The Biggest Loser Australia (Season 2)
Encyclopedia
The Biggest Loser Australia (season 2) is the second season of the Australian version of the original NBC
American
reality television
series, The Biggest Loser
. The second season premiered on Sunday 4 February 2007 at 7pm on Network Ten
, with the finale on 26 April 2007. The show features 14 overweight contestants competing for A$
200,000 and the title Australia's Biggest Loser for 2007. The eventual winner was Chris Garling, one of "The Outsiders", who lost 70.1 kg (46.89% of his start weight). Eliminated contestants also had the chance to compete for a runners-up prize of $50,000, which was won by Michael losing 70.0 kg (42.37% of his start weight). Five episodes were screened each week night, with a sixth episode introduced on Sunday nights. Industry experts were skeptical of its success screening on this competitive night. The show averaged more than 1 million viewers each night, peaking at 1,995,000 viewers for the finale and 1,560,000 viewers for a weigh-in show. Over 10,000 Australians applied, 2,000 more than the 2006 season. The show is licensed and produced by FremantleMedia
Australia in association with Reveille
.
14 contestants (2 more than the previous season) competed in 2 teams, later becoming pairs and then playing individually. An additional four being introduced throughout the game as part of twists or as replacement contestants. In the first two weeks, one contestant voluntarily quit and one withdrew on medical advice.
Two new Australian trainers, Michelle Bridges
and Shannan Ponton
, were introduced to replace the previous American trainers Bob Harper
and Jillian Michaels
who reprised their role temporarily. Although Michelle states she doesn't like the format of the reality television show, she feels in the end it is helping change people's lives. Jillian was ridiculed for participating in the Australian version and not the American version, she stated that the Australian show represented her more accurately. Contestants were also introduced to former SAS
soldier Steve Willis, dubbed "The Commando". Bob and Jillian left at the end of the second week, revisiting in the eighth week for a final time.
Two main new elements were introduced to the game including "The Walk" which gave contestants power to change the outcome of the game and a further two contestants were "secretly" trained outside the house and entered as "The Outsiders".
Before going to air, there were various allegations that Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan
had applied to be a contestant and had been rejected. Network Ten argued that Donovan had simply not survived the application process. Further criticism was received by exercise experts, saying the show promoted risky weight loss techniques and may endanger the show's viewers. There was also much criticism of contestants leaving on medical advise after multiple health scares.
was that the contestant to win immunity retained it for the following week if no other contestant gained immunity.
"The Walk": A new element known as "The Walk" involved the winner of the immunity challenges having a random choice of four game-altering options. Some options included a 24-hour training prior to the first weigh-in, choosing replacement contestants, swapping team members, giving up immunity, and immediate mid-week elimination.
New Trainers: Two new primary Australian trainers were introduced, who appeared to replace the previous American trainers. A third element was former SAS soldier Steve Willis dubbed "The Commando" who was used for rewards or penalties in challenges. The Commando trained "The Outsiders" at a secondary training secret ranch before they entered the game.
"The Outsiders": Two contestants called "The Outsiders", Chris Garling and Kimberlie Stewart, entered the game in week 7, having been weighed in the white house at the beginning of the game without the knowledge of all other contestants. They were trained with the Commando during the 6 weeks before entering the house and formed a pair upon entering the game.
"Wild card" contestant: As with the previous season, all previously eliminated contestants were invited to return to the game for a second chance "wild card" entry back into the game. The difference with this game element was that only 5 out of the returning 10 contestants could enter the game by winning a qualification weigh-in. All eliminated contestants returned except for walk-out contestants Sarah, Jules and Sam. P'eta chose not to return, similar to Tracy from the first season.
Trainer's Choice Award: At the end of the series a Suzuki Grand Vitara was awarded to Jules by the trainers, recognizing her for "handling herself exquisitely throughout the whole show".
Standing
Elimination notes
. Generally, major challenges were screened as a cliffhanger episode on Friday nights.
Final 3 Contestants: Non-eliminated contestants competed for the "crown" and official label of "Australia's Biggest Loser for 2007", the winner being Chris losing a total of 70.1 kg (46.89% of his start weight).
Runner-up Contestants: All other contestants (excluding Sam, Jules and Sarah) weighed in against each other for the runner-up prize of A$50,000. The winner by a small margin was Michael, closely followed by Munnalita.
Disqualified contestants: Contestants Jules and Sam weighed in at the Finale but their results were not counted towards the runners-up prize as they were disqualified from play as they withdrew from the game, even though it was for medical reasons. Sarah did not make a finale appearance.
