Kiwi woman joins Tyra Banks' talk show after big diet

Simone Pretscherer was bullied after posting her 86kg weight-loss online.

A Kiwi woman whose stunning weight-loss journey shocked the world has had a starring role in American TV personality and former supermodel Tyra Banks' talkshow.

Simone Anderson Pretscherer lost 86kg - almost half her body weight - in 11 months and documented it to legions of followers online.

But her joy was tempered by sagging skin, and vicious online abuse from doubters when she asked for help via fundraising website Givealittle to have surgery to remove the skin in the US.

Her response to online doubters - she posted photographs showing her extra skin - was reported around the world and helped her raise more than $3000.

After surgery in Arizona this month, Pretscherer travelled to Los Angeles to appear as a guest on Banks' show FabLife.

The Aucklander couldn't be contacted yesterday, but this week spoke about her excitement in a video on her Facebook page.

"I got to meet all the behind-the-scenes team. It was a laid-back environment. I had a one-on-one with a lady who delved deeper about the reasons for the weight gain and the online bullying.

"It was so cool going into that studio environment and these massive studios one after the other, where there's obviously multiple shows being filmed at once. It's crazy hectic. It was a different world."

Simone Anderson Pretschere's stunning weight-loss journey shocked the world and had landed her a starring role in American TV personality and former supermodel Tyra Banks' talkshow.

She was tired but happy, Pretscherer said. "I still am in that sort of unreal bubble of this happening and going on FabLife to talk about my journey ... it's just huge, so bring on tomorrow."

The 24-year-old hair and makeup artist made the decision to change her lifestyle in August last year and dropped from 169kg to 83kg through a combination of gastric sleeve stomach surgery and hard work.