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Play. Share. Listen with Host of the Keeping It Real podcast, Jillian Michaels.
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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Why isn't Jillian Michaels in the ‘Biggest Loser' docuseries?
Jillian Michaels was an integral part of 'The Biggest Loser,' but she didn't participate in a new docuseries about the reality show's impact. During part three of 'Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser,' which hit Netflix on Friday, August 15, a title card noted that Michaels 'declined to participate in this documentary.' Michaels was a trainer on 'The Biggest Loser' for seasons 1, 2, 4-11, 14, and 15. She often motivated contestants by yelling at them or insulting them. In one clip from 'Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser,' Michaels pushes a woman to keep exercising even after she vomits on a treadmill. Although Michaels didn't participate in the doc, she was mentioned in all three parts, and archive footage of her was used throughout. Her fellow 'Biggest Loser' trainer Bob Harper was interviewed for the docuseries. He claimed that Michaels didn't reach out to him when he had a massive heart attack in 2017. 'We weren't besties, but we were partners on a television show for a very long time,' Harper said, noting that Michaels' alleged silence after his health crisis 'spoke volumes' to him. 'I would not expect Jillian Michaels to do anything other than what she wants to do.' has reached out to Michaels for comment. 'The Biggest Loser,' which aired on NBC from 2004-2016 and on USA Network in 2020, followed contestants deemed overweight as they competed to win money by shedding as many pounds as possible. READ MORE: Fall 2025 TV calendar: Save the date for these premieres The docuseries explores the more controversial aspects of the show, from the grueling training sessions to the demeaning 'temptation' challenges. One such challenge tasked contestants with building a tower of high-calorie foods using only their teeth. 'The temptation challenges were the hardest part of the show for me. It was horrible,' Alison Sweeney, who hosted 'The Biggest Loser' from seasons 4-16, admitted in the doc. Although producers Dave Broome and J.D. Roth defended the challenges as nods to real-world temptations that people face while trying to lose weight, Aubrey Gordon, a fat activist and cohost of the 'Maintenance Phase' podcast, shut down that idea. 'I've been a fat person for a long time. ... I don't frequently step into rooms with unguarded daises full of good,' Gordon told cameras. 'The idea is that fat people cannot be trusted around food. It's designed to make you draw conclusions about the contestants' characters based on what you see them eat on camera in a five-minute period.' Michaels may not have lent her perspective to 'Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser,' but she did make headlines this week for her controversial appearance on CNN's 'NewsNight with Abby Phillip.' While discussing the Trump administration's mission to remove 'improper ideaology' from Smithsonian museums, Michaels said, 'You cannot tie imperialism and racism and slavery to just one race, which is pretty much what every single exhibit does …Less than 2 percent of white Americans owned slaves. … Every single thing is like, 'Oh, no, no, no, this is all because white people bad.' That's just not the truth.' Michaels has been criticized for her comments. 'This is what happens when you elevate a run of the mill gym trainer to political pundit,' one X user wrote. 'Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser' is available to stream on Netflix. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Have a tip? Tell us at Solve the daily Crossword
Cosmopolitan
a day ago
- Cosmopolitan
Jillian Michaels from Biggest Loser now: Revealing what she's up to, as she refuses Netflix documentary
Anyone who watched The Biggest Loser during its noughties heyday or who caught the Netflix documentary, Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, will be more than familiar with the name Jillian Michaels. As well as being a high-profile coach on the popular series, she went on to make a global name for herself writing multiple books on health and fitness, and launching her own workout series, including via a popular app. These days though, her life looks pretty different to her reality show peak. For those less familiar, let's take a look at who Jillian Michaels is and what she's been up to since the Biggest Loser wrapped – and what we know so far about her decision not to appear in the Netflix docuseries, which charts the highs and lows of the weight loss show that initially ran for 17 seasons in the US. Always known for being a straight-shooting talker, it seems Michaels is just as opinionated as ever in the year 2025. Let's get into it... From its first episode which aired October 2004, Jillian Michaels appeared (alongside coach, Bob Harper) as a personal trainer on the weight loss reality show, The Biggest Loser. Known for her no-nonsense approach in the gym – which in Fit for TV is framed as either motivational or degrading, depending on who is talking – Michaels