Rebel Wilson: I lost weight to boost fertility and freeze my eggs

Watch: Rebel Wilson discuss why she decided to lose weight

Rebel Wilson has revealed she has frozen her eggs at the age of 40 to extend her chances of starting a family.

The Pitch Perfect star has opened up about her four-and-a-half stone stone weight loss and health drive over the last year, admitting she had been inspired by a desire to boost fertility.

Wilson confessed in a live Instagram chat: “As all career women would know – if [having children] is something that interests you – approaching 40 is a good time to do it.

“I was thinking about fertility and having good quality eggs in the bank, so I was like - ‘OK, I'm going to do this. I'm going to get healthy.’”

Read more: Rebel Wilson says she was 'paid a lot of money to be bigger'

The Australian actor, who turned 40 in March, started dating billionaire businessman Jacob Busch, 29, last year after being introduced through mutual friends.

Busch’s family own a successful brewing company in the US and he is founder of dairy free ice cream company Napp’s.

In January this year Wilson announced that 2020 was going to be her “year of health”, and she recently revealed she has reached her goal weight of 11-and-a-half stone (73 kg).

In her Instagram post, she opened up on how she had lost the weight, admitting that in the past she had found it a struggle, and revealing that there had been people in the movie industry who “wanted me to stay Fat Amy”.

Wilson – who is perhaps best known for playing comedy character Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect franchise – said that her health drive has taught her to “love and respect” her own body.

The Bridesmaids star explained: “It was the emotional stuff about realising why I was overeating, why I was emotionally eating and trying to solve that, that was the biggest lesson.

Read more: Rebel Wilson reveals impressive weight loss

Tearfully she admitted: “It's hard when I talk about the emotional stuff... it's hard...

“I would wear my weight as a bit of a barrier, so people wouldn't get close to me.

“I wasn't valuing myself, and telling myself negative things. That was hard. I'm trying to change those patterns, so you're more loving and treating yourself with respect.

“I'm working on self love, and that's a hard concept to master.”

The comedian moved to Hollywood in 2011 and quickly made a name for herself after starring in hit comedy Bridesmaids.

She told her fans that while she had been eating a calorie-controlled diet and working out as part of her health kick, the majority of her weight-loss was been down to walking.

Wilson urged anyone who wanted to lose weight: “That is free, you can do it, it’s safe and walking is the best way for me to metabolise fat.”

Watch: Rebel Wilson shows off toned abs in new pic