The two people that did not become contestants were
Duos: With 8 contestants remaining, teams were broken into 4 pairs of male and female contestants. Damien won the power to choose teams as a result of a minor challenge. At this stage of the game, Jules left the game making an uneven number of contestants, leaving Damien with the decision to leave one contestant to compete by themselves. The pairs grouped together were: Damien and Laura, Greg and Mel, Courtney and Munnalita, and Pati was left by herself which introduced a new twist. The biggest weight loser of all eliminated contestants returned to the game, this being Marty who was only just eliminated the day before. Greg and Mel were eliminated as part of a double elimination, and were replaced by new contestants Chris and Kimberlie, introduced as "The Outsiders".
Individuals: With 7 contestants remaining (including the new "The Outsiders"), pairs no longer existed and contestants competed in all challenges individually.
Final 4: The final four contestants were Chris, Kimberlie, Pati and Munnalita. As a result of the "wild card" challenge, contestant Marty returned to the game and replaced eliminated contestant Kimberlie, making Marty part of the final 4 contestants.
were also primary filming locations as part of the New Zealand Super Challenge, the focus points being the hike and sprint up Coronet Peak
and the Super Challenge at Paradise
. There are also the studios for the live finale reunion.
, five episodes each week night, with an additional sixth episode introduced on Sunday nights. After a total of 67 episodes (10 x 6 weeklies) the pre-taped finale episode screened on 26 April 2007.
, Grundy-Fremantle Media Group and Network Ten Australia. Among others, the major sponsors and suppliers that were explicitly credited were 100% Pure newzealand.com, Accredited Practising Dieticians, Air New Zealand
, Brooks
, Chrysler
, Fernwood Health Club, LG Electronics
, Workout World and Valiant Hire.
series two winner Casey Donovan
had applied to be a contestant and had been rejected. Network Ten dismissed these allegations, arguing that Donovan had simply not survived the application process.
Health risks:
The show received further criticism, being attacked by exercise experts for promoting risky weight loss techniques that may endanger the show's viewers. There was also much criticism when news leaked of contestant Jules, then unknown, was forced to quit after multiple health scares and hospital visits. An eating disorders support group, The Butterfly Foundation, commenting on Chris's achievement, warned that such a dramatic weight loss could be a health risk.
New trainers:
With Shannan and Michelle introduced, this was a tactic to make sure that in the future series of the Biggest Loser, the two trainers will be Shannan and Michelle. By doing this, they hope that the Australian public can appreciate them as much as Bob and Jillian and to make future series of Biggest Loser an all Australian cast.
The show averaged more than 1,000,000 viewers each night, peaking around 1.56 million viewers for one weigh-in show and 1.31 million viewers for one elimination show. The season premiere attracted only 1.17 million viewers compared to the first season premiere of 1.4 million, although depending on what was happening with the Cricket on Channel Nine
, the total audience peaked at 1.45 million. The ratings were considered a great success by the network, receiving a large portion of the target demographic (39.2% commercial share in demographic ages 18–49, and 42.6% of the 16-39 demographic). The season finale was the ratings success, being the highest rating episode of the show and ranking number 1 for the day with 1,995,000 viewers.
The following are some of the ratings achieved from the highest rated episodes. Unless otherwise stated, sources are gathered from OzTAM
as a primary or secondary source.
Resources
Contestants
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series, The Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser is an American reality game show that debuted on NBC October 19, 2004. The show features obese people competing to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight relative to their initial weight....
. The second season premiered on Sunday 4 February 2007 at 7pm on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
, with the finale on 26 April 2007. The show features 14 overweight contestants competing for A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
200,000 and the title Australia's Biggest Loser for 2007. The eventual winner was Chris Garling, one of "The Outsiders", who lost 70.1 kg (46.89% of his start weight). Eliminated contestants also had the chance to compete for a runners-up prize of $50,000, which was won by Michael losing 70.0 kg (42.37% of his start weight). Five episodes were screened each week night, with a sixth episode introduced on Sunday nights. Industry experts were skeptical of its success screening on this competitive night. The show averaged more than 1 million viewers each night, peaking at 1,995,000 viewers for the finale and 1,560,000 viewers for a weigh-in show. Over 10,000 Australians applied, 2,000 more than the 2006 season. The show is licensed and produced by FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
Australia in association with Reveille
Reveille Productions
Reveille Productions is an independently-owned television and motion picture studio and production company based in Los Angeles. The studio was founded by Ben Silverman in March 2002....
.
