The Biggest Loser: Couples

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The Biggest Loser: Couples is an NBC reality television show that began broadcasting on October 19, 2004. The fifth season of The Biggest Loser began airing on January 1, 2008 with ten overweight couples competing for a cash prize of $250,000. This season again featured Alison Sweeney as the host and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels.

Although the contestants came in as teams of two, the grand prize was eventually awarded to an individual. In the end, Ali Vincent was the winner of the Biggest Loser: Couples, making her the first woman in Biggest Loser US Series history to win.

Contents

[edit] Contestants

Contestant Couples Team Non-Couples Team Eliminated Total Votes
Lynn Westphal, 60, Elyria, OH Green Team Week 1 5
Jenni Westphal, 31, North Ridgeville, OH Green Team Week 1 5
Curtis Bray, 35, Los Angeles, CA Brown Team Week 2 4
Mallory Bray, 36, Los Angeles, CA Brown Team Week 2 4
Neill Harmer, 28, Oklahoma City, OK White Team Week 3 4
Amanda Harmer, 29, Oklahoma City, OK White Team Week 3 4
Bette-Sue Birkland, 53, Mesa, AZ Pink Team Week 4 1
Jenn Widder, 22, River Edge, NJ Purple Team Black Team Week 5 5
Jackie Evans. 49, Frankfort, IL Orange Team Blue Team Week 6 4
Trent Patterson, 39, Endicott, NY Gray Team Blue Team Week 7 4
Paul Marks, 43, Rockledge, FL Yellow Team Black Team Week 8 6
Bernie Salazar, 27, Chicago, IL Blue Team Black Team Week 10 5
Maggie King, 23, Denville, NJ Purple Team Black Team Week 11 4
Brittany Aberle, 22, San Jacinto, CA Blue Team Black Team Week 12 3
Dan Evans, 21, Frankfort, IL Orange Team Blue Team Week 13 3
Jay Kruger, 31, New Bedford, MA Black Team Blue Team Week 14 2
Mark Kruger, 35, Dartmouth, MA Black Team Blue Team Week 9
Finale		 4/0
Kelly Fields, 38, Titusville, FL Yellow Team Black Team 2nd Runner-Up 7
Roger Shultz, 40, Enterprise, AL Gray Team Blue Team Runner-Up
0
Ali Vincent,32, Mesa, AZ Pink Team Pink Team Week 4
The Biggest Loser		 1/0

Total Votes counts only votes that are revealed at elimination. The total doesn't count unrevealed votes.

[edit] Weigh-ins and eliminations

Contestant Age Height Initial
BMI		 Final
BMI		 Starting
Weight		 Week Finishing
Weight		 Weight
Lost		 Percentage
Lost
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Ali 32 5'5" 39.0 20.3 234 215 212 206 198 Not at the campus 167 160 155 149 146 135 122 112 47.9
Roger 40 6'3" 45.4 24.9 363 343 340 331 319 309 301 292 276 268 259 251 242 236 234 219 199 164 45.2
Kelly 38 5'6" 43.8 26.2 271 258 257 248 240 240 233 225 218 212 206 202 199 192 191 178 162 109 40.2
Mark 35 5'10" 40.9 22.4 285 268 261 249 235 230 221 215 202 201 195 188 185 181 182* 169 156 129 45.3
Jay 31 6'1" 38.7 25.1 293 280 275 268 258 253 248 244 228 221 214 209 206 201 202 190 103 35.2
Dan 21 5'8" 47.2 26.5 310 285 277 265 264 251 244 237 226 219 211 207 199 198 174 136 43.9
Brittany 22 5'7" 34.6 25.7 221 211 210 203 201 199 189 188 185 179 174 172 170 164 57 25.8
Maggie 23 5'3" 42.4 29.9 239 229 227 221 218 211 206 204 198 190 184 184 169 70 29.3
Bernie 27 5'5" 47.1 25.5 283 266 261 248 241 236 223 216 211 201 195 153 130 45.9
Paul 43 5'4" 52.1 x 303 286 283 269 260 263 251 241 236 233 x x x
Trent 39 6'2" 56.0 38.7 436 407 401 388 375 366 357 349 331 301 135 31.0
Jackie 49 5'5" 41.0 26.1 246 231 223 216 214 206 204 182 157 89 36.2
Jenn 22 5'0" 49.7 37.1 254 242 240 236 229 223 206 190 64 25.2
Bette-Sue 53 5'5" 43.5 31.0 261 245 239 231 224 212 186 75 28.7
Neill 28 5'10" 45.5 32.9 317 304 298 292 262 229 88 27.8
Amanda 29 5'2" 37.3 25.6 204 190 190 185 158 140 64 31.4
Curtis 35 6'1" 50.3 30.5 381 359 356 281 231 150 39.4
Mallory 36 5'6" 35.1 24.6 217 203 204 175 152 65 30.0
Lynn 60 6'2" 52.6 42.3 409 390 345 329 80 19.6
Jenni 31 5'8" 40.6 32.4 267 260 229 213 54 20.2
  •      Winner (among finalists 250,000 dollars)
  •      Winner (among eliminated contestants 100,000 dollars)
  •      Week's Biggest Loser
  •      Immunity (Challenge or Weigh-In)
  •      Immunity & Week's Biggest Loser
  •      Member of Bob's Team (Weeks 5+)
  •      Member of Jillian's Team (Weeks 5+)
  •      Eliminated Players Weigh-In at the End of Week 10 (Shown Episode 11)
  •      "Healthy" Body Mass Index
  •      "Overweight" Body Mass Index
  •      "Obese" Body Mass Index
  •      "Clinically Obese" Body Mass Index
  •      "Morbidly Obese" Body Mass Index
  • * Mark weighed 182 pounds after Week 14, but was shown at 181 at Week 15 weigh-in
  • x Paul did not attend Finale due to illness
  •      Last person eliminated before finale(by America voting).

