Alley to launch weight loss brand

Kirstie Alley will launch her own weight loss brand next year.

The actress announced that she has stepped down as the spokesperson for the Jenny Craig diet programme and now wants to do more to help people stay trim.

Alley, who starred on US reality show Fat Actress, became the face of the company in 2005 and later appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in a bikini after shedding more than 5 stone.

She told People that her experience with Jenny Craig had been "extraordinary", but said she was keen to "to create something new that will help millions of people end the seemingly never-ending fatty rollercoaster ride".

She added: "I'm confident that I can create something exciting and innovative, something that if all goes well will help change a fat America back into a fit America and will offer this country the healthiest, yummiest, easiest and most effective weight loss programme on the market."

The 57-year-old recently revealed that she disliked most people until she joined the Scientology movement.