14 contestants (2 more than the previous season) competed in 2 teams, later becoming pairs and then playing individually. An additional four being introduced throughout the game as part of twists or as replacement contestants. In the first two weeks, one contestant voluntarily quit and one withdrew on medical advice.
Two new Australian trainers, Michelle Bridges
Michelle Bridges
Michelle Bridges is a personal trainer on the Australian version of The Biggest Loser. She made her first appearance in 2007, on the second season of The Biggest Loser and trained the red team alongside Jillian Michaels. When Jillian left half way through the series, Michelle officially took over...
and Shannan Ponton
Shannan Ponton
Shannan Ponton is one of two personal trainers on the Australian version of The Biggest Loser. He made his first appearance during the show's second season in 2007, where he trained the blue team alongside Bob Harper...
, were introduced to replace the previous American trainers Bob Harper
Bob Harper (personal trainer)
Robert "Bob" Harper is a personal trainer, who appears on the television series The Biggest Loser .- Career :Harper has worked as a personal trainer for celebrity clients, including Jennifer Jason Leigh...
and Jillian Michaels
Jillian Michaels (personal trainer)
Jillian Michaels is a celebrity personal trainer, reality show personality, direct-response television pitchwoman, and entrepreneur from Los Angeles, California...
who reprised their role temporarily. Although Michelle states she doesn't like the format of the reality television show, she feels in the end it is helping change people's lives. Jillian was ridiculed for participating in the Australian version and not the American version, she stated that the Australian show represented her more accurately. Contestants were also introduced to former SAS
Australian Special Air Service Regiment
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR but commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army...
soldier Steve Willis, dubbed "The Commando". Bob and Jillian left at the end of the second week, revisiting in the eighth week for a final time.
Two main new elements were introduced to the game including "The Walk" which gave contestants power to change the outcome of the game and a further two contestants were "secretly" trained outside the house and entered as "The Outsiders".
Before going to air, there were various allegations that Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan
Casey Donovan (singer)
-Australian Idol :Donovan transferred to the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney's Surry Hills in 2004 and it was in this year that her stepfather encouraged her to audition for the second season of Australian Idol...
had applied to be a contestant and had been rejected. Network Ten argued that Donovan had simply not survived the application process. Further criticism was received by exercise experts, saying the show promoted risky weight loss techniques and may endanger the show's viewers. There was also much criticism of contestants leaving on medical advise after multiple health scares.
Game variations
Immunity: A small change to immunityImmunity (reality television)
Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
was that the contestant to win immunity retained it for the following week if no other contestant gained immunity.
"The Walk": A new element known as "The Walk" involved the winner of the immunity challenges having a random choice of four game-altering options. Some options included a 24-hour training prior to the first weigh-in, choosing replacement contestants, swapping team members, giving up immunity, and immediate mid-week elimination.
New Trainers: Two new primary Australian trainers were introduced, who appeared to replace the previous American trainers. A third element was former SAS soldier Steve Willis dubbed "The Commando" who was used for rewards or penalties in challenges. The Commando trained "The Outsiders" at a secondary training secret ranch before they entered the game.
"The Outsiders": Two contestants called "The Outsiders", Chris Garling and Kimberlie Stewart, entered the game in week 7, having been weighed in the white house at the beginning of the game without the knowledge of all other contestants. They were trained with the Commando during the 6 weeks before entering the house and formed a pair upon entering the game.
"Wild card" contestant: As with the previous season, all previously eliminated contestants were invited to return to the game for a second chance "wild card" entry back into the game. The difference with this game element was that only 5 out of the returning 10 contestants could enter the game by winning a qualification weigh-in. All eliminated contestants returned except for walk-out contestants Sarah, Jules and Sam. P'eta chose not to return, similar to Tracy from the first season.
Trainer's Choice Award: At the end of the series a Suzuki Grand Vitara was awarded to Jules by the trainers, recognizing her for "handling herself exquisitely throughout the whole show".
List of episodes
There were a total of 68 episodes that followed the general weekly format of Elimination, Minor Challenge, Temptation, "The Walk", Major Challenge, and The Weigh-in. In some instances, episodes were replaced with specials where major twists were introduced, or previous events were explained for viewers missing information. Some of these special episodes included:- Two contestants leave: Due to unexpected withdrawal of contestants, episode 3 in week 1 focussed on this event.
- The game so far: In week 6 was a recap episode where all previous episodes were summarised.
- Duos Decided: In week 6 teams were separated into pairs. Damien won the minor challenge and power to choose pairs.
- The Biggest Twist Thus Far; The Outsiders: The secret contestants training on the outside for 6 weeks enter the house in week 7.
