This 'Rab C. Nesbitt' Star, 72, Stunned Netizens as He Appeared Unrecognisable After Dramatic Weight Loss Transformation – Photos

He spent decades making Britain laugh as one of the most recognisable faces in Scottish television. But today, the man behind that iconic role can walk through a supermarket without a second glance, a change that becomes clear in images at the end.

For many who remember him, the difference is striking enough to prompt a double take.

Gregor Fisher, now 72, has undergone a dramatic transformation after being diagnosed with diabetes — a change that led him to lose a significant amount of weight and step away from the instantly recognisable image that made him famous.

The shift has been so pronounced that even regular shoppers at his local supermarket no longer make the connection, with only the keenest passerby recognising him.

Best known as Rab C. Nesbitt, the string-vest-wearing Glaswegian philosopher he first brought to screens in 1988, Fisher became a cultural fixture across Britain. But the grey-haired, bespectacled man seen in recent photos bears little resemblance to that wild-haired character.

Speaking to BBC Scotland's News at Seven, Fisher explained the change in his own words.

"I've lost quite a lot of weight because I was told I was diabetic and it might be good if I could lose a couple of pounds."

For an actor so closely tied to a single character, the change marks more than just a physical shift. He added, with the dry wit his fans would recognise, that it is now only the "eagle-eyed people in his local supermarket" who tend to make the connection between him and his famous alter ego.

Rather than resist the change, Fisher has embraced the anonymity that comes with it. "I quite like not being recognised by people nowadays, actually," he said.

While Rab C. Nesbitt remains the role most closely associated with his name, Fisher’s career has stretched far beyond it, with appearances in "Love Actually," "The Merchant of Venice," "Whisky Galore!" and "Without a Clue."

Still, for many viewers, it is the contrast between past and present that stands out most. Viewers who saw the recent interview and images were quick to react.

"It was the voice I recognised, before I new it was him," [sic] wrote one. "I couldn't believe it was him, he looked so much younger," said another.

A third added, "He doesn't look like the same man," while a fourth kept it simple, "Looks younger."

Despite the transformation — and the years — Fisher is not slowing down. He is set to return to screens in the second series of the BBC Scotland comedy "Only Child," in which he plays an ageing, wilful father opposite Greg McHugh.

"It's quite thrilling to be a 72-year-old and still be required to make television shows," he told BBC Scotland. He is also preparing for a UK tour beginning in March, where he will face a live audience as himself rather than behind a character.

"When you work on television, there are no people and there is no feedback," he said. "It's not as if the audience clap, so there is no connection." He described the live format as something closer to a tennis match, with the floor open for questions and nothing fully scripted.

"I have one or two topics to jump between but I haven't prepared anything and I don't know what the audience is going to ask during the Q&A," he said. "It'll be mostly personal with some show business, so that will be interesting."

For anyone who remembers him shuffling along a Glaswegian pavement in that iconic string vest, the man seen today may be almost unrecognisable — even if, as some have found, the voice is still exactly the same.

These images spanning the years show just how dramatically he has changed:

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