TROWBRIDGE teenager Elle Darby has big ambitions for the future after becoming a YouTube sensation with almost 50,000 followers by documenting her incredible fitness transformation.

The 19-year-old, who moved to Trowbridge when she was six, started chronicling her gym sessions and dietary tips at the beginning of the year, after being inspired by the videos of YouTube star Nikki Blackketter.

She decided to turn her life around and embark on a strict fitness regime when she moved out of her family home to study at the University of the West of England.

The former Stoner and Lavington School pupil now weighs 8st 2lbs, after previously weighing around 10st 6lbs, and has seen her vlogs become viral sensations – attracting thousands of views from people inspired by her story.

“It’s been crazy over the last few weeks,” said Miss Darby, who also attended Devizes School Sixth Form. “My social media sites have been flooded with messages from girls asking me how I did it and the popularity of my videos has gone through the roof.

“I decided to start my fitness journey shortly after starting my first year of university. I met my partner and he was really into the gym and he knew I was really unhappy with my body, although he never pressured me.

“Then at the start of the year, I decided to go for it full on. For some inspiration, I looked on YouTube and saw the videos of Nikki Blackketter and others and thought I would document my own progress.

“It was only in May that my YouTube channel really started to kick off and every single day I was getting messages from girls saying I had inspired them. Knowing I was helping others who were previously too nervous to go to the gym, made me work even harder.

While Miss Darby was not overweight as a youngster, she said her childhood was thrown into chaos when her father was extradited to the US and jailed in 2006.

Giles Darby was one of the 'NatWest Three' who were jailed for 37 months for a £3.5million fraud against the bank and Miss Darby said the stress resulted in her eating a lot of junk food throughout her early teens.

However, her fitness routine now revolves around weight lifting and cardio training, with one day off in every five to allow her body a rest, and she is currently undertaking a personal trainer course.

Miss Darby, who has also been signed up by Blackberry modelling agency, added: “I have just finished my first year at university studying drama, but I am now doing an intensive six-week personal trainer course.

“I am looking at doing that full time once I finish as there is no point carrying on doing an expensive degree when I know what I want to do. In the future, me and my boyfriend want to open our own gym.”