The Biggest Loser (Season 4)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Biggest Loser is an NBC reality television show that began broadcasting on October 19, 2004. The fourth season began airing on September 11, 2007 with 18 overweight contestants in a weight loss competition for an ultimate prize of $250,000. The Biggest Loser campus was located at California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, California.

The season four contestants were divided into 3 teams: the Red team, led by trainer Kim Lyons; the Blue team, led by trainer Bob Harper; and the Black team, led by trainer Jillian Michaels who has never lost a season since she has been training against Bob Harper (although Bob did beat Jillian in two segments of the special editions). The teams were formed on the first episode, with the Red and Blue teams being selected by the two players who had won a foot race across the desert. The Black team was formed with the 6 remaining contestants who were not selected for the Red and Blue teams. While the Red and Blue teams returned to the Biggest Loser campus, the Black team was left behind, believing that they had been eliminated already. Instead, they remained in the desert and trained in secret with their trainer, Jillian, until they arrived on campus for the weigh in at the end of week 3.

[edit] Teams

Each week, the team that has lost the lowest percentage of their total weight must eliminate one member. On the losing team, the team member who has lost the highest percentage of weight that week is immune and cannot be voted out.

In the seventh week, the teams were dissolved and split into trios. Jez won a temptation and the right to decide the trios. The trios were:

Jez, Neil and Isabeau; Hollie, David and Kae; Bill, Julie and Amy; Nicole, Ryan and Bryan

The individual players, regardless of which trio they belonged to, were allowed the option of continuing to work with their original trainer or switching to another trainer. Only Amy, who felt betrayed by Kim's negative comments prior to the previous week's elimination, opted to change trainers, choosing to train with Jillian.

Although they trained separately, the trios competed together in challenges and at the weigh-ins. The trio with the lowest combined percentage of weight loss is considered to have fallen below the yellow line, and its members are up for elimination. The remaining trios each receive one vote during the elimination. In the event of a tie, the trio member with the lowest percentage of weight loss is eliminated.

During the 9th week, the trios were dissolved and the players split into pairs. The pairs were: Kae and Amy; Hollie and Bryan; Nicole and Neil; Isabeau and Ryan; Bill and Julie. The contestants competed in their pairs at the challenges and at the weigh-ins. One member of the pair with the lowest percentage of weight loss was eliminated.

During the 10th week, the pairs were dissolved and the players were all competing as individuals. Although there was technically no longer a red, blue, or black team, the players still continued to workout with their original trainers and team, except for Amy who worked with the black team and even wore black colors instead of her original red.

In the 12th week, Bryan, the last remaining member of the red team, was eliminated, which left trainer Kim with no other players to train, thus eliminating her as well. This is also the first time that an entire team, along with a trainer, has been eliminated before the final weigh-in.

In the 14th and final week, Neil, the last remaining member of the blue team, was eliminated, which means that trainer Bob has also lost his entire team, thus also eliminating him from the competition, leaving Jillian and her team to win it all. This is the first season that two entire teams, along with two trainers, have been eliminated, and only one team is being represented at the finale; granted, this is also the first season to have three teams. This is also the first season where one of the eliminated players lost a higher percentage than the winner; Jim and Neil each beat Bill.

[edit] Total Weight Loss (by teams)

Contestant Age Height Starting
BMI		 Starting
Weight		 Week Finishing
Weight		 Weight
Lost		 Percentage
Lost
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Bill 40 5' 8" 50.8 334 313 301 298 285 279 268 261 251 242 234 228 222 213 204 170 164 49.10%
Julie 34 5' 2" 39.9 218 216 213 210 203 199 195 192 186 180 180 176 171 168 160 121 97 44.50%
Hollie 28 5' 7" 39.9 255 244 242 239 236 228 225 223 218 212 212 204 201 196 * 191 150 105 41.18%
Isabeau 21 5' 8" 45.3 298 290 285 280 272 264 259 255 255 246 241 234 230 225 217 185 113 37.92%
Neil 25 6' 2" 54.0 421 399 389 386 375 365 355 372 339 321 311 303 298 288 278 210 211 50.12%
Nicole 26 5' 6" 45.0 279 271 265 262 258 252 248 244 235 229 222 218 212 211 174 105 37.63%
Bryan 29 6' 0" 46.9 346 331 325 321 319 308 304 297 289 278 276 270 266 224 122 35.26%
Kae 27 5' 2" 41.1 225 205 200 197 191 184 178 174 168 163 159 156 128 97 43.11%
Amy 28 5' 6" 47.9 297 287 285 279 278 268 265 265 254 245 242 171 126 42.42%
Ryan 29 5' 10" 53.6 374 359 349 347 341 331 320 321 308 302 241 133 35.56%
David 31 6' 0" 49.9 368 348 344 338 337 328 323 315 312 228 140 38.04%
Jez 24 5' 8" 52.4 345 329 320 316 308 302 295 289 195 150 43.48%
Phil 27 6' 5" 47.8 403 377 372 363 358 346 342 258 145 35.98%
Jim 40 5' 7" 56.5 361 350 334 325 314 307 175 186 51.52%
Patty 34 5' 8" 42.6 280 267 265 260 255 216 64 22.86%
Jerry 62 5' 11" 41.4 297 266 256 254 187 110 37.04%
Lezlye 34 5' 5" 42.8 255 246 243 200 55 21.57%
Amber 30 5' 4" 50.6 295 288 211 84 28.47%
  • *=In week 13, Hollie had a one pound pass, meaning that instead of 5 lbs, 6 were counted at the weigh-in, but not on the scale.
  •      Eliminated
  •      Immunity (Team Biggest Loser)
  •      Immunity (Reward Challenge)
  •      Winner (among finalists) - 250k
  •      Winner (among eliminated contestants) - 100k
  •      Denotes when Amy was on the Black team
  •      Member of Kim's team
  •      Member of Bob's team
  •      Member of Jillian's team
  •      Last person eliminated before the finale