- Make Overs: Remaining contestants were given new clothes and hairstyles for a magazine photo-shoot in mid week 8.
- Fear Challenges: Replacing the regular spot for "The Walk", fear challenges were personal mental challenges that each remaining contestant participated in, for no tangible reward. The 6 remaining contestants were flown to Queenstown, New Zealand. Courtney went on a large cliff swing, Chris used a rocket swing, Damien and Kimberlie rock climbed a 30 m cliff face, Munnalita bungee jumped and Pati participated in white water sports
- Mountain hike: Contestants participated in a mountain hike, add weighted bags weighing the amount of weight they had lost each week. All contestants reaching the mountain peak carrying the weight they started the show with. The experience was to feel the relief when they removed their backpacks. Kimberlie added an extra 40 kg to match what she was at her heaviest weight.
- Return of the eliminated contestants: On being invited back for a chance to enter back into the game, contestants went through various challenges:
- Second chance challenge: Contestants were required to hold two medicine balls whilst balancing on a series of three varied sized logs, each one smaller than the last, for half an hour each. Mel, who had an ankle problem stepped down and was immediately eliminated. Gerard won the challenge, Kelly coming a close second.
- Second chance temptation: Contestants had a 1 in 6 chance to receive a wild card chance, elimination and other prizes. Laura won a guarantee qualification, Greg was immediately eliminated. Other prizes included a trip won by Kelly, a scooter won by Alex, a small hamburger and chips won by Damien, and a chocolate platter won by Courtney. Michael and Marty chose not to participate in the temptation challenge.
- Super Challenge: Remaining contestants competed in a sand dune and mental challenge, with the three remaining places going to Michael, Marty and Damien. Courtney, Alex and Kelly were immediately eliminated.
- Train the trainers: Mid week 11 contestants were tested with their knowledge of training routines in preparation for moving outside of the game. Marty and Chris flogging Shannan and Munnalita and Pati snapped Michelle in half.
- Trainer's Choice Award: The episode before the finale was a consolation for Jules who withdrew from the show on medical advice. She was given a Suzuki Grand Vitara
The Weigh-in
At the end of each week, contestants must be weighed to determine how much weight they had lost since the previous week or weigh in. Generally the person with the highest weight loss receives immunity. With teams, the total percentage of weight loss for the team must be highest to avoid elimination. With pairs and individuals, players must come in "above the yellow line" which is usually the 2 lowest weight losers of the week. Weigh-in episodes were generally screened on Sunday nights, or left as a cliffhanger and combined with elimination episodes.| Table of weight and percentage loss (kg) | |||||||||||||||
| Name | Start Weight | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris | 149.5 | Lost 31.3 kg prior to arrival as an "Outsider" | 111.8 | 104.8 | 101.0 | 93.1 | 89.9 | 79.4 | |||||||
| Marty | 160.6 | 150.2 | 146.0 | 141.6 | 136.8 | 130.1 | 122.5 | 119.9 | 121.0 | 109.9 | 105.0 | 94.7 | |||
| Pati | 120.2 | 114.9 | 111.5 | 108.9 | 105.1 | 101.4 | 96.3 | 94.1 | 92.6 | 90.0 | 85.4 | 84.8 | 72.2 | ||
| Munnalita | 127.3 | 119.4 | 116.4 | 113.5 | 110.5 | 106.9 | 97.9 | |97.9 | 95.3 | 92.9 | 86.6 | 85.0 | 74.1 | ||
| Kimberlie | 141.8 | Lost 20.3 kg prior to arrival as an "Outsider" | 119.4 | 114.6 | 110.4 | 105.2 | 95.0 | ||||||||
| Courtney | 139.2 | 133.5 | 130.3 | 126.9 | 123.5 | 117.2 | 111.2 | 110.5 | 108.7 | 107.9 | 98.3 | ||||
| Damien | 216.3 | 203.2 | 201.0 | 193.8 | |187.1 | 179.7 | 174.5 | 170.6 | 173.0 | x | 162.7 | 141.7 | |||
