Jillian’s Back On The Biggest Loser!
I knew this day was coming… yep, as you may have already read today Jillian Michaels is returning to The Biggest Loser after a two-year absence. But will Jillian’s return turn around the troubled weight loss show?
Of course you all know how I feel about NBC’s hit weight loss show, but as I’ve said here on the site – The Biggest Loser just isn’t the same without Jillian. I’ve come to realize that the combination of Bob and Jillian is a unique partnership that cannot be matched. We’ve seen many others try; Kim Lyons, Brad and Cara and most recently the embarrassing Anna Kournikova. All have failed miserably. Sure Dolvet is still around but I don’t really see him in the same light as the show’s two pioneers.
The show is heading into its 14th season and ratings have been on the slide for a while now. Is it a coincidence that ratings dropped right when Jillian left? Or are people just getting tired of seeing obese people lose remarkable amounts of weight? Truthfully I think it’s due to Jillian’s absence and I’d bet ratings will once again soar come the show’s premiere this January. And the show has a few changes lined up as well. I read on InsideTV.com that TEENAGERS will now be part of the teams, although they can’t get voted off and they also don’t have the opportunity to win the $250,000 prize. Details are sketchy but it should be interesting to see how they integrate these new contestants into the field of play.
My biggest gripe with The Biggest Loser has always been the fact that it is more a fantasy camp then anything. Two years ago I sent a batch of ideas to the producers of the show explaining how I thought they could do a better job – make the show more real and give the contestants a better chance at true lifestyle change. In essence I told them they could do better and I wasn’t exactly a fan of the current format. Needless to say I never heard from them. That said it seems that the show’s general direction has become more realistic in recent years. Contestants now spend a good portion of time at home, prepare their own meals and in general are far more prepped for when they leave the show. Those are things I like to see.
You know when I go back and read my initial post on The Biggest Loser, I can admit I was a bit harsh, especially towards Jillian. Much of what I felt was based solely on what I had seen on TV and we all know reality TV isn’t real at all in many cases! I still stand by a lot of what I feel and think that for many years the show turned many people off to personal training. But I also can’t deny that it’s also turned millions of people ONTO fitness and given those with no hope a new sense of direction and passion. That has to be a good thing.
As you may recall I met Bob Harper at his recent Skinny Rules book signing (see my post below) and after a brief chat with him I know his heart is in the right place. He genuinely cares. And I’ve been following Jillian since her exit and she too is made up of much more than what you see on the show. She is extremely active outside of the show promoting health, awareness, fitness, and even has strong opinions when it comes to government and food. Knowing what I know about these two, plus the fact that the show has changed a bit, has made me more receptive to the series. In fact I’ll be tuning in to see what they’ve got up their sleeves for this season.
Will the twists and turns along with Jillian’s return be enough to save the show and boost ratings? I don’t know. I have a few ideas of my own that I think would be great, but until the producers give me a call and let me whip some Biggest Loser butt, I’m not sharing anything! Ha ha!
So will you be watching season 14 of the Biggest Loser? And do you think Jillian’s return will turn things around for the series? Comment away…
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Bob Harper: ‘I Drank The CrossFit Kool-Aid’
about 3 months ago - 2 comments
Just yesterday I wrote a post on the most common CrossFit terms and what they mean, so when I came across Bob Harper’s article on his CrossFit experience via The Huffington Post, I was eager to read what Mr. Harper had to say. I know Bob has been a champion of the fastest growing training…
Angry Issues: Are You Still Watching The Biggest Loser?
about 1 year ago - 22 comments
Well, well – It looks like I’m once again talking about NBC’s weight loss show – The Biggest Loser. If you know anything about me, and why I’m called The Angry Trainer, you know that this show is the proverbial thorn in my side. In fact the very first article we posted here at Angry…
about 8 months ago
Kudos to you with the suggestions for trying to actually improve peoples lives rather than quasi-fat shaming and circus spectacles. The problem I have with the biggest loser, which I think you have suggested is that they never address the root cause of the issue of overeating and poor lifestyle habits. Have you seen “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition”? This is a much better show in my opinion, because the people have usually had something terrible happen in their lives, and Chris actually takes the time to help them deal with their emotional issues and not just the physical problems.
