Britain's former fattest man Barry Austin who consumed 29,000 calories a day dies at 52

A football fan once dubbed Britain’s fattest man has died aged 52.

Tributes have been paid to “wonderful” Barry Austin who had a “heart of gold”.

The ex-cabbie, of Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, once starred in Sky One documentary Inside Britain’s Fattest Man.

Barry at one point said he consumed up to 29,000 calories a day and drank up to 12 litres of fizzy drink in a day, swelling to 412kg.

Lifelong Birmingham City fan Barry later lost 127kg after health problems, slashing his daily calorie intake to 1500.

In recent years Barry was said to struggle with breathing issues and infections. His partner’s heartbroken daughter Dannie Louise paid tribute to him on Facebook, posting: “Absolutely heartbroken is the only word I can say how I feel right about now.

Barry, who used to drink up to 40 pints of beer and bottles of spirits on a night out, was known as ‘Fat Baz’ and had his own column in a lad’s mag. He was said to have shed 127kg stone back in April 2012 as he prepared to marry his then finance Debbie Kirby, 50, from Solihull, West Midlands.

Footie fan Barry even had his own custom-built chair at Birmingham City’s ground in 1997. A spokesman for Birmingham City tweeted: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of lifelong Bluenose Barry Austin.

In 2012, Barry got down on one knee to propose to his fiancee Debbie, saying: “I’ll feel like the luckiest man in the world to call Debbie my wife.”