| Laura | 109.2 | 105.2 | 103.8 | 101.2 | 95.7 | 94.4 | 93.1 | 87.4 | 84.2 | ||||||
| Mel | 108.4 | 100.7 | 98.7 | 96.4 | 94.7 | 90.2 | 88.0 | 78.0 | |||||||
| Greg | 148.8 | 138.7 | 134.8 | 132.3 | 126.6 | |121.2 | 114.7 | 99.9 | |||||||
| Jules | 126.5 | 120.2 | 118.2 | 115.1 | 111.4 | 106.9 | 91.6 | ||||||||
| Gerard | 133.5 | 126.1 | 122.1 | 120.6 | 116.4 | 99.7 | 90.2 | ||||||||
| P'eta | 131.6 | 127.7 | 126.3 | 106.7 | |||||||||||
| Michael | 165.2 | 155.6 | 151.0 | 145.7 | 115.8 | 95.2 | |||||||||
| Kelly | 117.1 | 112.7 | 108.7 | 89.1 | |||||||||||
| Sam | 128.0 | 121.0 | 87.4 | ||||||||||||
| Alex | 155.2 | 144.6 | 113.4 | ||||||||||||
| All contestants | |||||||||||||||
| Total Loss (kg) | 89.8 | 44.4 | 38.0 | 39.6 | 47.6 | 42.9 | 19.2 | 21.2 | 13.8 | 46.8 | 10.3 | 787.3 | |||
| Avg Loss (%) | 5.66% | 2.66% | 2.33% | 3.09% | 4.36% | 4.56% | 1.97% | 2.02% | 2.67% | 4.83% | 2.61% | 3.34% | |||
| Avg Loss (kg) | 8.2 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 5.2 | 2.6 | 4.4 | |||
Standing
- Week's Biggest Loser
Eliminations
Each week, after a weigh in, contestants must cast a vote against another contestant and avoid elimination. The contestant that received the most votes left the game immediately. Contestants can avoid elimination by their team or themselves losing the most percentage of weight loss, winning immunity at a temptation challenge. Contestants make themselves an elimination target if they are a threat of losing a lot of weight by the end of the show. Elimination episodes screened on Mondays. Below is a table of voting history for what each contestant voted.| Week | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminated | Alex | Kelly | Michael | P'eta, Gerard | Marty | Greg / Mel | Laura | Marty | Damien, Courtney | Kimberlie | Munnalita | |
| Arrived Wk 7 as an "Outsider" | Courtney | Marty | Courtney | Kimberlie | Munnalita | |||||||
| Alex | X | X | X | Courtney | Laura | X | Pati | Munnalita | ||||
| Alex | X | X | X | Munnalita | Greg / Mel | Laura | ? | Courtney | X | X | ||
| Alex | X | X | P'eta | Marty | Greg / Mel | X | Marty | X | Kimberlie | Eliminated Wk 11 | ||
| Arrived Wk 7 as an "Outsider" | Laura | ? | ? | X | ||||||||
| Alex | X | X | X | Marty | Greg / Mel | X | Marty | X | Eliminated Wk 9 | |||
| X | Kelly | Laura | ? | X | X | X | X | X | Eliminated mid Wk 9 | |||
| X | Gerard | Gerard | X | X | X | Eliminated Wk 7 | ||||||
| X | Kelly | X | Gerard | X | X | Eliminated Wk 6 (Double elimination) | ||||||
| ? | X | X | X | Courtney | X | Eliminated Wk 6 (Double elimination) | ||||||
| X | Kelly | Michael | Gerard | Withdrew mid Wk 5 (on medical advice) | ||||||||
| X | Michael | Michael | ? | Eliminated Wk 4 | ||||||||
| ? | Michael | ? | Eliminated mid Wk 4 "The Walk" | |||||||||
| X | Damien | Gerard | Eliminated Wk 3 | |||||||||
| X | Mel | Eliminated Wk 2 | ||||||||||
| X | Withdrew mid Wk 2 (on medical advice) | |||||||||||
| Munnalita | Eliminated Wk 1 | |||||||||||
| Quit mid Wk 1 | ||||||||||||
- Immunity
- Immunity, unable to vote
- Below yellow line, unable to vote
- Finished last in the elimination challenge, eliminated
- Not in elimination, unable to vote
- Vote not revealed
- Eliminated or not in house
- Last person eliminated before the finale
- Valid vote cast
Elimination notes
- Sarah quit in week 1 due to feeling isolated from the rest of the group. All four trainers and former contestant Cat from season 1 failed to convince her to stay in the game.
- Sam withdrew in week 1 due to deep vein thrombosisDeep vein thrombosisDeep vein thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein. Deep vein thrombosis commonly affects the leg veins or the deep veins of the pelvis. Occasionally the veins of the arm are affected...
. - P'eta was unexpectedly eliminated as part of a twist introduced by "The Walk". Munnalita had the choice to eliminate a female contestant and chose P'eta.
