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As usual The Biggest Loser is famous for its twists, turns and surprises and this year is no different - in fact, it’s bigger and better. We have a lot of hurdles this year that will leave both the trainers and contestants dumbfounded. Season 3 is building to be a cliffhanger, not even Shannan and Michelle will know how to react once the games get going. Are Bob and Jillian coming back? Who knows?
The Biggest Loser provides the 15 strong-willed and hopeful contestants - who are divided into the Red and Blue teams – with temptations, major challenges, weigh-ins, eliminations, and a new feature to Series 3 - The Warehouse. Eventually only one contestant will remain to claim the title of "Australia’s Biggest Loser." Each team works out under the supervision of our professional trainers Shannan Ponton and Michelle Bridges.
Shannan and Michelle made a huge impact on both contestants and audiences in the second series of The Biggest Loser. Both are considered elite trainers in the fitness industry, and between them they have a wealth of experience that is sure to inspire the 15 contestants. With our two Aussie trainers pushing them to their best, the contestants will make dramatic life changes.
The Biggest Loser takes health and well-being very seriously. Not only do the contestants have the expertise of two of Australia’s top trainers to draw upon, but a dream team of medical professionals normally reserved for Olympic Athletes. Dietician, psychologist, paramedic, sports physician, designated program doctor, sports physiologist, sports podiatrist and masseur will all have day-to-day involvement in the journeys of the contestants.
Returning to the helm of The Biggest Loser in 2008 is author, diet guru and television personality Ajay Rochester. Ajay was once a much larger woman herself, and through self-discipline and controlled dieting and exercising she was able to transform herself and reach her own personal goals. Join Ajay, Shannan and Michelle as they help inspire 15 ordinary Aussies achieve their goals!
The Biggest Loser was one of the biggest hits of the 2007 television year. Nightly over one million tuned in to watch the transformation of the contestants, with more than two million tuning into the finale to see Chris Garling crowned as Australia’s ‘Biggest Loser’.
In 2008, The Biggest Loser returns on a much larger scale! We have more contestants than we’ve ever had before, and everything they think they’ve prepared for will be turned inside out and upside down in Season 3.
Over 6 nights a week for 12 weeks, viewers will be able to follow the extraordinary transformation of 15 regular Australians – this is the only reality series in which everybody "loses".
In 2008 The Biggest Loser is responding to audience demand and will continue to run 6 nights a week. Each week will follow a similar format that will deliver audiences more of the elation, anguish, heart ache and pain that they have grown to expect from The Biggest Loser.
Sunday: Weigh-In
Each week contestants track their progress with the all-important Weigh-In. Red and Blue teams go head-to-head to see who has lost the most weight as a team. This will also determine which team goes up for elimination, a crucial component of the competition. There will be tears of joy and sadness as the contestants are judged by the scales.
Monday: Elimination
The nature of the contest is that contestants eliminate those who aren’t pulling their weight, literally. This is where the game-playing takes centre stage as the contestants make the ultimate decision of which of their team mates won’t be going on to become The Biggest Loser.
Tuesday: The Warehouse
The Warehouse is one of the new elements to this series. Each week the contestants are faced with two different food choices in two covered crates in an old shipping warehouse. This week’s Biggest Loser is able to have first choice over the two food options. This choice will dictate the majority of what each team will eat for the rest of the week. It is a decision that should not to be taken lightly.
Wednesday: Temptation
Life change is never easy. Once they leave the White House the contestants will be tempted on a daily basis. While in the show, the Temptations are more dramatic and with a lot more on the line – IMMUNITY and THE WALK!
Thursday: The Walk
The Walk is a fantastic twist in the game and the outcome of it can turn the game on its head. The winner of Immunity at the Temptation will be presented with four vessels, each containing a stone with an outcome. Some will be good for them, some could be bad. Examples include; “Eliminate a Red Team member”, “You are up for elimination”, “Add 10kg to the Blue Team”. The contestant then heads back to the group to announce the news. The choice they make could not only affect the fate of the game, but more importantly, the fate of their opposing team. They could have the power to make a drastic change to the outcome of the competition.
Friday: Major Challenge
Friday night will climax with the epic major challenge, and they are bigger and better than anything we’ve seen before. The challenges will leave the audience exhausted, to say nothing of the contestants, and in much need of a weekend to recover.
THE WHITE HOUSE
The White House is a multi-million dollar luxury 6 bedroom mansion in the green leafy northern suburbs of Sydney. Set on 3 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, including a gazebo and a moat, The Biggest Losers will have everything at their fingertips. Just talking a walk through the gardens is an experience alone! As you head up the tree lined driveway you arrive at two very impressive front doors. Welcome to The White House, and the house of Australia's Biggest Losers. As you enter through the two doors you are met by an enormous crystal chandelier and a beautiful gilt and marble staircase, that sweeps up the entrance hall to take you to the next level of the mansion, where the contestants bedrooms are.
There are 6 bedrooms and each bedroom has a luxury bathroom attached with a large walk-in wardrobe, something the girls in the house will no doubt make full use of! All the bedrooms are off an open plan mezzanine floor that looks down onto the main living area, and has beautiful views across the back lawn.
The lawn itself has an impressive fountain, high tech BBQ area, tennis court and Spa Pool. The Spa Pool has become a particular favourite with The Biggest Losers to ease their aches and pains after their long and strenuous work-outs.
Although The Biggest Losers are surrounded by luxury, there are months of hard work ahead of them to achieve their goals. This year the house has been fully equipped with 4 gyms, and all the latest state of the art technology. One of the gym rooms is designed specifically for spinning, which is an intense cardio and fat burning exercise involving stationary exercise bikes.