about 8 months ago
I disagree. I’ve seen every episode of the last 10 seasons of The Biggest Loser (except the season with Anna Kournikova because it was atrocious) and I’ve always felt that they spend way too much time playing therapist and talking about the contestants issues and how they became overweight. Every new season starts with a full background story of every contestant and why they think they ended up on the ranch. They constantly repeat those stories throughout the season and people’s workouts get interrupted on a daily basis so that one of the trainers can take them aside and talk about their feelings and issues. There have been plenty of contestant that had tragic and traumatic things happen to them. The most memorable to me were the woman who lost her daughter, infant son, and husband in a car accident; the woman whose 3-year-old son died in her arms during a nap; and the man whose infant daughter died of a long illness. There are plenty of other heart-wrenching stories as well but those are the first that come to mind.
about 8 months ago
I always loved the Bob/Jillian dynamic, and I agree with your take on Dolvett as well: he knows what he’s doing, he seems to care, but not quite in the same vein as Bob and Jillian. I love that Jillian advocates a healthy lifestyle in her personal life and lives it too. I sincerely hope that this reinvigorates the show, it has been truly depressing to watch and nowhere close to inspiring the past couple of seasons. And if you can’t be inspired or feel like you’ve benefited from watching a show, what’s the point? Their has been no truly motivational contestants to connect with or empathize with. So getting Jillian back is a great step, but they also need to choose likable contestants and let them be themselves rather than create behind the scenes drama to distract from the real purpose of the show: creating health in sick individuals and giving them a renewed hope in life.
about 8 months ago
Jillian has always been my favourite. I especially like it when she hope atop the treadmills to…encourage…the participants.
When the show first premiered, I couldn’t stand it. I’ve come full circle, and look forward to it each season.
Bring on jillian!
about 8 months ago
I agree, Dolvett is cool but he simply has too big of shoes to fill. As for Jillian, is this a permanent return or just a return for one season to tackle the child obesity topic? Seemed like she was kind of tired of the routine by the end and was happy to move on.
And about the show’s ratings, perhaps Jillian had a deal to do with that, but honestly after so many seasons, the show is getting tired as it follows roughly the same format each time and it seems like the people on the newer seasons aren’t as interesting / easy to get behind as a lot of popular ones from the earlier seasons.
about 8 months ago
I was happy to read this because when I read your previous article about her, I did feel that you were a little bit harsh. I agree that The Biggest Loser has a LOT of room for improvement but I also think that people need to remember that reality TV is not reality at all and what we see on the show is only 2 hours (sometimes 1) out of 168 hours in a week. So there’s a lot we don’t see or hear.
I’m a big Jillian fan. I have all of her workout DVDs and completed her 90-day Body Revolution program and achieved fantastic results! I also have her book, Master Your Metabolism which is solely about eating whole, organic (whenever possible) foods, limiting any and all processed foods, and removing toxins and pollutants where you can from your household and environment. I think you guys have a lot more in common than you think! In fact, when I read her articles and interviews she sometimes reminds me of the female version of you LOL!
I am big fan of yours and always appreciate your openness and honesty!
about 8 months ago
I am glad she is returning. Aside from the entertainment value of the drama that she adds, she also seems to be the only trainer on the show who tries to help the contestants figure out WHY they are 400 lbs so that they can address the real psychological root of the problem. Otherwise, the weight loss will probably be temporary.
about 8 months ago
Yeah buddy. BL was never the same without Jillian but I never stopped watching. I’ll always love it. It was obvious their ratings were dropping last season because the show was getting shorter. I hope it turns around again with Jill because I pretty much need it on the air forever.
about 8 months ago
I might watch, because I love Jillian. My problem with the show was always the theatrics. I honestly thought it was kind of offensive when contestants would weigh in and the camera would shake as they walked, and you’d hear big bass percussion as well. To borrow a term from Lauren, it was “quasi-fat shaming,” plain and simple and that helps no one.
I also think that it sets an unrealistic example of how much weight one can expect to lose right away when starting a regimen. The contestants drop a lot of weight initially due to the absolutely grueling, constant workouts and drastic diet changes. And as the season goes on, contestants have been known to waterload one week so their weight loss is larger the next week. And that gets away from what the premise of the show was initally.
about 8 months ago
Ditto to just about everything you said! Jillian and Bob’s unique dynamic, the issues with the “reality show”-ness of it, the real values and desires of Bob & Jillian that aren’t reflected on the screen… I’m glad she’ll be back. I’m concerned about teenagers being involved. I just might have to watch, contributing to that inevitable ratings spike.
about 4 months ago
I will be watching. It can be repetitive but the storylines are worth following. I believe the show can do a lot of good but I’m not a huge fan of Season 14 involving children. From what’s shown on T.V. the show seems 80% restriction and 20% teaching about eating well. That cannot be a good ratio for anyone, especially kids.