- Jules withdrew in week 5 due to irregular heart patternsAtrial fibrillationAtrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia . It is a common cause of irregular heart beat, identified clinically by taking a pulse. Chaotic electrical activity in the two upper chambers of the heart result in the muscle fibrillating , instead of achieving coordinated contraction...
. Despite the contestants wanting her to stay, the on-site medic advised her to leave the game. - Damien was eliminated in week 9 as a result of a Super Challenge. The penalty for losing the challenge was to be immediately eliminated.
- Damien's elimination marked the first time that an entire team was eliminated before the finale. He and Laura returned two weeks later and were eliminated again. With their eliminations, trainers Bob and Shannan had lost their entire team, and thus they both were also eliminated from the competition, as they had no other contestants to represent them at the finale. However, both trainers still remained in the house to train their former rival contestants.
- Marty was also eliminated twice. His first elimination was by a "hung" or tied vote in week 5, giving the voting decision to the other team. Upon returning to the game, Marty secured immunity in week 8 but was voted out as he had gained weight at the weigh-in, stripping him of his eligibility of immunity, and was subsequently re-eliminated. He also returned twice, returning again in week 10 after his second elimination, and went on to become a finalist.
- Chris and Pati are the only contestants to have not been eliminated, but Pati is the only contestant to be in the game for the entire length of the season, Chris entered the game in week 6.
Minor challenges
Contestants must compete in challenges to earn individual or team rewards. These rewards often lead to giving contestants power to change the outcome of the game with weight advantages or penalties, or individual personal prizes generally awarded by the shows advertising suppliers or sponsors. Generally, minor challenges were screened on Tuesday nights.| Week | Challenge | Reward(s) | Penalty | Winner(s) | Loser(s) | Notes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cinema | Massages | Spend the night outside | Blue team | Red team | Contestants were taken to the Cremorne Orpheum Cinema where they raced against each other, choosing food products that were lower in calories. | |
| 2 | Beach Volleyball | 3 course banquet | go on frozen meals and TV dinners for 24 hours | Red team | Blue team | The Blue team won the 1st set. The red team won the 2nd set and won the final match point equalling victory | Contestants played beach volleyball against each other. |
| 3 | Treadmill | A cardiology gym, and team session with the commando | Red Team (Greg) | - | Greg walked for over 2 hours, walking an extra 5 minutes after the second place holder | 3 contestants for each team competed to see who could last the longest on a treadmill going 8 km/h | |
| 4 | Jump and Duck Obstacle | The choice of training with the Commando or an afternoon at a Baha'i Temple, giving either other to the other team. | Red Team | Blue Team | The red team won and chose to do to the temple leaving the blue team to face the cammando. Also the red team got a bonus DVD on what happens in the kitchens in the house when noone is looking. | Teams had to duck and jump over spinning bars, beating 5 contestants in a row. | |
| 5 | Basketball match | Messages from home | Commando training | Red team | Blue team | The Blue team were in the lead the entire game until red caught up in the dying minutes of play. | Teams competed against each other in a game of basketball game, each team coached by a member of the Sydney Kings. |
| 6 | The Power balls Challenge | The power to choose duos, LG 32-Inch Plasma TV, LG Notebook Computer | no choice of the pairs | Damien | - | Duos were to be picked with male and females paired. This would single out one female to be alone. | Contestants each had 10 heavy balls in their enclosure and had to get all balls in their area to win. |
| 7 | Commando Challenge | 1 kg advantage | 1 kg penalty, outsiders lose immunity | Courtney and Munnalita | Damien and Laura | Courtney and Munnalita received the Commando as part of The Walk | |
Major Challenges
Contestants compete in more demanding physical, mental or tempting challenges giving contestants more significant prizes than those awarded with minor challenges giving contestants power to change the outcome of the game, change team setup, or earn immunityImmunity (reality television)
Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
. Generally, major challenges were screened as a cliffhanger episode on Friday nights.
