Latest news with #BobHarper
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Netflix viewers left with 'jaw on floor' over 'outrageous' new documentary
The new documentary is now available to stream on Netflix Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser -Netflix trailer Netflix viewers have branded a new documentary as "outrageous" as they have been left with their "jaw on the floor". August 15 saw a brand new docuseries land on Netflix, Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser, which takes an inside look at the making of the hit competition. The show ran for 18 seasons beginning in 2004 and finishing in 2016, and there was a revival attempt back in 2020. But this three-part series features exclusive interviews with the creators, producers, past contestants and trainers like Bob Harper who were involved in making the show. And fans are hooked as they brand the documentary as "outrageous" and is a must see. One star, who appeared in season 8, Tracey Yukich spoke about her experience on the documentary as she said it was life-changing. During one particular extreme challenge set up by the show's producers, she says she had a near death experience. Taking to TikTok one user branded the documentary as "outrageous" as they added: "Throughout the entire series my jaw was on the floor, I was in a red hot rage." One person commented: "It's really horrific. I actually loved watching the Australian version at the time. How things have changed! Why didn't I see it then?" Another replied: "OMG I literally just finished binge watching this! Awful." In another video, one person said they were left in tears as another replied: "Glad I'm not the only one who just broke into tears." Over on X, one person wrote: "Netflix has been in their bag with these documentaries. This Biggest Loser Doc is crazy." Another said: "Anybody watch that Netflix doc about the Biggest Loser yet? Wow that was one of the saddest things I've seen in a while." A third added: "this biggest loser doc is no joke. I love it. Netflix." Exploring the good, the bad, and the complicated, the series examines the show's approach to transformation and the support systems in place as well as how the experience shaped the lives of those involved on the show after the cameras had stopped filming. A Netflix synopsis reads: "Contenders on "The Biggest Loser" wanted the body of their dreams. Instead, many fell into a televised nightmare. Now, they tell their side of the story."
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser
Bob Harper in Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025 Photo: Courtesy of Netflix Photo: Courtesy of Netflix Launched back in 2004, The Biggest Loser put America's obesity problem on the big screen for 18 seasons. Producers looked for overweight people who were desperate to change their lives and take home a $250,000 prize. With contestants working out to the point of being sick, being berated by fitness instructors, pulling two-ton cars, taking part in temptation challenges and gorging on desserts; it trod a fine line. Now a 3-part documentary series, Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser reveals the toxicity behind the scenes, talking to former winners, contestants, team doctors and experts.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Biggest Loser's biggest scandals: Contestants on noughties weight loss show reveal how they didn't eat for 10 days, were left with blood in their urine, and 'collapsed' from burning 8,000 calories a day
Contestants from noughties weight loss show The Biggest Loser have opened up about some of the extreme measures they took to shed the pounds. The hit series, which ran for 18 seasons on NBC and USA, saw obese or overweight people from across the US dropping upwards of 100 or even 200 pounds over a matter of months. Now Netflix has released a new three-part documentary about the programme, featuring people who appeared on the Biggest Loser, as well as producers, the show's doctor, and trainer Bob Harper (although the other coach - Jillian Michaels - declined to take part). The show ran from 2004 to 2016 airing on NBC, before it was cancelled. It was then rebooted on the USA Network in 2020, before being cancelled after just one season. In its heyday, the programme went global, with versions appearing in countries around the world, earnings hundreds of millions of dollars. The branding was licensed for products including cookbooks, DVDs, and weight-loss camps. When its NBC run was cancelled in 2016, it came after controversy, with critics arguing that it prioritised a number on the scale rather than contestants' overall health and well-being. Netflix's new docuseries, titled Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, 'takes a look behind-the-scenes, exploring its cultural relevance and complicated legacy' - and as part of that, previous contestants spoke on camera about some of the dangerous habits they practised in a bid to lose the most weight, and scoop the $250,000 prize. Those practices included fasting for 10 days, and surviving on minimal calories while undergoing intense exercise regimes among others. According to Netflix: 'On their weight loss journeys, contestants were separated into teams and created workout and nutrition plans with trainers. 'The teams would compete in various challenges for prizes - like physical competitions or willpower tests - such as 'temptations,' in which contestants were tempted by high calorie food or drinks.' The contestant who lost the highest percentage relative to their starting weight won the series. Season one winner, Ryan Benson, admitted that he was doing 'super dangerous things', in the run-up to the final. Speaking about his experience on the show, he said: 'This was the first reality show where people make a physical change. That weight that we were losing was real. You can't fake that.' He added that as they got closer to the final, he 'lost all focus about getting healthy, and the focus became winning' - and he added that he sometimes feels he has 'PTSD' from taking part in the programme. 