The Duchess of York says she wants to come back to Britain to become a campaigner for healthy eating after spending 12 years living mostly in the United States.

Sarah Ferguson, aka Fergie and the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, is appearing in a new TV documentary where she gives advice on battling obesity to a family living on benefits in Hull.

While in the States, Fergie has become very successful as the figurehead for WeightWatchers and she says she plans to use her experiences to discuss tackling Britain’s looming public health crisis with Government ministers.

Her UK TV launch comes under the guise of Duchess in Hull and the documentary follows her from her apartment overlooking New York’s Central Park to a deprived council estate where the Sargerson family lives.

The Duchess, who has had a lifelong battle with her own weight, helps them cut back on smoking, start exercising and budget to feed six people healthily on £80 a week.

The programme opens with a sequence showing the Duchess going through her morning work-out in New York, which finishes off with an ice bath.

She said she wished this section had been cut out, but the producers argued it was necessary to show “the real Sarah” and how she dealt with “real issues”.

The Duchess said she had returned to the UK on a “fact-finding mission” about obesity and has now let out her flat in the US to spend more time at her Surrey home.

“I would love to do more work in this country to just share some of the knowledge that I have gleaned over the last 15 years – how I’m still standing really, and what do I do with my health and fitness regime.

“Not just that but how do I stand up in front of millions of people and talk about what it’s like to go through the adversity of life and be smiling and be happy.

“I would love to share that, and if I can I would love to do it – and perhaps also support Britain. I love Britain.”

She added: “I think I’m going to be here more and more now. It’s lovely, I love coming back.”

Via news.sky.com