Bette Sue & Ali and Lynn & Jenni were members of Bob's team before Week 5, while Curtis & Mallory and Neill & Amanda were members of Jillian's team before Week 5. When Ali returned in Week 11, she switched over to Jillian, but kept her pink shirt.

[edit] Weight Loss History

Contestant Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Finale
Ali
-19
-3
-6
-8
-31
-7
-5
-6
-3
-11
-13
Roger
-20
-3
-9
-12
-10
-8
-9
-16
-8
-9
-8
-9
-6
-2
-15
-20
Kelly
-13
-1
-9
-8
0
-7
-8
-7
-6
-6
-4
-3
-7
-1
-13
-16
Mark
-17
-7
-12
-14
-5
-9
-6
-13
-1
-6
-7
-3
-4
+1
-12
-13
Jay
-13
-5
-7
-10
-5
-5
-4
-16
-7
-7
-5
-3
-5
+1
-12
Dan
-25
-8
-12
-1
-13
-7
-7
-11
-7
-8
-4
-8
-1
-24
Brittany
-10
-1
-7
-2
-2
-10
-1
-3
-6
-5
-2
-2
-6
Maggie
-10
-2
-6
-3
-7
-5
-2
-6
-8
-6
-0
-15
Bernie
-17
-5
-13
-7
-5
-13
-7
-5
-10
-6
-42
Paul
-17
-3
-14
-9
+3
-12
-10
-5
-3
x
Trent
-29
-6
-13
-13
-9
-9
-8
-18
-30
Jackie
-15
-8
-7
-2
-8
-2
-22
-25
Jenn
-12
-2
-4
-7
-6
-17
-16
Bette-Sue
-16
-6
-8
-7
-12
-26
Neill
-13
-6
-6
-30
-33
Amanda
-14
0
-5
-27
-18
Curtis
-22
-3
-75
-50
Mallory
-14
+1
-29
-23
Lynn
-19
-45
-16
Jenni
-7
-31
-16
  •      Away from Campus
  • x - Paul did not attend Finale due to illness.

[edit] Voting History

Key:
Immunity
X Below yellow line, unable to vote
X Not in elimination, unable to vote
 ? Vote not revealed
Eliminated or not in house
Last person eliminated (at the finale)
Valid vote cast
Name Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Wk 14 Wk 15
Elminated Lynn & Jenni Curtis & Mallory Neill & Amanda Bette-Sue & Ali Jenn Jackie Trent Paul Mark Bernie Maggie Brittany Dan Jay Mark
Ali Lynn & Jenni Curtis & Mallory  ? X Eliminated Wk 4, Returned wk 11 Maggie Brittany Dan Jay X
Roger  ? Paul & Kelly Neill & Amanda X X Jackie Trent X Mark Bernie  ? Brittany Dan Jay X
Kelly Maggie & Jenn X  ? Bette-Sue & Ali Jenn X X Bernie X X Brittany  ? Dan  ? X
Mark  ? Paul & Kelly Neill & Amanda X X Jackie Trent X  ? Eliminated Wk 9 Maggie  ? X X Eliminated at the Finale by America's vote
Jay  ? Paul & Kelly Neill & Amanda X X Jackie Trent X Mark Bernie  ? X  ? X Eliminated Wk 14
Dan Lynn & Jenni Curtis & Mallory  ? X X Trent Trent X Mark Bernie Maggie Brittany X Eliminated Wk 13
Brittany Lynn & Jenni Curtis & Mallory Neill & Amanda X Jenn X X Paul X Kelly X X Eliminated Wk 12
Maggie X Curtis & Mallory X X Kelly X X Paul X Kelly X Eliminated Wk 11
Bernie Lynn & Jenni Curtis & Mallory Neill & Amanda X Jenn X X Paul X X Eliminated Wk 10
Paul Maggie & Jenn X  ? Bette-Sue & Ali Jenn X X Bernie Eliminated Wk 8
Trent  ? Paul & Kelly Neill & Amanda X X Jackie Mark Eliminated Wk 7
Jackie Lynn & Jenni Curtis & Mallory Neill & Amanda X X Trent Eliminated Wk 6
Jenn X Curtis & Mallory X X Kelly Eliminated Wk 5
Bette-Sue Lynn & Jenni Curtis & Mallory  ? X Eliminated Wk 4
Neill Lynn & Jenni Paul & Kelly X Eliminated Wk 3
Amanda Lynn & Jenni Paul & Kelly X Eliminated Wk 3
Curtis Lynn & Jenni X Eliminated Wk 2
Mallory Lynn & Jenni X Eliminated Wk 2
Lynn X Eliminated Wk 1
Jenni X Eliminated Wk 1

[edit] Episodes

[edit] Week 1

First aired January 1, 2008
The new "couples" season begins with a challenge: All ten couples must race from the campus grounds along a marked path to the top of a nearby hill. Each member of the couple must touch a flagpole there and return to the starting point. As each couple returns, they may choose with which trainer they want to work out with: Bob or Jillian. Each trainer may work with only five of the couples, so, once that limit is reached, additional couples must go to the remaining trainer.

The second challenge requires the couples to drag a heavy helium-filled color-coordinated weather balloon around a racecourse. The first team to cross the finish line will have a bonus of two pounds added to their weight loss for the week. The last team to arrive will have two pounds subtracted from their week's weight-loss total. Jay & Mark (Black Team) win the challenge with Maggie & Jenn (Purple Team) finishing last.

