'World's fattest man' Paul Mason to marry after TV proposal

Rebecca Mountain (right) proposed to Paul Mason during filming for The View

A man once known as fattest in the world has accepted a marriage proposal during a television show in the United States.

Mr Mason, 53, from Ipswich, was recording an episode of The View alongside US resident Rebecca Mountain, who he had met online.

He said yes and has vowed to lose enough weight to allow him to walk down the aisle.

"I don't want to go down that aisle in a wheelchair," Mr Mason said.

Mr Mason, who at his heaviest weighed 70 stone (440kg), flew to the United States in December to spend Christmas with Ms Mountain and to see a consultant about surgery to remove excess skin.

He got his weight down to 22 stone (140kg) with the help of gastric band surgery but said his life is on hold until the excess skin was removed.

'Major surgery'

Mr Mason went to New York to meet with Dr Jennifer Capla, who has agreed to donate her time to perform the operations.

"What she's going to do is my tummy and my arms, both at the same time," Mr Mason said.

"I thought just the tummy would be major surgery on its own, but she feels confident that because my health is good, she could do the arms at the same time.

"It's excellent."

Barbara Walters asked Paul Mason about his excess skin

Mr Mason said he received a second surprise on The View, saying the programme found someone to pay the $17,000 (£10,341) he had been fundraising for the cost of the first operation.

"We've still got to fundraise to pay for the aftercare," Mr Mason said, adding that he hoped Friday's broadcast of the show in the United States would prompt people to add to the $1,170 (£711) already raised.

"I'm excited, all I've got to do is go back to the UK, get a medical visa, and then come back."

The couple said they had not set a date for the wedding.

Ms Mountain said: "There's so many things we need to do to take care of Paul first.

"There will be another surgery for his legs, but not for another six to eight months."