| Week | Challenge | Reward(s) | Penalty | Winner(s) | Loser(s) | Notes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney Tower Climb | Choice of lunch at restaurant or paddle on a kayak boat | 5 kg team weigh-in penalty | Blue team | Red team | The Blue Team chose lunch | Teams were taken to Sydney Tower where they raced against each other- 50 laps round the tower |
| 2 | Plane pull | Power to choose what team the new contestants would be placed, Letters from Home |
lose their dignity, letters from home and choice of team member | Blue team | Red team | The Blue team chose P'eta | Teams raced to pull a 9-tonne DC3 aircraft 150 metres, stopping periodically for individual running sequences. |
| 3 | Beach obstacle | Phone calls to loved ones | No trainer for the last chance workout. | Blue team | Red team | Blue won only by a narrow margin and also let the Red team call | Teams compete on a beach obstacle course to fill up sacks with sand and dig holes to get through the course. |
| 4 | Moving house | An LG product for each team member, and the power to decide which member of the red team will become a blue. | No choice of who to swap to oppisite team | Red team | Blue team | The Red team chose to swap Mel, who was previously swapped into Red from Blue. | Teams competed against each other to remove all contents from one house into another. |
| 5 | Heartbreak Hill | The choice between returning gym equipment or training with the Commando | - | Red team | Blue team | Teams had to run a relay 200 times up and down a steep hill with weights | |
| 6 | Hangman Challenge | 1 kg weigh-in advantage | 1 kg weigh-in penalty | Damien & Laura | Courtney & Munnalita | 2nd place: Greg & Mel, 3rd place: Marty & Pati | Contestants had to fill a 15 liter container with water by raising and lowering their paired contestants using a pulley system and transferring water from a container on the ground using just 1 cup. |
| 7 | Wood Challenge | Massages and two Vanuatu holidays | 24 hours lock down, no trainer or gym | Marty and Pati | Damien and Laura | 2nd place: Chris and Kimberlie, 3rd place: Courtney and Munnalita. Marty and Pati finished in 4 hours, 50 minutes. | Contestants had to shift 4 tonnes of wood from one spot to another by hand while being chained to their pair. |
Temptation
Contestants competes in a temptation challenge to secure their place in the game for another week by gaining immunity making them unable to be voted out unless they gain weight. Challenges are generally psychologically based and gave contestants the choice to act against temptations they would otherwise participate in. This is a strategic part of the game. Temptation challenges were generally screened on Wednesday nights.| Week | Challenge | Reward(s) | Winner(s) | Notes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choice | Immunity and power of The Walk | Courtney | Contestants had to decide whether to eat the food or not in private. Last one left wins. Courtney only ate one slice of watermelon after everyone else backed away for immunity. | |
| 2 | Pizza | Immunity, an LCD TV courtsy of LG and power of The Walk | Gerard | The pizza got smaller in slice and the challenge can only happen if all eight slices are taken. Gerrard was the only one taking part in the challenge and ate a whole pizza after it shrunk in size. | Contestants must pick a slice of pizza for a 1 in 8 chance of immunity. |
| 3 | Chocolate | Immunity and power of The Walk | Pati | Pati participated as part of a team strategy, only one other contestant participated and that was Michael. Pati chose celery pieces in the temptation. | Contestants ate sticks of food dipped in chocolate. The winner was determined by the one who ate the most. |
| 4 | Sushi Train | Immunity and power of The Walk, 5 massages, a $4000 barbecue, a trampoline, a DVD player & a home video from the contestant's family | Munnalita | This was the first and only temptation challenge where all contestants participated in this temptation | Contestants must choose random plates of meals from a sushi train. |
| 5 | Food deli | Immunity and power of The Walk | Courtney | Other contestants chose to eat certain foods also. Unfortunately, after the trainers found out about the challenge, Munnalita cried when Michelle told her off that she ate two Mars bars. Munnalita countered saying that why she couldn't eat Mars bars after able to resisted eating other foods like chips and very high calorie foods. | Contestants were individually tempted with their favorite foods, the winner being the one who consumed the most calories. |
| 6 | Chris & Kimberlie | Chris and Kimberlie would lose immunity if they came last in the challenge. | |||
| 7 | Chocolate | Marty | Marty was stripped of his immunity after gaining weight. | ||
"The Walk"
As an addition to receiving immunity, contestants also receive the power of "The Walk" which gave them the choice to change the game from options provided to them. "The Walk" was generally screened on Thursday nights.| Week | Contestant(s) with power | Options | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Courtney | 24-hour training prior to the first weigh-in | Alex received additional training with Jillian. |
| 2 | Gerard | To choose 2 new contestants to enter the game | P'eta and Laura were chosen to enter the game, Kelli and Jess could not participate any further in the game. |
| 3 | Pati | To swap 1 member of the blue team for 1 member of the red team. | Pati switched Laura from the Red Team for Mel from the Blue Team. Laura cried feeling she was rejected by both teams. |
| 4 | Munnalita | To immediately vote out a player | Munnalita had to vote out a female. Other options included you must vote someone from the red team, blue team or a male. Munnalita voted out P'eta. |
| 5 | Courtney | To give immunity to a Blue team member | Other options included to give up immunity to a red team member, male or female. Courtney lost immunity and gave it to Damien. Originally, Laura wanted it knowing that she would be the next to go. The other members of the blue team made a pact that they would take Courtney to the finals if they picked Mel for immunity. Courtney selected Damien by random pick and angered all the members from the blue team. |
| 6 | |||
| 7 | Chris & Kimberlie | To give the Commando to another duo for the next challenge | Other options included, a team will receive a ten minute time advantage, a ten minute time penalty or to give anyone (including themselves) the Commando. Courtney and Munnalita received the Commando. |
Finale
The finale was a pre-recorded show which aired on 6 April 2007.Final 3 Contestants: Non-eliminated contestants competed for the "crown" and official label of "Australia's Biggest Loser for 2007", the winner being Chris losing a total of 70.1 kg (46.89% of his start weight).
