The show will still be a competition, but USA says it’ll focus on “wellness” instead of weight loss—the same change Weight Watchers made last fall.
Biggest Loser
Poppi Kramer, comedian and Biggest Loser season 3 at-home winner, has died
Poppi Kramer, a comedian and actor and the winner of The Biggest Loser season three’s at-home competition, died at age 46, according to friends and colleagues.
How low can these three weight-loss shows go?
The new year brought with it cold air, resolutions, and weight loss reality shows. Yes, they’re back, though they never really went away, like diets and hope. Each of the three shows I’ve reviewed here—one old, two brand-new—illustrate the challenges of losing weight, mostly in the form of working out. Emotions are packaged neatly into quick… continue reading
Survivor’s first winner cast on rebooted The Biggest Loser: Temptation Nation
Survivor Borneo winner Richard Hatch is one of the cast members of NBC’s The Biggest Loser: Temptation Nation, which has changed a lot for season 17.
With its new host and trainers, Biggest Loser shuffles the deck chairs
The Biggest Loser‘s longest-serving trainer, Bob Harper, will become the show’s host for season 17, and the NBC reality competition’s newest trainer will leave the show, as the aging show shifts around its parts to see what sticks. When the show returns, probably next year, Bob Harper will replace Alison Sweeney and host the show…. continue reading
The mystery of Alison Sweeney’s exit as Biggest Loser host
Alison Sweeney, who has hosted of NBC’s The Biggest Loser since season four, is leaving the show after eight years of watching that fake scale. (Sweeney replaced Caroline Rhea, who hosted seasons one to three.) NBC’s brief statement, delivered via its tabloid newsmagazine Access Hollywood, said only: “After an incredible run together, Alison Sweeney will… continue reading
Biggest Loser moves Bob Harper, casts only athletes
The cast of The Biggest Loser‘s 16th season are all athletes, including former NFL players Damien Woody and Scott Mitchell, while trainer Bob Harper will not be working with them at the ranch, instead demoted to a position where he works with the losers to give them a second chance. Meanwhile, after Rachel Frederickson’s extreme weight loss last season, producers… continue reading
Why Jillian Michaels quit again; Adam Richman apologies; Drunk History’s accuracy; A&E sued
News and links from the past few weeks, when I was busy finishing the redesign and reporting from the summer Television Critics Association press tour (a lot of terrific interviews and information coming from that soon). And thanks for both your feedback and for bearing with me during this initial period as I solve some lingering problems (surveys… continue reading
Jillian Michaels leaving Biggest Loser for a third time
Original Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels has left the show, marking her third exit. NBC said only in a statement that “The Biggest Loser and Jillian Michaels have decided to part ways and she will not be returning for season 16 when it airs in the fall.” While there was no reason given for her… continue reading
Biggest Loser Rachel gains weight; Naked and Afraid butt maggots; game jam reality show walk-out
Biggest Loser winner Rachel Frederickson previously defended her disturbing weight loss by only saying that her “body is going to balance and find its rhythm with maintenance and it’ll be perfect,” and Rachel now says she’s reached that perfection: “I’ve gone up about 20 pounds. I think I’m at my perfect weight!” Naked and Afraid‘s… continue reading
Trainers’, producers’, winner’s damning reactions to Biggest Loser’s weight loss
After her record-setting weight loss was revealed Tuesday night, Biggest Loser winner Rachel Fredrickson talked to reporters, and the show’s three trainers all weighed in. Not one of them defended her weight loss as healthy. Her trainer, Dolvett Quince, wrote on Facebook, “Last night’s Biggest Loser Finale has sparked a huge reaction and I do… continue reading
Rachel’s disturbing weight loss is Biggest Loser’s latest frightening reveal
The Biggest Loser‘s latest winner is Rachel Frederickson, who lost a total of 155 pounds and a record 60 percent of her body weight, showing up at the finale weighing just 105 pounds and looking shockingly thin. Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels’ faces said it all, and Jillian’s mouth said even more: “Oh my god.”… continue reading
Bob Harper comes out as gay on Biggest Loser
On last night’s The Biggest Loser, Bob Harper publicly revealed he’s gay for the first time, though it’s long been well-known, and not just because he’s the trainer on the Queer Abs workout DVD or said he’s been out since he was 17. It’s just never something he’s talked about on the NBC reality competition…. continue reading
Jillian Michaels “used by” producers to bring Ruben Studdard back to Biggest Loser
Ruben Studdard left The Biggest Loser last week, after losing just five pounds and being eliminated automatically. But he returned to the competition this week. Instead, Jillian Michaels says that was a set-up by the producers to bring Ruben back. At the end of last night’s episode, Alison Sweeney said–and by said, I mean dragged… continue reading
“Trainer save” added to Biggest Loser; cast includes 462-pound Ruben Studdard
American Idol 2 winner Ruben Studdard will be on the 15th season of The Biggest Loser this fall; the 462-pound singer will be “the show’s first celebrity player,” according to NBC, and he’s also the season’s biggest person. The 15-person cast also includes Olympic weightlifter Holley Mangold. Also a first: the trainers helped cast the… continue reading