At the weigh-in, two couples -- Lynn & Jenni (Green Team) and Maggie & Jenn (Purple Team) -- fall below the yellow line and are put up for elimination. The final result: five votes for the Green Team, one vote for the Purple Team, with the votes of two teams unrevealed. Lynn & Jenni are eliminated. After they return home it is shown that Lynn and Jenni still continued to exercise and watch their weight. Lynn lost a total of 30 pounds and Jenni lost a total of 20 pounds.

[edit] Week 2

First aired January 8, 2008
This week's reward challenge takes the couples out to the playground. Each team has to get on a giant seesaw, and the first team to achieve 100 repetitions will win a 10-minute call home for each member. Jay & Mark (Black Team) win the reward and an additional responsibility: they must chose three other teams to win the same prize. In an emotional decision, they select Curtis & Mallory (Brown Team), Roger & Trent (Grey Team) and Neill & Amanda (White Team) for the reward.

The second challenge separates the teams so that each member faces temptation on his or her own: four minutes alone, surrounded by thousands of calories in favorite foods. The team that eats the most calories wins $5,000. Members from only three couples give into temptation: Mallory, who eats 210 calories; Paul (Yellow Team), who eats 912 calories; and Mark, who eats 925 calories. The Black Team wins the $5,000 by 13 calories.

At the weigh-in, the Brown Team and the Yellow Team both fall below the yellow line and are up for elimination. The final result is four votes for the Brown Team and three votes for the Yellow Team. Curtis & Mallory are eliminated.

Later, it is shown that Mallory and Curtis each reached their weight loss goal after returning home.

[edit] Week 3

First aired January 15, 2008
Dan & Jackie (Orange Team) became the "Biggest Losers of the Week" by winning last week's weigh-in but had yet to receive their prize. They receive it tonight: A hike to a nearby hill. At the top of the hill, are three prize choices: Luxury, Family, or Gameplay. The team does not know what each prize involves until after making a choice. The team chooses "Gameplay": The Orange Team will have two votes at the next elimination. "Luxury" would have given the Orange Team, and their choice of one other team, massages every day for a week. "Family" would have given the Orange Team a 24-hour visit from a family member.

In the Challenge, one member from each team must run an obstacle course carrying a medicine ball. At the end of the course, the runner places his or her ball in a rack with eight spaces, each rack representing one of the other teams. Once a team's rack is full, it is eliminated from the challenge. The last team standing wins immunity at the next weigh-in. The teams are eliminated in the following order: Orange, White, Black, Yellow, Pink, Blue, and Purple. Trent & Roger (Gray Team) win immunity.

At the weigh-in, Paul & Kelly (Yellow Team) are the Biggest Losers of the Week by posting a combined 23-pound weight loss and a percentage of 4.26% -- 1/100th of a percent higher than Brittany & Bernie's (Blue Team) 4.25%. Maggie & Jenn (Purple Team) fall below the yellow line for the second time in three weeks. They are joined by Neill & Amanda (White Team), who draw criticism due to Neill's perceived lazy attitude.

At the vote, the White Team receives a majority of four votes out of a possible seven -- from the Gray Team, Black Team, Blue Team and Jackie of the Orange Team. It was not necessary to count Dan's vote. Neill & Amanda are eliminated.

After the vote, Alison implies that a major game change is on the horizon by asking contestants, "If you could vote off one more team, right now, who would it be?"

[edit] Week 4

First aired January 22, 2008
The episode begins with the teams having to answer Alison's question from last week: "If you could send one team home, right now, who would it be?" After taking an hour to deliberate, the votes are revealed. The Yellow and Blue teams vote to send the Black Team home. The Purple and Black teams vote to eliminate the Yellow Team. And the Gray and Orange Teams choose to vote off the Purple Team. The Pink Team breaks the three-way tie by voting for the Yellow Team (Paul & Kelly).

However, this vote does not send the Yellow Team home. It changes the rules. For the next week, The Biggest Loser will be All versus One. At the challenge, all six teams will compete against the Yellow Team for a reward. At the weigh-in, if the Yellow Team's percentage is lower than the average of the other six teams' combined percentages, the Yellow Team goes home automatically. If Yellow's percentage is higher than the average, though, Paul & Kelly get the only vote at Elimination. Additionally, the Yellow Team is allowed to choose which trainer to work with exclusively. The team chose Jillian.

As the Biggest Losers of the Week, the Yellow Team also gets to take a hike to its reward. Of the three choices, Paul & Kelly choose "Gameplay" — an additional two pounds will be added to the weight loss of the team of their choice. The team elects not to inform the other contestants which reward they chose.

The week's physical challenge involves the skill of balance. Each contestant has to cross a large swimming pool on a balance beam and place 12 pegs one at a time into a board on the opposite side. Those who fall have to start again. Paul, of the Yellow Team, chooses to do most of the challenge himself. By the time he has placed 11 pegs, the other contestants have only placed six. (Trent, of the Gray team, has fallen in the pool once.) Kelly places her team's last peg, and the Yellow Team wins the challenge. They choose to give their prize — a packet of letters from home — to all of the other contestants.

Before the week's final weigh-in, it is shown that three contestants secretly plan to gain weight by drinking extra water in order to both allow the Yellow Team to win, and to convince them to eliminate the Black Team (Mark & Jay). The conspiring contestants are: Brittany (Blue Team), Maggie (Purple Team), and Jackie (Orange Team). It is shown later that Jackie's son and teammate, Dan, also joined the group.

At the weigh-in, Paul & Kelly announced that they would use their prize of two extra pounds. The Yellow Team's weight-loss percentage was 3.39% The average percentage for the six other teams was 2.72%. (The three teams whose members chose to gain weight before the weigh-in had the three lowest percentages.) The Yellow Team had won the only vote at Elimination. The Black Team, however, had won Immunity by being the Biggest Losers of the Week, with a percentage of 4.64%.

