The 55-year-old , music and television producer said the first thing he did with "Fight for This Love" hitmaker when they kicked off auditions in Manchester was eat burgers, reported Digital Spy.
"The first thing I did when I went to Manchester with her was eat. For some reason, we wanted a Wimpy rather than a McDonald's. We couldn't find one in the end but we found another burger shop and she had the same as me," he said.
"This is not someone who's trying to make herself thin. I think she did pick up a bug. And I think the way she's approaching what was addressed about her weight in a very open way - by saying she is thin and is trying to put on weight - is great. I don't think she would have done that two years ago," he said.