In the far end of the house you come across the trophy room and chill out room. The contestants do a lot of team planning and plotting in the chill out room and the trophy room is there to inspire 2008's Biggest Losers. It has all the successes from the past, along with inspiration photos and words from many of our past Biggest Losers.
Welcome to The White House, Australia's premier weight loss house, where dreams can turn into reality.
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When The Biggest Loser’s producers were searching for the ideal Australian identity to represent physical transformation, the choice was obvious. A celebrated comic, presenter and writer, Ajay Rochester is the perfect all-rounder. As the lauded author of Confessions of a Reformed Dieter, Blubberguts and The Lazy Girl's Guide to Losing Weight , Ajay has been a major contributor to the current revolution in healthy eating and exercise.
But only a few years ago, this charismatic celebrity was struggling through her own battle with obesity, seemingly beaten by her snowballing weight problem.
What came next was an epiphany that led to not only a miraculous metamorphosis and loss of over 50 kilos, but also a resulting career as she shared her experience through motivational speeches and popular books, inspiring thousands of Australians to follow her example.
A top identity in the mediums of print and television, Ajay reached into the worldwide web in 2005 with her online weight-loss support network, Healthy Body Club.
It seems that Ajay Rochester is determined to use every method at her disposal to revolutionise the attitudes of our nation, and as the host of Australia’s third series of The Biggest Loser, Ajay is set to continue her mission and spread the word.
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Shannan Ponton is an iconic Aussie guy who loves the beach and the bush, but don’t expect a leisurely vacation when Shannan takes you to the great outdoors; this fitness fanatic sees the Aussie terrain as one big gym. With over 15 years experience in the industry, Shannan has created innovative approaches to fitness including ‘The Crunch Challenge’ which became a fitness show on Foxtel. He’s always looking for new approaches to gain maximum results and has been known to incorporate a diverse array of techniques such as boxing, kickboxing, spin, swimming, martial arts, circuit and weight training.
By gaining trust, Shannan is often able to get more from people – driving them harder than they could ever have imagined. After all, despite his bright personality, this dedicated trainer is known for sayings such as ‘pain is just weakness leaving the body’. Shannan trains the same way he lives his life - with respect, integrity, physical and mental discipline as well as strength in body and mind.
Shannan and fellow trainer Michelle Bridges have been firm friends and work collegues for over 10 years.
Their passion and commitment to the contestants extends far beyond their contractual obligations and they both invest an extraordinary amount of time in monitoring their progress after the cameras stop rolling. They are there every step of the way to ensure the contestants adjust as smoothly as possible to the physical, mental and emotional challenges that The Biggest Loser house presents.
Our teams will be in capable hands, as Shannan Ponton returns to the blue team as their fitness trainer and mentor. The Biggest Loser’s had better watch out this year, as Shannan means business!
“We are here for them beyond the show, however, we also teach them to take responsibility. They are fitter, stronger and more independant. They come in as VH Commodores and go out as an SS” - Shannan Ponton
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With a ‘take no prisoners’ attitude and well-honed techniques, Michelle Bridges is more than ready to bring her renowned discipline and dedication to The Biggest Loser house. One of the country’s highest profile fitness professionals, Michelle is the former Australian Fitness Leader of the Year, and runs her own Personal Training business and just like The Biggest Loser, she’s famous for quick transformations.
A no-nonsense trainer who refuses to baby her clients, Michelle uses intense cardio and weight training to achieve amazing results. With an uncanny knack of judging people’s abilities, this vigilant expert knows exactly how far to push her clients, both physically and mentally.
A true realist, Michelle knows that weight loss is never easy and if The Biggest Loser contestants think they’ll be receiving any mercy from this driven individual, they’d better think again. We welcome Michelle back to the White House for Season 3 as the red team’s fitness trainer and mentor.
“Most people fail at the diets because they don’t lose weight quick enough. They become frustrated that the kilos aren’t coming off in the time they thought they would and they subsequently give up” - Michelle Bridges
PAUL FRANKLIN – EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Paul Franklin, Director of Factual Programming for FremantleMedia Australia, has over ten years of television experience in both the United Kingdom and Australian markets. Paul worked in the UK for six years and produced a myriad of factual and light entertainment programs for a variety of broadcasters, including the BBC, ITV1, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Livingtv.
Paul returned to Australia in 2005 to work for Crackerjack Productions as the supervising producer for Network Ten’s inaugural season of The Biggest Loser and Jamie’s Kitchen Australia.
His credits in the UK include Changing Rooms (BBC1), She’s Gotta Have It (Channel 4), Other People’s Houses (Channel 4). The first season of the The Biggest Loser, UK for Livingtv and The Biggest Loser’s Littlest Loser a spin off from The Biggest Loser also for Livingtv in the UK.
More recently Paul has worked as the executive producer on ratings successes such as The Gift and The Farmer Wants A Wife. This will be Paul’s third season producing Network Ten’s The Biggest Loser.
CREDITS
Ajay Rochester HOST
Michelle Bridges and Shannan Ponton TRAINERS
Kim Steblina LINE PRODUCER
Catherine Bradbury PRODUCTION MANAGER
Angus MacDonald ART DIRECTOR
Dafydd Williams NETWORK EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – ENTERTAINMENT
Phil Kemp SERIES DIRECTOR
Sandra Fulloon SUPERVISING POST PRODUCER
Tara McWilliams SENIOR STORY PRODUCER
Judy Smart SERIES PRODUCER
Jonathan Summerhayes SUPERVISING PRODUCER
Paul Franklin EXECUTIVE PRODUCER