In the end, Paul & Kelly choose the team that cast the deciding vote that set them apart in the first place — the Pink Team. Bette-Sue and Ali are eliminated. Alison then announces that the game would be changing again: As of next week, no more couples.

[edit] Week 5

First aired January 29, 2008
At the physical challenge, the contestants are brought to a shopping mall to face a pair of two-story escalators, each going down. Bob and Jillian are both on hand — presumably to cheer the contestants on, but Allison says differently. The trainers are actually the contestants: The first trainer to complete ten laps of running up a down escalator will win the right to choose which three teams to train with from now going forward. The two trainers are evenly matched through the first two laps, but eventually Bob pulls ahead and wins the challenge. As the new Blue Team trainer, he chooses the former Orange Team (Dan & Jackie), Black Team (Mark & Jay), and Gray Team (Roger & Trent). This means Jillian, the new Black Team trainer, will now train the former Yellow Team (Paul & Kelly), Purple Team (Maggie & Jenn), and Blue Team (Bernie & Brittany).

No sooner have Bob and Jillian passed out their new team shirts than Allison announces there will be a team challenge after all. This time, it is a matter of endurance: Each team will get on the escalator, and the team with the last player standing will win. The winning team will split $10,000. The challenge begins with Paul (Black Team) and Trent (Blue Team) immediately riding down the escalators and stepping off — each has a torn meniscus in his knee. After that, the order in which the players drop out (and the amount of time he or she lasts) is: Kelly (2:55), Jenn (3:11), Jackie (5:00), Roger (8:24), Maggie (10:04), Bernie (12:30), and Brittany (23:59). Brittany was the last member of the Black Team to drop out, and the Blue Team wins the challenge, with Mark, Jay and Dan still on the escalator.

At the Temptation, contestants are confronted with a major source of sugar in the American diet: Soda. Allison shows them a table covered with 240 plastic cups of soda, in several different flavors. One of the cups is marked with a gold star. All the other cups are marked with the number of calories that soda contains. The person who finds the star gets to choose one player from the opposing team and make their weight not count at the next weigh-in. At the word "go," neither team makes a move toward the soda. Allison tempts them further by telling them that the star is not on a cup of orange soda, reducing the number of possible cups to 190. Still, no one moves. Allison makes one final offer: The star is not on a cup of grape soda, reducing the number to 110. Still, no takers. Allison begins a ten-second countdown to the end of the challenge.

As she reaches "two," Brittany (Black Team) makes a move toward the table. She quickly turns around, though, and walks back to her team. Time expires, and Allison shows that the marked cup was the one at the front corner of the table, most accessible to the contestants.

At the weigh-in, the double scale set-up has been removed with a single scale in its place. The new Blue Team weighs in first, and loses a total of 50 pounds, for a weight-loss percentage of 3.00%. The new Black Team needs to lose an average of 6 pounds each in order to win. While Jenn, Maggie and Bernie each keep to the average, Brittany loses only two pounds; Kelly loses no weight; and Paul gains three pounds. The Black Team has a weight-loss percentage of 1.22% and goes to the Elimination Room.

At elimination, Bernie, Brittany, Kelly and Paul vote for Jenn, while Jenn and Maggie vote for Kelly. Jenn is eliminated.

[edit] Week 6

First aired February 5, 2008
The two teams participate in a chocolate-caramel candy Temptation: whoever eats the most of 100 candies in front of them in five minutes wins. The prize is a chance to change the teams by swapping any two players, including the winner, from one team to the other. Dan, Maggie, Jackie, Trent, and Jay eat none of the candies. Paul eats three, and Roger eats one. Brittany, of the Black Team, eats 15, while Mark, of the Blue Team, eats 43 candies. Bernie eats none of the candies but mashed about a dozen of them into his face, explaining: “My game plan was pretty much to get as close to the chocolate as possible, without eating it. And, I really feel that I accomplished that.” Mark is declared the winner but chooses not to make any changes to either team.

Mark learns that he has a stress fracture in his right leg. He must wear a cast and limit his workouts to primarily upper-body exercises.

The Team Challenge turns out not to be physical. It is a cooking competition, judged by Alison and celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito. The contestants are given 15 minutes to shop for ingredients at Whole Foods Market, and must adapt Rocco’s recipes to create calorie-controlled appetizers, entrées and desserts. After tasting both efforts, Rocco indicates that he had a hard time choosing a winner. "I'm down to splitting hairs at this point," he says. The Black Team wins the challenge, by providing a three-course meal for under 800 calories. The reward is a dinner made by Rocco, and presents from home — video messages from the contestants’ families.

At the Weigh-In, the Blue Team goes first and achieves a weight-loss percentage of 2.48%. In order for the Black Team to win, its five members must lose an average of almost six pounds each. After only four team members weigh in they reach the goal — Brittany’s 10-pound weight loss gives them a percentage of 2.70%. Bernie’s 13-pound weight loss is “just icing on the cake,” says Alison, and gives the team a final weight-loss percentage of 3.83%. The Black Team wins the weigh-in and sends the Blue Team to Elimination. Mark’s 9-pound weight loss makes him the team's Biggest Loser for the week, and immune from the vote.

During the deliberation, Jackie suggests that Trent has been “very, very homesick,” and that the team should vote to eliminate him. She asks Mark and Jay to “swear on your children's lives” that they will not vote for her or her son, Dan, without telling them first. At the vote, however, Jackie and Dan each cast votes for Trent, while Trent, Roger, Mark and Jay each cast votes for Jackie. Jackie is eliminated. The episode ends with Alison advising the Blue Team to deal with its trust issues.