[edit] Contestant Information

Contestant Age Hometown Bio Eliminated Weight At Finale
Bill Germanakos 40 Long Island, New York Bill was once the lead singer of a metal band. Bill is competing on the show along with his twin brother, Jim. They are not operating as a single team, however, making them the first related contestants to compete against each other on The Biggest Loser (related contestants previously appeared as teams on special editions).
Winner
Finale
170
Julie Hadden 34 Jacksonville, Florida Julie is a married mother of one. At 218 pounds, she had the lowest starting weight of season 4.
Runner-Up
Finale
121
Hollie Self 28 Phoenix, Arizona A high school English teacher and cheerleading coach. Hollie is a member of the Black team. In week 6, Hollie left campus because her mother died from cancer. She returned to campus the following week to continue the competition.
2nd Runner-Up
Finale
150
Isabeau Miller 21 Franklin, Tennessee Isabeau is an aspiring country music singer/songwriter. At 298 pounds, Isabeau had the highest starting weight for a female in season 4. Having lost 81 pounds by the end of her time on campus, she set a record for having lost more weight before going home than any other woman in The Biggest Loser history.
3rd Runner-Up
Finale
185
Neil Tejwani 25 Marblehead, Massachusetts Works as a chemical engineer. At 421 pounds, Neil had the highest starting weight of season 4. Neil is a member of the Blue team. In week 7, Neil ignited controversy when he threw the weigh-in by water loading, resulting in a 17-pound weight gain. This was a deliberate effort to eliminate a Black team member, and resulted in Jez's elimination. The following week, Neil lost 33 pounds, the most ever lost in one week on the U.S. version of The Biggest Loser. After his weight-gain trick, the black team wanted revenge, but couldn't get it because he lost enough weight every week to keep himself above the yellow line, so instead, they eliminated his teammates until he was the last blue team member remaining. Ultimately, in the 14th and final week, he would finally fall below the yellow line, despite losing 10 pounds, and with no teammates to save him this time, he would be the final contestant eliminated. His elimination in the final week on campus, seven weeks after the 17-pound weight gain incident, became the second time (both in season 4) that an entire team had been eliminated before the finale. It also marked the first time that only one team is represented at the finale; the black team had absolute victory after Neil was eliminated. Even though none of the remaining contestants would continue training on campus (they would all be going home), Neil's elimination also knocked his trainer out of the game because he had no other players to represent him at the finale.
Week 14
210
Nicole Michalik 26 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Nicole is a radio DJ and a student.
Week 13
174
Bryan Washington 29 Riverdale, Georgia Bryan is a high school music teacher and a singer. Prior to coming on The Biggest Loser, Bryan auditioned for season 2 of American Idol in Atlanta, Georgia and made it through to Hollywood, but was cut in the Hollywood rounds before the Top 32. His trainer was also eliminated because she had no one else to train. His elimination marked the first time an entire team had been eliminated before the finale.
Week 12
224
Kae Whang 27 Clark, New Jersey Kae is a former Private in the U.S. Army. Although her starting weight was one of the lowest on season 4, she consistently pulls significant weight losses, including a 20 pound loss in the first week. She was weighed in at a live setting after the show. The scale revealed that she had lost 88 pounds thus far, an equivalent of 39.11%.
Week 11
128
Amy Zimmer 28 Rochester, New York Amy is a kindergarten teacher and a mother of two girls. Originally a member of the Red team, in week 7 when the original 3 teams were disbanded and the contestants could choose to train with any of the three trainers, Amy decided not to continue training with Kim because of personal differences and trained with Jillian as a member of the Black team.
Week 10
171
Ryan Rodriguez 29 Jackson Heights, New York Ryan is a corporate litigations attorney and a married father of one.
Week 9
241
David Griffin 31 Cedar Hills, Tennessee David is a married father of four. On the show, he is often referred to as 'Cowboy,' a reference to the fact that he works on a ranch.
Week 8
228
Jez Luckett 24 Garden City, Kansas Jez works as a children's case manager.
Week 7
195
Phil Hawk 27 Powell, Ohio Phil is a former Miami University football player whose ambition is to become a firefighter. Phil finished second in a foot race in the first episode, making him the captain of the Red team.
Week 6
258
Jim Germanakos 40 Long Island, New York Jim works as a police officer. He is competing on the show along with his twin brother, Bill, making Season 4 the first full season to have two contestants with a prior relationship.
Week 5
175
Patty Gonzalez 34 San Diego, California Patty is a married mother of three who was once named 'San Diego Citizen of the Year.'
Week 4
195
Jerry Lisenby 62 Peoria, Illinois Jerry is the oldest contestant in Biggest Loser history. He won a foot-race in episode 1 to become the captain of the Blue team. His 31 pound loss the first week was the most ever lost in one week in the history of the U.S. Biggest Loser until Neil's 33 pound loss in week 8. At 297 pounds, Jerry was the lightest male in season 4.
Week 2
187
Lezlye Donahue 34 Metairie, Louisiana Lezlye is a single mother of one. She is also a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. She is also a African American.
Week 3
200
Amber Walker 30 Houston, Texas Amber works as a paramedic. She was selected for the show by a viewer vote on NBC's The Today Show.
Week 1
211
v • d • e
The Biggest Loser
Contestant list
 
American series
Seasons
Main cast
 
Australian series
Episode list
Seasons
Main cast
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