Charles Barkley's 'Ozempic Face' Is Obvious In Side-By-Side March Madness Pics

Charles Barkley was turning heads as he worked March Madness 2026, and viewers noticed he had lost a lot weight — it looked like he had Ozempic face in the making. "March madness 2026. Charles Barkley is on Ozempic," a viewer wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Lol Charles Barkley went a lil overboard on the ozempic lmao," another college hoops fan added. To illustrate how many pounds the Chuckster had lost, we put together a side-by-side comparison of two photos taken 10 years apart. The first was taken when the former TNT analyst was working March Madness in 2016, and the second featured Barkley calling a game for the First Four in March 2026. Besides his cheeks looking less rotund in the more recent snap, the obvious change is in the basketball analyst's chin and neck.

Scott Halleran & Dylan Buell/Getty

The chatter about Barkley going on Ozempic to trim down his figure was not technically true. He had spoken openly about taking a GLP-1 drug to rapidly lose weight, but it was jabs of Mounjaro, not Ozempic, that he took. "I'm working out, I'm taking my shot once a week," he said while appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show" via video call in May 2023. Over a six month period, Barkley was down over 60 pounds. "I started at 352 and I'm down to 290 ... I'm starting to feel like a human being, not a fat a** anymore," he joked.

The massive weight loss has been noticeable for fans, and has led to Barkley being roasted during March Madness.

As mentioned, while Charles Barkley worked March Madness 2026, many viewers were shocked to see the man once known as "The Round Mound of Rebound" looking so svelte. Others were more surprised by Barkley's fashion choices after using GLP-1 drugs to get into shape. "After all that Ozempic, Charles Barkley needs a new tailor. He's living in a tent," one viewer joked on X. "We've heard of Ozempic face. Charles Barkley has Ozempic suit," another wrote on the first day of March Madness.

Months earlier, fans thought it was jarring seeing the celeb's Ozempic face when he appeared on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" in September 2025 to talk NBA hoops. He joined Bill Simmons on the pod via video call, and was filmed at an unflattering angle that highlighted Barkley's Ozempified neck. Besides mocking the basketball prognosticator's ill-fitting oversized glasses, fans were stunned to see how thin he appeared. "Barkley losing weight looking like Rupaul now," one user wrote on X after seeing a clip posted online. "Ozempic moving so fast on chuck his glasses can't keep up," another jokingly added.

"They don't give a s— about the fans."

Charles Barkley believes the NBA's new TV package is going to be a problem for regular fans. pic.twitter.com/ONvif3Y8jg

— The Ringer (@ringer) September 3, 2025

Barkley meanwhile seemed unfazed, and has been very outspoken about using a weight loss drug for his drastic transformation. Earlier in 2025 he became a spokesperson for Ro, a telehealth company that helps potential patients obtain prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs.