Bette Midler is loving the Hello, Dolly! weight loss plan

Bette Midler has found a new way of losing weight – dancing.
The veteran entertainer is preparing for her Broadway turn in Hello, Dolly! which debuts in March (17), and she admits she’s shedding the pounds in rehearsals.
“I’m having a great time,” she tells Billboard. “I’ve gotten thin, which I can’t believe happened.
“I’ve never had a part this big on Broadway. I’ve learned a little bit of the ­dancing – I mean, I’ve always danced, but I’d never done ­choreography where you have to be in time with 10 or 12 other people. It’s a very steep learning curve. But I must say it’s great. I love to dance. Everyone should dance. The weight just falls right off you!”
Fans clearly can’t wait to see her in the musical – the production broke Broadway’s single-day sales record with more than $9 million (£7.4 million) in advance tickets.
Bette is also enjoying her stint as a mentor on U.S. TV talent show The Voice, on which she’s helping judge and coach Blake Shelton’s wannabes hit the high notes.
“The singers on the show have some of the most beautiful voices I’ve heard in public,” she adds. “This show has a real sweetness at its core. It’s not mean-spirited. And of course, Blake is a hoot!”
And she thinks her new pal has a movie career ahead of him: “He is on the small screen, but I personally think – if I were his agent – I would get him on a big screen as quick as possible,” she says. “I think he probably can act. He’s so photogenic, like a John Wayne type.”