'The final episode was a live episode,' Ryan said. 'We are here live in Hollywood. They were doing it in the same studio where they filmed American Idol. During the final weigh in, i's just so nerve wracking.' He continued: 'It worked out great, because I won, but I was doing what most doctors would say were super unhealthy things. 'The last 10 days, I didn't put any food in my body. I was doing the master cleanse - drinking lemon juice and maple syrup and cayenne pepper - all these tricks that are super unhealthy, just to cut weight. 'At the final weigh in, we had to do a urine test. They said, "Ryan, there's blood in your urine, which obviously means you're so dehydrated".' He noted that the 'one thing' he 'really remembers' from the final is Jillian congratulating him on his win. 'She gives me a big hug, and she says, Ryan, you just made me a millionaire,' he revealed. This was far from the only concerning experience reported by previous contestants: two who appeared in the docuseries spoke about the staggering amount of calories they burned daily while on the 'ranch' - the secluded location where participants stayed during filming. Joelle Gwynn, who appeared in season seven of The Biggest Loser in 2009, said: 'The first week, we needed to burn a minimum of 6,000 calories a day.' Meanwhile Danny Cahill, who won the $250,000 prize for season eight after losing 239 pounds in just over six months, discussed his restrictive plan. He achieved staggering weight loss in the first week, dropping 24lb. This continued into week two, where he lost 12lb. In the third week, he lost four pounds - still well over the one to pounds that is considered healthy - but this was hugely disappointing to Danny. 'That was when I said, "woah, maybe I need to do something different here",' he recounted. 'And I started lowering my calories at that point. I was eating 800 calories and burning 6,000 to 8,000 a day. When I lowered the calories, I lost more. I got on the scale, and I lost 15lb that week. As it went on, I was like, "I need to stay here". He added: 'There is a push and pull on The Biggest Loser between losing the weight, the health aspect of it, the money, the prize. All this works in contrast to each other. 'My calorie count was lower than I think it should have been. Sometimes you're tempted to do things that you maybe shouldn't do.' Danny has regained the weight since appearing on the programme, and says that being the champion, then returning to his previous size was difficult. 'The shame you feel is a heavy weight to bear,' he admitted. Another controversy tackled in the docuseries was around claims that contestants were given drugs. In 2016, the New York Post reported that ex 'Losers' were allegedly given illicit medication to help them lose weight, quoting Joelle Gwynn. A source from the show told the Post the series was 'corrupt', and claimed that fitness trainer Bob Harper and his assistant were giving contestants ADHD medication Adderall (a stimulant). However Bob strongly denied - and continues to deny - the allegations. He responded at the time with a statement saying 'safety is paramount in my training regimen'. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: 'These allegations are absolutely false and are in direct conflict with my lifelong devotion to health and fitness. 'Safety is paramount in my training regimen and, while demanding, my approach has always focused on the overall well-being of contestants as they lose significant weight and educate themselves, for the first time, on living a healthy lifestyle.' In the docuseries, Joelle said that her quotes had been taken out of context. The Biggest Loser's MD, Dr Robert Huizenga, sued both Joelle and the NYP over the allegations that he went along with giving contestants illicit weight-loss drugs, but in 2019, a US District court found she had not defamed him. However, the documentary noted that the article in question was removed from the NY Post's website, and Dr Huizenga - alongside Bob Harper - vigorously deny the claims. No one associated with the show has ever faced any criminal charges for distributing the illegal substances the NY Post alleged. What did emerge is that during the 15th season, trainer Jillian Michaels had given her team caffeine supplements, something the production publicly acknowledged was a violation of its own rules. It should be noted that Dr Huizenga was vocally opposed to giving the contestants caffeine - and in fact banned it. The Biggest Loser's physician, Dr Robert Huizenga is pictured with season eight contestant Tracey Yukich Even in the absence of illicit substances, the extreme workouts themselves caused suffering to some of the contestants, with multiple scenes showing people collapsing - with one even vomiting - while pushing themselves. According to trainer Bob Harper, the producers felt that the intense workouts made good television, he reported them saying to him: 'We want them to puke, we want the madness of it all.' The most serious incident took place during season eight of The Biggest Loser, when contestant Tracey Yukich - who revealed she had taken part in the show because of infidelity in her marriage, which she blamed on her weight - was taken to hospital with a life-threatening condition after one of the challenges, which involved running on the beach. In order to qualify for the programme, participants had to complete the