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The Biggest Loser 12

Anna Kournikova won’t return to Biggest Loser

by Andy Dehnart 14 Nov. 2011 | 1:19 pm

New The Biggest Loser trainer Anna Kournikova won’t return to the show next season, reportedly because she was difficult to work with. That news comes less than six months after she was added to the show to replace Jillian Michaels, though ratings have dropped without Jillian.

The Hollywood Reporter says that show “staffers say they clashed with [Kournikova], and some of the contestants found her a bit brash. Whereas Michaels was soothing, encouraging and even uplifting, Kournikova did not sympathize with her overweight contestants, often telling them about her own tough upbringing when they complained about training being hard. A source on the show actually called Kournikova ‘a nightmare.'”

In a predictably generic statement to the paper, she said, “I enjoyed my time on the Biggest Loser ranch. Although I will not be returning as a full time trainer on season 13, I will always be a part of The Biggest Loser family and my commitment to bettering lives through health and fitness will continue.”

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about Andy Dehnart

Andy Dehnart’s writing and criticism about television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Vulture, Pacific Standard, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He has covered reality television for more than 18 years, and created reality blurred in 2000.

A member of the Television Critics Association who serves on its board of directors, Andy, 41, also directs the journalism program at Stetson University in Florida, where he teaches creative nonfiction and journalism. He has an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College. Learn more about reality blurred and Andy.

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about reality blurred

reality blurred is your guide to the world of reality TV and unscripted entertainment, with reality show reviews, news, and analysis. It was created in 2000 by Andy Dehnart. He's still writing and publishing it today.

reality blurred is regularly updated with highlights from the world of reality TV: news and analysis; behind-the-scenes reports; interviews with reality TV show cast members and producers; and recaps and reviews of these reality TV shows, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Great British Baking Show, Shark Tank, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and many more.

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