[edit] Week 7

First aired February 12, 2008
The episode begins with Dan talking about how upset he is with his team, and how he feels betrayed because they lied to him and Jackie. He does not know how he will be able to still be on a team with guys he doesn't trust. However, he decides to pretend that he forgives them and understands what they did, just so that he will be able to remain on the team. Mark and Jay apologize and say they would never lie to him again. They say it went against their core values and that they could have handled it better.

Bernie is the Biggest Loser for Week 6 and for his reward he chooses "Gameplay" which gives him "50% off at the next challenge." The Challenge turns out to be that two pairs from each team will have to hold up the amount of weight that they have lost using a pully system over water. The team that holds on the longest wins. The prize is two immunities — one for the winning team and one to give to the other team. From the Black team, the contestants are Bernie and Brittany — who have the least weight to hold up, due to Bernie's prize. Maggie and Paul also compete. Kelly and Trent are each chosen to sit out of the challenge. From the Blue Team, Roger and Jay compete. They are the first to fall into the water. Mark and Dan work together but Mark has a lot of difficulty finding his balance and holding up so much weight; they are the second team into the water. The Black team wins the Challenge.

Jillian states that the only fair way to pick who will get immunity on the Black Team is to place names in a hat, and to pull them out one by one. Maggie's name is last one to be pulled so she wins immunity. It is later revealed at the weigh-in that the Black Team chooses Jay on the Blue Team to also receive immunity.

At the weigh-in, the Black team is very nervous. They feel their high numbers from Week 6 will mean lower numbers this week. They weigh in first and Paul, Kelly and Bernie all have lost significant weight. Then Brittany weighs in and loses only one pound, followed by Maggie who loses two pounds. The Black Team's weight-loss percentage is 2.54%. Kelly is upset because she feels that she will be the one to go home, if they lose. She worries that Bernie, Brittany, and Maggie have a stronger bond because they are closer to each other in age, and that she and Paul don't fit in as well.

The Blue Team must lose an average of seven pounds per man in order to win the weigh-in. Trent, Roger, and Dan all meet or exceed that goal. Mark, however, loses only six pounds. Jay is last to weigh in and needs a 5-pound loss in order to win. He loses only four, giving the Blue Team a final percentage of 2.48%. The Black Team wins. Everyone is shocked, and Bob seems very annoyed. The Blue Team is forced to send someone home.

They meet as a team and Trent volunteers to leave the competition. He has been suffering from a knee injury, and feels that it is really bothering him too much to be able to continue to keep up with the strenuous workouts. He says he would be better off going home, getting his knee fixed, and finishing on his own.

At the end of the episode, Alison reveals that all of the contestants will be going home during Week 8, but she does not elaborate on the details.

Trent is shown reuniting with his family. To date, he has lost 112 pounds.

[edit] Week 8

First aired February 19, 2008
Allison announces that the contestants will face their biggest challenge yet and are going home for the week. It is up to them to stick to their diets and continue their workouts on their own.

The challenges begin right away for every contestant. Each person is faced with a welcome home celebration with all their families and friends. There are tempting foods at the parties but all the contestants seem to do well.

They are all shown throughout the week doing different things. Bernie goes to his favorite bakery with his friends and there is a cupcake that they have named for him. Bernie goes so far as to smell it but does not taste it. Brittany is shown going out with her friends. At a bar, all the girls order drinks and beers while Brittany orders a "water on the rocks." Jay goes out to dinner with his family and he is tempted by the meals that his kids are having, but he eats a healthy dinner. Roger also goes to dinner with his family and is tempted by french fries but only holds one in his hand and does not eat it. He orders a steak and steamed vegetables for dinner.

Paul is the only contestant who seems to have forgotten what he learned and makes some very unhealthy choices. He is shown drinking soda many times and, at a family dinner, he eats many fried chicken wings.

Some of the contestants are shown exercising as well. Maggie goes with her former partner Jenn to her trainer and they work out together. Mark and Jay go a gym together and work out very strenuously. Dan is shown with his mom, Jackie, playing dodgeball with kids at a youth program they run. Dan comments that he and his mom were never able to play with the kids before, and how nice it is to be able to do that now.

The contestants return to the campus the day before weigh in. The Blue Team meets with Bob and they discuss their week. All admitted to minor indulgences, but ultimately they did well. The Black Team meets with Jillian where they too admit to minor things but nothing too bad. Paul gets scolded by Jillian because she was unable to speak with him the whole time. He said he didn't know it was her calling so he didn't pick up his phone but Kelly said that he did know and he chose not to speak to her. He apologizes and tells Jillian that he was not so good all week.

They are faced with a challenge that evening. Three contestants from each team have to compete. The challenge is an endurance test where the contestants have to keep ducking under or jumping over a swinging bar. Contact with the bar will cause it to break and eliminate the contestant. Roger hits his bar and is out first. Bernie is second. The challenge goes for a long time and Roger tries to broker a deal with the Black Team to make it a draw. They don't accept. Dan is then eliminated, leaving only Jay for the Blue team against Maggie and Brittany. The next one out is Maggie. Brittany claims she will never give up and she is correct. Jay finally gets out and Brittany wins for the Black team. The prize was that the Black Team gets to pick two players from the Blue Team to weigh in immediately — 24 hours earlier than everyone else.

The Black Team chooses Dan and Roger to weigh in early. Dan loses 11 pounds and Roger loses 16 for a total of 27 pounds.

At weigh in the next day it is revealed what Dan and Roger had lost. The Black team was shocked. Then Mark and Jay weigh in — Mark loses 13 pounds and Jay loses 16 pounds for a total of 56 pounds lost, and a weight-loss percentage of 5.67%. The Black Team knew that these were phenomenal numbers to overcome. It ends up losing a total of 26 pounds, with each team member pulling relatively low numbers. Its weight-loss percentage is 2.42%. The biggest loser on the team is Kelly; she lost seven pounds and is now immune from elimination.