one-mile run. During the exercise, Tracey collapsed, becoming unresponsive. Speaking about it in the docuseries, she said: 'I knew I had died that day [...] my organs were literally shutting down [...] no one really realised how sick I was.' She was airlifted to hospital in a helicopter, where she was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a condition where damaged muscle tissue breaks down into the bloodstream. While she did recover, and returned to the show, Dr Huizenga banned her from joining the workouts temporarily. That season's winner Danny also reflected on the incident in the docuseries, saying: 'We were all scared to death; it was horrific.' Another major controversy came in 2014, when Rachel Frederickson - who did not appear in the Netflix documentary - won season 15. Rachel, who weighed 260 pounds (18.5 stone, 117.9 kg) at the beginning of the series, weighed in at just 105 pounds (7.5 stone, 47.6 kg). Her BMI was reportedly just 18. The enormous weight loss, and her tiny frame (described by one journalist as 'emaciated') caused concern amongst viewers. When the camera panned to Jillian Michaels, she looked visibly shocked at Rachel's diminutive stature, and could be seen mouthing the words: 'Oh my God.' Writing about the response to her weight loss a year later, Rachel admitted that the comments on her size had been upsetting. She also revealed that she had gained around 20lbs (a stone and a half) since wrapping the programme. She added: 'When I stood on stage at the live finale, I had never felt stronger. I had accomplished everything I wanted to do. I was extremely proud of myself.' Rachel has maintained a low profile since the show ended, keeping her social media private, and not appearing in the docuseries. While many of the former contestants had negative feelings about the show (season two's Suzanne Mendonca said being on The Biggest Loser was the 'biggest mistake of [her] life', some did feel positive. Sisters Olivia Ward and Hannah Curlee, who scooped first and second place respectively in season 11, have managed to maintain their weight loss in the over 10 years since their series aired. Speaking in the documentary, they both agreed that taking part in The Biggest Loser was 'the best thing [they] ever did'.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Former Biggest Loser contestant reveals details of outrageous treatment on the show... but trainer has no remorse
Former Biggest Loser contestant Joelle Gwynn has admitted she was left mortified after being verbally 'abused' by fitness trainer Bob Harper on the show – but he has defended his behavior because it made for 'good TV'. Joelle, from Detroit Michigan, appeared on season seven of The Biggest Loser in 2009 alongside her then-friend, Carla Triplett. She applied to be on the show in a desperate attempt to lose weight and tipped the scales at 309 pounds at the beginning of her journey. However, despite having turned to The Biggest Loser for help, Joelle ended up being humiliated on television when Bob, 59, repeatedly screamed at her during a group workout. At the time, he had instructed the group to run on the treadmill for 30 seconds, but when he noticed that Joelle had given up around the 20-second mark, he began to yell at her. 'What the f*** Joelle? Every single time it's 20 seconds. Every single time. What is it? Tell me what it is?' he spat. 'You don't come off for 30 seconds, ok? That's all I'm asking. Just do that. God!' His acid-tongued takedown became one of the show's most memorable - and most uncomfortable - moments to date. And now, speaking out about the scenes 16 years later in Netflix's docuseries, Fit for TV: The Reality Behind the Biggest Loser, Joelle admitted that it was so horrible to experience that she went 'out of body'. Joelle was visibly upset watching the moment back. 'That country bumpkin of a man berates me in such a way that I've never seen on the show before,' she said. 'I've never seen someone get abused like that. It was was very, very, very embarrassing.' 'It brought me back to home. I'm there because I would get sh** like that at home and eat, so you cursing me out doesn't help me,' she continued. 'I do not care for Bob. F*** you, Bob Harper. Your little dog too.' Bob, however, stands by his treatment of Joelle and defends his behavior because he was on a mission to make 'good TV'. 'When it comes to Biggest Loser, always remember we were trying to make an entertaining show that was on prime time network television,' he said. 'What's more important for weight loss? 'We all know it's diet, but that becomes boring television. You know what's not boring television? To see us in a gym yelling, screaming… that's inspirational, that's good TV.' 'And producers love that sh**,' he continued. 'They were like, "we want them to puke, we want the madness of it all!"' Turning his attention to the scene with Joelle, Bob said: 'The TV execs were very happy because that's how you create the drama… it wasn't about the treadmill, the picture was bigger than that. 'It was like her committing to something and finishing it. It wasn't one of my proudest moments.' As Bob previously claimed, Biggest Loser producers were very much interested in making television intended to stun audiences. And that's exactly what executive producer David Broome attested to. 'We wanted the show to be shocking,' he said. 