Great British Bake Off runner-up Laura Adlington has vowed to never diet again in a bid to feel more confident in her skin.

The plus-size TV personality says she is on a mission to promote body positivity since starring in the Channel 4 hit show.

The 34-year-old from Gravesend says her journey is still very much a work in progress as she attempts to mend her rocky relationship with food.

Laura, who says she was bullied as a child for her weight, began dieting at just 8-years-old.

When alone, she would binge on crisps, chocolates and sweets and then think the next diet would work for her, which led to a cycle of disordered eating.

She told the PA news agency: “Secret eating for me was – and actually still is – an issue. Because I was told that certain things were bad and that I wasn’t allowed them, I used to hide them away.”

But now, Laura, who lives in Halling with husband Matt and quit her day job at South East Water to pursue fashion full-time, is ditching the scales as she challenges diet culture and beauty standards.

The Bake Off finalist has hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, where instead of baking she posts plus-size fashion content and hosts a podcast with her best friend Lauren Smith called “Go Love Yourself”.

She previously told KentOnline: “There’s a lot of people like influencers doing stuff online and I thought ‘why not me?’.

“I get so many messages from women saying it is so nice to see someone who is plus size being confident, rather than your typical Instagram model, so I thought I would pursue it for a bit and see what happens.”

Last week Laura appeared on ITV’s Lorraine to promote her new book “Diet Starts Monday” which is described as a “no BS guide to body confidence”.

Her debut book is described by the publisher as "a practical guide to body confidence in a looks-obsessed world".

It includes personal stories, advice and insight from health and wellbeing experts. The aim of the book is to dismantle "diet culture" and help readers overcome negative beliefs and build confidence.

Commenting on the publisher’s launch earlier this month, she said: "I’m writing this book for women and girls everywhere – may we free ourselves from the hamster wheel of dieting and live our best lives.”

In her recently released guide to building confidence in your skin, Laura chronicles her own path to self-acceptance and challenges societal perceptions of what it means to be larger.

Laura also details the harsh criticism she has received online by some who accuse her of promoting obesity.

But the former Bake Off star has hit back at the trolls and says she believes being healthy is what people should strive for without being a slave to the scales.

“I know plenty of people that are smaller, very unfit, very unhealthy. And I know plenty of people that are size 16 and they’re marathon runners,” she explains.

“I’m not saying that everyone who is bigger is fit and healthy. I’m not saying that everyone who’s smaller is, it’s nuanced.”

And she admits her own health journey is a work in progress with her keen to focus on eating foods with more nutrition, without following any diets.

“Diet Starts Monday” is published by Welbeck and is now available to purchase online and in retailers.