In the elimination room, Paul shows up wearing his original Yellow Team shirt. He says he is wearing it because he never felt like a member of the Black Team and felt that he and Kelly are outsiders. Kelly didn't agree with him, saying that they were a team and had to work together and he may be Yellow, but she is Black. Ultimately, Paul and Kelly vote for Bernie while Bernie, Brittany and Maggie vote for Paul. Paul is eliminated.

After Paul returns home, he is afflicted with double pneumonia and, as a result, puts back on a few of the pounds he lost. He is better now and back to losing weight.

[edit] Week 9

First aired February 26, 2008

Jay won Biggest Loser of the Week in Week 8. When he climbs the hill to get his prize, the envelopes which usually read "Luxury," "Family," or "Gameplay," each have a large question mark on the outside instead. He chooses the one on viewer's right — which he designates "Number Three" to represent the three loved ones whom he left behind at home. The card inside the envelope reads: "Vegas Baby Vegas!" Allison reveals that Jay and his Blue Team have won a two-day trip for all of them to Las Vegas. Bob doesn't like the idea but, since he can't prevent them from going, he does what he can to prepare them with an intense pre-trip workout.

The Blue Team arrives at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. They notice the casino entrance right away, and some are tempted to try a few games first. Mark, however, asks them all to think "W.W.B.D." — "What Would Bob Do?" They decide their trainer would want them to put a workout before pleasure, so they hit the gym first thing. Afterwards, they go to their suite to find that Bob has provided each member with a new suit of clothes for "painting the town blue," as Roger puts it. Just as they are about to go out again, there is a knock at the door: It's Room Service. The Black Team has sent them tables and tables full of all kinds of food and drink, including sweet desserts, as a temptation. None of the Blue Team members are shown eating any of the calorie-rich food.

The Blue Team hits the casino, and are shown riding a carnival ride, playing craps and blackjack, and socializing with other guests. Jay and Mark want to work out when the gym re-opens at 7 a.m., so they leave for bed by 2:45 a.m. Dan and Roger, however, don't make it back to the suite until after 6 a.m. Roger sleeps until about 9 a.m., and is upset with Mark and Jay for not waking him. He leaves to work out. Dan sleeps in until nearly noon, and skips his morning workout. Before the Blue Team returns to the ranch, they all stop to get new tattoos with the word "Pride" to represent their unity as a team.

This week's challenge is The Biggest Loser Obstacle Course. The obstacles include flipping 200-pound tires, moving a ton's worth of heavy sandbags, crawling on their bellies to push medicine balls, and a half-mile all-out foot race to the finish. The entire team must cross the finish line at the same time. The Blue Team leads the challenge from the first obstacle, and the Black Team never manages to close the gap. The Blue Team wins. Each member of the winning team will receive an all-expenses paid trip for two to Puerto Rico. Jillian expresses relief that the prize will not affect the weigh-in.

At the weigh-in, the Black Team gets weighed first. Jillian says that the team needs to lose a total of 32 pounds — roughly eight pounds each — in order to have the best chance against the Blue Team. After three members weigh in, the total weight lost is 20 pounds — Kelly loses 6, Maggie loses 8, and Brittany loses 6. Bernie is last to weigh in and posts a loss of 10 pounds. This gives the Black Team a Week 9 weight loss of 30 pounds and a percentage of 3.69%. Allison says this means the Blue Team must lose a total of more than 34 pounds in order to win. After three members weigh in, the team loses 22 pounds — Roger loses 8, while Dan and Jay each lose 7. Mark is last to weigh in and posts a loss of only one pound — giving the Blue Team a weight-loss percentage of 2.47%. The Black Team wins the weigh-in. Dan is the Blue Team's biggest loser; he is immune from the upcoming vote.

Before Elimination, the Blue Team — particularly Mark — are shown agonizing over the decision of who to send home. They finally unanimously decide that Roger, Dan and Jay will all vote for Mark. This is exactly how the vote goes. Mark is eliminated after having lost 84 pounds at the ranch.

As of today, Mark has reduced further to 195 pounds.

[edit] Week 10

First aired March 4, 2008
Bernie is the Biggest Loser for Week 9 and wins a prize. He picks "Gameplay" and earns the right to grant immunity to any person on either team — except himself.

There is a Temptation Challenge. Each contestant goes into a room with a vending machine and makes a selection. What falls out, however, is random: If junk food falls, it must be eaten. If a pack of Extra sugar-free gum falls, the contestant wins the money amount designated on the package, anywhere from $500 to $5,000, and also gets a free turn — that is if junk food falls on the next turn, it does not have to be eaten. For each player, there is also a 1-Pound Pass, which adds one pound to his or her weight loss at weigh in. Contestants can take as many turns as they want, but once a 1-Pound Pass falls, their turn is over. In the end, Dan has to eat a lot of junk food and also wins a lot of money, but not the pass. Kelly also has to eat a lot of junk food and finally gives up without getting a pass. Everyone else wins the 1-Pound Pass.

The Physical Challenge is a race in which the contestants have to 'fly' across a zip line over a canyon and pull off up to 14 flags. The team with the most flags wins a trip in a fighter airplane. The Blue Team wins.

After the challenge Bernie announces to the Black Team that he has an immunity to give to anyone except himself. He thought of giving it to Brittany, but Kelly suggests to give to Jay so Dan or Roger would go home if the Blue team loses. Brittany then told him he can do what he wants to do with it.

At the weigh in, Allison announces that they are no longer competing as teams but as individuals. The two contestants with the lowest weight-loss percentages will fall below the yellow line and be up for elimination. Bernie grants the immunity he won to his teammate Brittany.