'One great big kumbaya doesn't make good television, I can promise you that.' The Biggest Loser, created by Ben Silverman, Mark Koops, and Broome, was a competition reality show that initially ran on NBC for 17 seasons from 2004 to 2016 before moving to USA Network in 2020. The show featured obese or overweight contestants who competed to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight relative to their initial weight. Bob was one of the show's main trainers alongside Jillian Michaels. Fit for TV is a three-part documentary series that takes an inside look at the making of the hit reality TV competition, exploring the good, the bad, and the complicated. The series features interviews with former contestants, trainers, producers, and health professionals and explores how the experience shaped the lives of those involved with the show long after the cameras stopped rolling. While Biggest Loser was contentious for several reasons, one particularly controversial part of the show was the 'temptation' segment. In the segment, contestants were faced with a 'temptation', which would usually require them to gamble by eating or drinking delicious but high-calorie foods in exchange for what may seem to be a beneficial trade-off. On one occasion, the temptation saw the contestants put in a room with plates and plates of fast food. Whoever ate the most calorific food was granted a personal trainer for an hour. Speaking in the Netflix docuseries, executive producer JD Roth defended the segment. 'Temptation is real life,' he said. 'I can't say that 100 percent of the temptations we got right, but I can say that life is full of temptations.' Fellow exec David agreed. 'I needed that show to be relatable to the rest of the world who aren't in this dome that we've created,' he said. 'You pass a cupcake in your refrigerator or on your counter, or you pass that fast food restaurant on your way home from work. How can we get that in The Biggest Loser.' Once they had appeared on the show, it wasn't unusual for contestants of The Biggest Loser to start piling the weight that they had lost back on. This was largely down to them having to return to work and their families, and not having the luxury of six hours a day to work out. One contestant, Danny Cahill, pleaded with producers to consider creating an aftercare program. Danny won season eight of The Biggest Loser and shed a whopping 239 pounds in six months, after initially weighing 460 pounds. But, following the show, he regained the weight that he had lost. Speaking in the documentary, Danny said that there was more producers could have done to support the stars of the show. 'I did call one of the producers and said people need help,' he said. 'I even brought up, could we do an aftercare program? Lots of money has been put aside from the show, psychological help, gym memberships, recovery, whatever it took and pretty much no one was interested in doing anything like that. 'I think it's really a shame. 'Hundreds of millions of dollars that was made from the show, even if just a little bit of that was put aside for the 300-400 people that had been on the show I think they would have had a lot more success.' Responding to the calls for sufficient post-show help, producer David said: 'Certainly, we would have loved to have had aftercare, but we're a television show, we're a television production. 'Without endless pots of money. NBC weren't going to give it to us, and nor were they wrong in that.'
Cosmopolitan
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Revealed: Why Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels from Biggest Loser are seemingly no longer friends
Those who've watched Fit for TV, the new Netflix docuseries about how weight loss reality show The Biggest Loser shot to fame before crashing and burning after a series of scandals, including some contestants alleging they were put in dangerous positions that risked their health. Others, notably sisters Hannah Curlee and Olivia Ward, praised the show for changing their lives for the better, with Olivia even naming her daughter Harper in honour of one of the show's trainers, Bob Harper. Alongside Harper was fellow straight-talking coach Jillian Michaels, and despite the pair competing as team leaders, each hoping their contestants would be the ones to lose the most weight at the weekly weighing in ceremony, they seemed to share a close and loving friendship. However, Harper strongly implies on the docu-series that the pair, despite being incredibly good friends while working together, no longer share a relationship. It's a pretty stark change between the two trainers, who were previously regularly seen laughing together, supporting one another and sharing a tactile friendship. Here's what we know about the fall out between Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper... When discussing the life-changing heart attack he had in 2017 – which in his words "left him dead on the gym floor for nine minutes" – Harper recalls that many of the Biggest Loser's cast and crew reached out to him, but that he did not hear from Michaels after the mammoth medical event. "I heard from almost everyone," he says in a clip from an Andy Cohen interview featured in the Netflix documentary. "How do I put this? People were always like 'You and Jillian have been so close', and I was like 'Well, we were really close on television'," he says outright in the docuseries. "After I had my heart attack, she's the one person I never heard from. So that to me spoke volumes." It could be the case that while the pair were close when working together and seeing one another near daily during filming, that they naturally drifted apart once the cameras stopped rolling. Equally, since the show wrapped, it seems Michaels in particular (who also chose not to appear in the Netflix documentary) has been trying to distance herself from the Biggest Loser, and instead is focussing more on her podcast, which has hosted the likes of divisive journalist Piers Morgan and conspiracy theorist and far right mouthpiece, Candace Owens. 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.
