Season 13
The Biggest Loser is an American reality competition television series created by Dave Broome which offers severely overweight participants the opportunity to undergo a radical physical makeover without any kind of surgery, competing to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight relative to their initial weight.
The series premiered in the USA on NBC on 19 October, 2004.
The Biggest Loser premiered in South Africa on e.tv on Monday 11 September 2006, at 20h00. The series was discontinued on e.tv after three seasons and Seasons 4-9 did not air in South Africa. The series resumed with Season 10 on M-Net Series Reality when the channel went live in July 2013. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates.
Season 13 has not yet aired in South Africa.
Season 13
The Biggest Loser returns with a bang for Season 13 when the contestants arrive at the ranch and get one of the biggest surprises ever in the series' history.
They arrive in teams of two - including mother/daughter, father/son, brother/sister and husband/wife, all eager to change their lives together.
But they're shocked to discover that they will not only be split up - they will also be competing against the person they came with.
They'll be pushed out of their comfort zones in a way they have never been before - and one team won't even make it on to the ranch - as the season of "No Excuses" begins.
All of the contestants have the same goal: losing weight and getting healthy. But they all have different excuses for why they never lost the weight before, ranging from being too busy, not knowing how to eat right, being emotional eaters, knowing they could always start a weight-loss program "tomorrow" and more.
So the season of "no partners" will also be a season of "no excuses" - as week in and week out, all the typical reasons for not getting in shape will be addressed.
The contestants will hit the ground running with a three-part challenge as soon as they arrive. While 18 of the 20 contestants come to the ranch with loved ones, two will initially be paired as strangers.
Following the initial challenge, each of the pairs will be divided into two new competing groups of individual players who will be trained by either Bob Harper or Dolvett Quince, both fiercely competitive and determined to whip their contestants into shape, and deliver the season's $250,000 grand-prize winner.
Hosted by Alison Sweeney, The Biggest Loser will feature new contestants that include Nancy Rajala, who has 13 children and 55 grandchildren and didn't gain weight until she became a widow at 52, Kim Nielsen, a former professional wrestler and single mother of three whose career ended when she broke her back in a wrestling match, and Roy Pickler, a Santa Claus and scout leader who wants to get in shape so he can continue taking scout troops on adventures as he has for almost 25 years.
Also competing this season will be former Junior Olympic weight lifter Emily Joy, music producer Adrian Dortch, who has been a background vocalist for artists like Seal and David Foster, Ben Shuh, a father of nine children with a 10th on the way, and Cassandra Sturos, whose weight has held her back from pursuing her dream to move to New York to be a writer.
The Biggest Loser is a production of Reveille, 25/7 Productions and 3 Ball Productions. Ben Silverman, Dave Broome, JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson and Todd Lubin are the executive producers.
About the Show
The Biggest Loser offers severely overweight participants the opportunity to undergo a radical physical makeover without any kind of surgery.
Caroline Rhea (Seasons 1-3) and Alison Sweeney (Since Season 4) host the series, which challenges and encourages overweight contestants as they compete for a grand prize of $250,000 in a safe and recommended manner through comprehensive diet and exercise.
The unscripted reality series gathers contestants from across America to face real-life temptations while being provided with weight-loss skills and resources in an effort to help them transform their bodies, health and ultimately their lives.
The Biggest Loser provides the contestants - who are divided into a red team (women) and blue team (men) - challenges, temptations, weigh-ins and eliminations until the final contestant remains to claim the title of the biggest loser.
Each team works out under the supervision of professional trainers which include Jillian Michaels, Kim Lyons, Bob Harper, Cara Castronuova, Brett Hoebel, Anna Kournikova and Dolvett Quince.
Structure
Temptation
Contestants prepare for the first day of the week only to find a situation that involves temptation. The temptation usually requires contestants to gamble by eating or drinking delicious but high-calorie foods in exchange for what they may deem as a beneficial trade-off.
The benefits may or may not be known to the contestants in advance.