Bernie and Kelly fall below the yellow line, with weight-loss percentages of 3.48% and 2.83%, respectively. Had Bernie not granted his immunity to Brittany, whose percentage of 3.35% was not included in the final determination, they would have swapped positions, with him above the yellow line and her below. Because two out of the four members of the former Black Team are up for elimination, the decision of who to send home falls to the former Blue Team, for all intents and purposes. Roger, Dan and Jay feel that both Kelly and Bernie are a threat, so they are unsure who to vote off, at first.

In the Elimination Room, Brittany and Maggie each vote for Kelly, but all three members of the former Blue Team vote for Bernie, marking him as the bigger threat. Bernie is eliminated. He says he has no regrets and was still happy that he saved Brittany, as they were the last of the original teams still standing and he wanted her to be able to stay.

It is later shown that Bernie has now lost over 85 pounds.

[edit] Week 11

First aired March 11, 2008
The show opens with something of a surprise: Almost immediately after Bernie is eliminated for Week 10, the six remaining contestants are called back to the gym for yet another weigh-in. It is not they who go on the scales, however — the first fourteen eliminated contestants return for a second chance at the title of the Biggest Loser and the prize of $250,000. Allison announces that the man and woman with the highest percentage of weight lost will rejoin the game. The women are weighed first; Ali, formerly of the Pink Team, wins with a weight loss of 67 pounds and a percentage of 28.63% The men weigh in next; Mark, formerly of the original Black Team and Bob's reformed Blue Team, wins with a weight loss of 90 pounds and a percentage of 31.58%. Since Mark has the higher percentage, he gets to choose which of the two trainers he wants to work with. Mark chooses Bob. This means that Ali, who originally trained with Bob, must switch over to Jillian. Ali declines the Black Team's T-shirts and workout gear, and elects to stay with her original Pink Team clothes in honor of Bette-Sue, her mother and former teammate.

This week's physical challenge is the first in which the contestants compete for themselves. Each one will use a stationary bicycle to generate energy that, in turn, lights up a string of ten light bulbs. The last two players to illuminate their bulbs will be out of that round of the challenge. The last winner will receive an extra vote at the next elimination. In the first round, Mark, Dan, Jay, Roger, Maggie and Brittany are first to light their ten bulbs. Kelli and Ali are eliminated. In the second round, Mark, Dan, Jay, Roger are first to finish. Brittany and Maggie are eliminated. In Round Three, Mark and Dan defeat Jay and Roger to go to the final round. Dan wins the final head-to-head competition and the prize of an extra elimination vote.

At the Week 11 weigh-in, Allison reminds everyone of the rules: The two individuals whose weight-loss percentages fall below the yellow line will be up for elimination. Allison also asks Brittany if she thinks everyone has the same chance. Brittany is pessimistic. When Allison presses the question, Jillian reacts strongly — even profanely — asking Allison to refrain from asking Brittany such questions because "she had a bad week." Allison is surprised, and gives the trainers the option of leaving the gym during the weigh-in. Bob and Jillian both decide to stay.

Mark and Ali are first to weigh in. Each lost seven pounds, but Ali's percentage is higher — 4.19% to Mark's 3.59% Dan, Roger and Jay each weigh in next, but none of them lose enough weight to beat Ali's score. Ultimately, Maggie and Brittany fall below the yellow line and will be sent to elimination. The elimination results will be revealed in Week 12.

[edit] Week 12

First aired March 18, 2008
Week 12 begins with the elimination ceremony left over from Week 11. Dan casts both of his votes for Maggie while Kelly chooses to send Brittany home. The 2-1 tally tension is quickly broken, however, as both Ali and Mark also vote for Maggie. (Neither Jay's nor Roger's vote is revealed.) Maggie is eliminated.

This episode focuses on making over the remaining contestants. At Macy's, each of them receives an outfit, a $1,000 gift card and a new look, coordinated by guest star Tim Gunn of Bravo's Project Runway. Every one also is challenged to take his or her new look down a fashion catwalk, with a member of their family in the audience as a surprise guest. The fashion show is photographed for a feature in Prevention Magazine.

This week's physical challenge brings the contestants back to the Biggest Loser swimming pool — actually on a platform raised ten feet above the pool. On the platform are seven treadmills, one for each contestant. The players must walk backwards on their treadmills in a test of endurance, with both the incline and speed increasing at regular intervals. The last person to keep from dropping into the water wins a week at a fitness resort in St. George, Utah. Everyone lasts more than 40 minutes on the treadmills but Kelly (40:19) drops out first — followed by Roger (40:25), Dan (41:35), Brittany (45:02), Jay (56:10) and Ali (~1:05:00). Mark wins the prize.

At this week's weigh in, with Kelly as the last person to get on the scale, Jay and Brittany are below the yellow line, with weight-loss percentages at 1.44% and 1.16%, respectively. Kelly is told she must lose more then two pounds to be safe. She loses three pounds for a percentage of 1.49%, leaving Brittany and Jay up for elimination. At the table, Roger, Dan and Ali vote for Brittany, sending her home at once.

[edit] Week 13

First aired March 25, 2008
Allison calls the players back to the elimination room. She reveals they will take a quiz on what they have learned. After three questions — how many calories do you have to burn to lose a pound? How many pounds did Curtis lose when he returned to the ranch? How many calories are in a cup of fat-free strawberry yogurt? — Dan emerges as the winner. He wins a piece of chocolate cake that is 600 calories, and he is advised to bring it intact to the next challenge.

Dan closely guards the cake, but Roger plays a trick on him by hiding the cake in the laundry room, and leaving a note on Dan's bed implicating Kelly in the "theft".

