workout plan ever.

But she says keeping the weight off hasn’t been easy.

“I went from 10st 11lb to 8st 10lb in 2005,” she says.

“But then I had a wobble last Christmas and put on a stone.

“I’d got into the habit of finishing Kiki’s food rather than throwing it away,” she explains.

“And instead of drinking only occasionally, I’d started having two drinks most days.

"I was getting a fat tummy again and my cheekbones were beginning to disappear.”

At the start of this year, Charlie, 28, began tackling her unhealthy habits and resumed her 45-minute workout using her own Before & After Workout DVD.

“The weight came off really quickly,” she says. “I’m back to 8st 10lb and a size 8 and I’m determined to stay this size.”

Charlie will contine with her workout four times a week and remember the tricks she learned to beat her bad eating habits.

Here, exclusively for Fabulous, Charlie reveals her six-point stay-slim plan.

CHARLIE'S SLIM AND TRIM PLAN

Charlie’s old habit: Eating Kiki’s leftovers
Her healthy new habit: “As soon as Kiki’s eaten all she wants, I squirt lots of washing-up liquid all over her plate. That way, I won’t be tempted to gobble it up before it gets to the bin!”

Charlie’s old habit: Forgetting how good it feels to be slim
Her healthy new habit: “I take a picture of myself in my bikini every week and keep it on my mobile phone so I can see what shape I’m in. When I was in EastEnders one critic wrote that I put the ‘fat’ in femme fatale! I’m never going there again.”

Charlie’s old habit: Snacking in the evening
Her healthy new habit: “Since I broke up with Tony Truman, Kiki’s father, I’m often home alone in the evenings when Kiki’s gone to bed. And that’s when I get tempted. So now if I feel a snack attack coming on, I grab a tub of Food Doctor seeds. I chew slowly on a mouthful until the craving goes away.”

Charlie’s old habit: Not exercising
Her healthy new habit: “The longer the day goes on, the less likely it is that I’m going to exercise. So now, because Kiki and I both wake up around 7am, I get up, put on my DVD and start the 45-minute routine before I’ve really had time to notice what I’m doing. I put everything into it though. ‘If you ain’t sweating, it ain’t working!’ is my motto.”

Charlie’s old habit: Comfort eating
Her healthy new habit: “I’m only human and I do binge. If I have a day when I’ve eaten a Mars Bar and a Thai takeaway, it’s not good, but it’s not the end of the world. I wake up the next day and tell myself it’s a new start. It stops me giving up on that day, too.”

Charlie’s old habit: Having a takeaway delivered when there’s no food in the house
Her healthy new habit:“It’s easy to be tempted when there’s no food to hand. So now I plan ahead. I chop up a load of veg, add a bit of stock and some spices, cook it all up, then freeze it. Then I know I’ve always got delicious chunky vegetable soup to look forward to.”

Charlie Brooks’ – Before & After Workout DVD (Universal, £19.99) is available now.

JOIN FABULOUSDIETS.CO.UK TODAY AND LOSE A STONE IN JUST SIX WEEKS. PLUS IF YOU BECOME A MEMBER TODAY WE'LL GIVE YOU FOUR WEEKS FREE

Words: Amanda Astill. Photography: Matthew Pover, Alamy, Headline, Alan Olley/Camera Press