Examples include eating sweet foods for a chance to call their loved ones. Another example is eating a big slice of cake to win an unknown prize (which turned out to be an exercise bike).
Contestants are given a set amount of time before the offer passes.
Reward challenge
Teams compete to win a prize. After the challenge, viewers are shown the winning team savoring their reward while the losing team bitterly accept their loss.
During team-based challenges, in the event that one of the teams has an extra member, the winning team can decide who should sit-out during the weigh-in. If the challenges become individual-based, the winner of the challenge is given immunity from being eliminated at the next weigh-in.
Initial Workout
Contestants work out with the trainers. During this segment, the trainers will often speak with certain contestants, especially those doing poorly. Usually certain underlying emotional issues are revealed at this time (such as a loss of a family member or a physical calamity), which often are the triggering events that led to the weight gain in the first place.
Last Chance Workout
Last chance workouts are often shown as grueling, final preparations for the weigh in. This is a real test of strength and trainers push contestants to their limits.
Weigh-In
All contestants are weighed to determine the pounds they lost. During team-based competition, the team that lost the most weight wins. The losing team must vote who they should eliminate among them.
When the competition has turned individual-based, the two contestants who lost the least weight are in danger of elimination.
A similar setup to individual based weigh-in happened when the beginning two teams are broken up into four teams of two.
Elimination Challenge
Introduced in Season 9, the elimination challenge was for the two people who were below the yellow line. In the only elimination challenge of that season, the longest one standing stayed while the other one went home.
In Season 10, the elimination challenge was re-introduced. The amount of people who were below the yellow line participate in a challenge to escape from the vote. The two contestants that are the least successful in the competition faces the vote.
The Vote
The losing team enter a dining room half-surrounded with refrigerators filled with sweets. Each refrigerator has the name of each contestant lit.
During the team-based competition, losing members each carry a covered plate containing the name of the person they wish to vote out. In the event of a tie, the winning team decides who from the losing team be voted out.
During the individual-based competition, the fate of the two contestants on the chopping block will be determined by the other players. In the event of a tie, the one contestant who lost the least weight is eliminated.
In all scenarios, the refrigerator with the eliminated player's name is shut off.
South African Version
A South African version of the show, produced by Red Pepper, aired on e.tv from 7 January to 14 April, 2008. The show was hosted by Jasmyn Asvat with trainers Bruce Claasen (blue team) and Lisa Raleigh (red team).
The first season was won by Sharon Haarhoff of East London, who lost 61.8kg (136.25lb), or 45.74% of her body weight.
TVSA Show Page: The Biggest Loser South Africa
Seasons
Note: the series was discontinued on e.tv after three seasons and Seasons 4-9 did not air in South Africa. The series resumed with Season 10 on M-Net Series Reality when the channel went live in July 2013.
Season 1 (11 episodes)
Channel: e.tv | Premiere: 11 Sep 2006 | Finale: 20 Nov 2006 | Mon, 20h00
Season 2 (12 episodes)
Channel: e.tv | Premiere: 3 Sep 2007 | Finale: 19 Nov 2007 | Mon, 20h00
Season 3 (12 episodes)
Channel: e.tv | Premiere: 21 Apr 2008 | Finale: 7 Jul 2008 | Mon, 20h00
Season 4 (15 episodes)
Did not air in South Africa
Season 5 (16 episodes)
Did not air in South Africa
Season 6 (13 episodes)
Did not air in South Africa
Season 7 (19 episodes)
Did not air in South Africa
Season 8 (13 episodes)
Did not air in South Africa
Season 9 (19 episodes)
Did not air in South Africa
Season 10 (13 episodes)
Channel: MS Reality | Premiere: 10 Jul 2013 | Finale: 9 Oct 2013 | Wed, 20h30
Season 11 (21 episodes)
Channel: MS Reality | Premiere: 5 Feb 2014 | Finale: 25 Jun 2014 | Wed, 20h30