The challenge takes place in a basketball arena, with a table on the court for each player. The contestants are told to take high-calorie concession foods, such as french fries, pizza and ice cream, from stations all over the stadium and place the food on any table except for their own. The player with the fewest number of calories on their table at the end of 20 minutes would win $10,000. Dan brings the cake he won to the challenge intact and he is told he can place it on any player's table; he puts it on Kelly's table. The men stick with a plan of only putting food on the women's tables in a show of solidarity. When time expires, the standings are (from most calories to fewest): Kelly (15,061), Ali (14,237), Dan (5,736), Mark (5,612), Roger (4,895) and Jay (4,480). Jay wins the challenge. He is immediately told he could keep the $10K or use it to buy a one-pound pass at the next weigh-in.

After the challenge, Ali is angry that she was a target and decides to enter an alliance with Kelly.

At the weigh-in, Allison asks Jay for his decision. He chooses to buy the one-pound pass for $10,000. His weight loss of five pounds, plus his one-pound pass, gives him a weight-loss percentage of 2.91%. Roger loses six pounds (2.48%); Mark loses four (2.16%); and Dan loses only one pound (0.50%). Ali loses six pounds and Kelly loses seven, for percentages of 3.87% and 3.52%, respectively. The women surprise the men of the former Blue Team by coming in first and second at the weigh-in, while Dan and Mark each fall below the yellow line.

During deliberation, Jay says he will not vote for his brother again while the others appear to be more equivocal in debating.

In the elimination room, however, Jay's choice is not revealed as Kelly, Ali and Roger all cast their votes for Dan.

In the Biggest Loser update, it is revealed that Dan moved to Los Angeles to pursue his music career with a newfound confidence from his weight loss.

[edit] Week 14

First aired April 1, 2008
The remaining contestants go to Australia, and they spent the next week there, while visiting Australian landmarks and tasting Australian cuisine. During this time, they met with Adro, the winner of Biggest Loser Australia season 1. For this week's challenge, the five remaining contestants competed in a triathlon, which includes swimming 300 meters across the Sydney Harbour, then riding on bicycles, and finally running across a park and climbing up a 44 story building to the top, where Alison is waiting for them. Mark arrives first, but he waits for Ali to arrive, and she crosses the finish line carrying him. Jay finished third, Roger finished fourth, and all of them went down the stairs to encourage Kelly to the end. The race was considered a tie and they both got the prize. They both got to ride on a sea plane, then eat an outdoor breakfast together with a breathtaking view of the ocean, and each got to call home. At the weigh-in, two players gain weight in the same week for the first time all game, as Mark and Jay each gained one pound. As they deliberated, Jay volunteered to go home (as Mark did earlier when he was originally eliminated in week 9), and they ended up voting him out. Later, they show Jay at home, where he reached his weight loss goal of 100 pounds, and plans to run in a 10K event. It is then revealed that the trainers will not be with them as they go back to campus next week, and that America will pick the third player to go to the finale.

[edit] Week 15

First aired April 8, 2008

When the final four return from Australia, they are greeted by celebrity chef Rocco Dispirito, who last appeared on the show back in Week 6. He tempts them with their favorite foods cooked by their families, calories and all. Roger is the only contestant to take a bite of his mom's pepper steak. Rocco then shows them how to make healthy versions of those favorite dishes. Later, they go down to the beach for a final physical challenge. Each contestant must run a course along the sand wearing a padded "fat suit," which weighs as much as the total weight he or she has lost so far. After shedding the suit, they must then carry their flag and plant it at the top of a nearby hill. The prize is personalized healthy prepared meals (provided by the new Biggest Loser Meal Plan) during the months at home and $10,000. Mark wins the challenge. The four go to the last chance workouts, then to the weigh-in. Roger reaches a personal goal — and breaks a Biggest Loser campus record — by posting a 15-pound weight loss to bring his total to 144 pounds. That is one pound more than contestant Neil from Season Four, who went from 421 to 278 while on campus. Roger's weight-loss percentage is 6.41%. Mark loses 12 pounds for a percentage of 6.63%. The two remaining women contestants surprise everyone yet again. Ali loses 11 pounds, for a percentage of 7.53%, pushing Roger below the yellow line. Kelly loses 13 pounds, for a percentage of 6.81% pushing Mark below the line. The last two members of Bob's Blue Team are up for elimination. Allison has one final surprise, however: The choice of who moves on and who goes home is out of Ali and Kelly's hands. The third finalist will be chosen by those who cast their votes at the network's website, nbc.com.

[edit] Finale

First aired April 15, 2008

The Finale begins by announcing that Roger won over Mark in the fans' voting by around 100,000 votes from the millions of votes cast, granting him a slot in the final three and eliminating Mark. Next they showed each of the four finalists as they reunite with their families. Afterward the 16 eliminated players (Paul did not attend) weigh in for the $100,000 prize. Bernie beat every eliminated player to win the cash. Ali became the first female Biggest Loser in the US series' history, and only the second female winner in the show's history, after Poppi from Season 3, who won the "At Home" segment. She is also the first winner to come back after being originally eliminated in an earlier week. However, internationally, Ali is not the first female biggest loser; that honor belongs to a woman named Jodie Prenger from the United Kingdom. [1]

There were only six weeks between the time the finalists left the campus and the live broadcast, the shortest time in Biggest Loser history.

The MSN Heath & Fitness Million Pound Matchup participants lost a total of 1,129,347 pounds. This contest was a tie-in to the show that was conducted in conjunction with The Biggest Loser during the broadcast of the Couples competition.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Biggest Loser
Contestant list
 
American series
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Australian series
Episode list
Seasons
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Host: Ajay Rochester — Trainers: Bob Harper • Jillian Michaels • Shannan Ponton • Michelle Bridges — The Commando: Steve Willis
 
Indian series
Main cast
Host: Sunil Shetty — Trainers: Andrew Leipus • Deepika Mehta • Yusef Khan — Chef: Varun Shivdasani