pushed contestants to their limit, to sweat it out and encouraged them to make radical lifestyle changes. While she briefly departed the show for one season in 2006, she soon returned for 2007 and remained in place until 2010, after which she again stepped back for a time, before returning for a few more series and then bowing out for good. At the peak of the show's popularity, Michaels and Harper made countless TV appearances, often together, launched workout DVDs and more. Outside of her life in the limelight, Michaels and her former partner, Heidi Rhoades, share two children; a daughter, Lukensia, who was adopted in 2012 from Haiti, and a son, Phoenix, born the same year. Michaels married DeShanna Marie Michaels, a fashion designer, in the summer of 2022. Why did Jillian Michaels not appear in Netflix's Biggest Loser documentary? At the end of the docu-series, a note appears explaining that Michaels was approached to appear on Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser but declined the opportunity. She has not publicly spoken about this decision. What is Jillian Michaels doing now? Nowadays, it seems Michaels is focussed on her podcast Keeping It Real: Conversations with Jillian Michaels and makes occasional appearances on US news channels, such as CNN, to discuss politics. In recent episodes of her podcast, Michaels has discussed the likes of Jeffrey Epstein (with a former CIA operative), vaccine scepticism and has hosted divisive figures such as Piers Morgan and Candace Owens (a political commentator whose views have been described as 'far right' and who has been accused of promoting conspiracy theories). Last year, Michaels openly stated that she voted for Donald Trump, saying she did so despite not supporting all of his policies, describing the choice between him and Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, as "a question of lesser evils". She later attended Trump's inauguration ball, which sparked criticism from some with fears that the Trump administration could potentially enact harmful policies against the LGBTQ+ community (pointing out that Michaels herself is a member of said community). Michaels previously stated in a Daily Mail interview that she feels un-cancellable, quipping, "I've been cancelled so many times. Now I just wear a T-shirt and every time is like a Boy Scout badge for me." Earlier this year, she appeared on a podcast hosted by Russell Brand, the comedian currently awaiting trial following multiple sexual assault allegations (all of which is strongly denies and said he looks forward to disproving in court). Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC's Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women's Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Bob Harper accuses Jillian Michaels of not reaching out after his 2017 heart attack
On "The Biggest Loser," Bob Harper helped people transform their physical health. But the fitness trainer is nursing an emotional wound. Harper, who served as a trainer and later host on the hit NBC reality competition series, opened up about his 2017 heart attack, including the reaction of his costar Jillian Michaels, in an Aug. 14 interview with The Guardian. Michaels served as a fellow trainer alongside Harper for much of the Emmy-nominated series' 16-year run. In February 2017, Harper suffered a heart attack during a workout in New York City. He told TMZ at the time that after he collapsed at the gym, a doctor who was there performed CPR on him. In his interview with The Guardian, Harper said that while many of his "Biggest Loser" colleagues reached out after his medical ordeal, Michaels notably did not. "We weren't besties, but we were partners on a television show for a very long time," Harper told the British outlet, adding that the absence "spoke volumes to me." USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Michaels for comment. Despite the emotional fallout, Harper said he "would not expect Jillian Michaels to do anything other than what she wants to do." Jillian Michaels interview: Why the fitness trainer 'would love to leave weight loss drugs behind' How Bob Harper's heart attack changed his life In a December 2017 essay for Harper reflected that his heart attack on Feb. 12 of that year was "a day that changed my life forever." "I have always been what some would categorize as a Type A person. I have been driven, and I have been focused," Harper wrote. "I knew that I would be working out almost every single day. I knew that my diet would be on point. I knew that I would be burning the candle at both ends. I have always loved structure and discipline." 'It's madness': Jillian Michaels says she left California because of 'mind-boggling' laws However, Harper said the health crisis inspired a shift in his outlook toward "appreciation and gratitude," rather than constant productivity. "I know how short life can be. I know that it could all be taken away in the blink of an eye," Harper added. "Now when something triggers me, I try to say to myself, 'Who cares!!' It just doesn't matter. I know that I'm not perfect, and I know that life is a process. I just take it one day at a time. And that feels good to me." Contributing: Jayme Deerwester, USA TODAY
