Alison Sweeney Recalls This ‘Horrible’ Part of Hosting ‘The Biggest Loser’
The Biggest Loser is getting the documentary treatment with Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser. Over the course of three episodes, those closely involved with the NBC competition series reveal behind-the-scenes secrets and the show’s most controversial aspects.
Alison Sweeney began hosting The Biggest Loser in Season 4, taking over for Caroline Rhea. “As host of the show, it was my job to be there for the contestants and encourage them to talk about some of the harder things that are embarrassing and hard to talk about,” Sweeney said in the documentary.
The show chronicled the journey of overweight contestants as they competed to lose weight and win a cash prize. The Biggest Loser faced loads of criticism for its approach to weight loss. One of the most shocking components of the show was the temptation challenges, where contestants faced off to see who could eat the most calories in five minutes. Whichever participant won would receive a prize, which could include an extra training session before a weigh-in or an opportunity to see their family.
“The temptation challenges were the hardest part of the show for me,” the Days of Our Lives star admitted. “It was horrible.” Trainer Bob Harper called the temptation challenges “so dumb” and placed blame on cocreator Dave Broome and executive producer J.D. Roth for allowing those types of challenges to see the light of day.
In Episode 3, the documentary touched on the Season 15 controversy where trainer Jillian Michaels gave her team caffeine pills in order to have an advantage at the weigh-in. Once the show discovered Michaels had violated the show’s rules, Sweeney confronted the trainer in an episode.
When Sweeney watched the moment back, she said it was “terrifying” to revisit. The host was shocked that she had to be the one to address Michaels and give her team a four-pound disadvantage. (Michaels did not participate in the documentary.)
Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser, Streaming Now, Netflix
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