Former Hollyoaks star Mikyla Dodd has admitted that she was "really upset" when she was not offered roles after leaving the show.

The actress, who played Chloe on the Channel 4 soap for almost five years, has said that casting directors are not interested in her because of her weight.

Dodd, 29, was once 24 and a half stone but has since slimmed down to 15 stone 6lbs. She now works as a recruitment consultant in London and is hoping to weigh 14 stone before her 30th birthday.

"The first year after leaving Hollyoaks I wasn't offered anything and was really upset," Mikyla told the Liverpool Daily Post. "It was like I'd become invisible. I don't think the roles are out there for me. I know if I lost more weight I'd get more roles."

"Food is a massive part of my life," she added. "I still look at my watch at 11 o'clock and think: 'When is it lunchtime?' I'm always going to do that because I'm addicted to food. I know what food everyone has on their desk, whether it's fruit, biscuits or sweets. My boss has got shortbread biscuits in his drawer. It's a minefield."