| Contestant | Start Weight (kg) | Starting BMI | Ending BMI | Finale (kg) | Total loss (kg/%) | Goal (kg) | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris | 149.5 | 38.1 | 20.3 | 79.4 | 70.1 (46.89%) | 90 | -10.6 |
| Marty | 160.6 | 43.1 | 25.4 | 94.7 | 65.9 (41.03%) | 95 | -0.3 |
| Pati | 120.2 | 40.6 | 24.4 | 72.2 | 48.0 (39.93%) | 70 | 2.2 |
Runner-up Contestants: All other contestants (excluding Sam, Jules and Sarah) weighed in against each other for the runner-up prize of A$50,000. The winner by a small margin was Michael, closely followed by Munnalita.
| Contestant | Start Weight (kg) | Starting BMI | Ending BMI | Finale (kg) | Total loss (kg/%) | Goal (kg) | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael | 165.2 | 44.8 | 25.8 | 95.2 | 70.0 (42.37%) | 99 | -3.8 |
| Munnalita | 127.3 | 44.0 | 25.6 | 74.1 | 53.2 (41.79%) | 60 | 14.1 |
| Damien | 216.3 | 61.2 | 40.1 | 141.7 | 74.6 (34.49%) | 110 | 31.7 |
| Kimberlie | 141.8 | 47.4 | 31.7 | 95.0 | 46.8 (33.00%) | 99 | -4.0 |
| Greg | 148.8 | 48.6 | 32.6 | 99.9 | 48.9 (32.86%) | 90 | 9.9 |
| Gerard | 133.5 | 43.6 | 29.5 | 90.2 | 43.3 (32.43%) | 85 | 5.2 |
| Courtney | 139.2 | 40.7 | 28.7 | 98.3 | 40.9 (29.38%) | 90 | 8.3 |
| Mel | 108.4 | 32.4 | 23.3 | 78.0 | 30.4 (28.04%) | 75 | 3.0 |
| Alex | 155.2 | 55.6 | 40.7 | 113.4 | 41.8 (26.93%) | 95 | 18.4 |
| Kelly | 117.1 | 38.7 | 29.4 | 89.1 | 28.0 (23.91%) | 70 | 19.1 |
| Laura | 109.2 | 35.7 | 27.5 | 84.2 | 25.0 (22.89%) | 70 | 14.2 |
| P'eta | 131.6 | 41.1 | 33.3 | 106.7 | 24.9 (18.92%) | 75 | 31.7 |
Disqualified contestants: Contestants Jules and Sam weighed in at the Finale but their results were not counted towards the runners-up prize as they were disqualified from play as they withdrew from the game, even though it was for medical reasons. Sarah did not make a finale appearance.
| Contestant | Start Weight (kg) | Starting BMI | Ending BMI | Finale (kg) | Total loss (kg/%) | Goal (kg) | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam | 128.0 | 43.8 | 29.9 | 87.4 | 40.6 (31.72%) | 79 | 8.4 |
| Jules | 126.3 | 43.7 | 31.7 | 91.6 | 34.9 (27.59%) | 75 | 16.6 |
| Sarah | 153.3 | 53.0 | x | DNQ | 75 | DNQ | |
Host
Ajay Rochester returned to the second season reprising her role as host of the show. Ajay has since stated goals for herself after the completion of this season, moving into hosting a radio show. Before the show went to air, Ajay was under the spotlight for her own weight. During primary production of the show, Ajay appeared on Network Ten's New Years celebrations.Trainers
- Bob Harper (US trainer)
- Jillian Michaels (US trainer)
- Michelle Bridges (New Australian trainer)
- Shannan Ponton (New Australian trainer)
- Steve Willis (Australian Commando)
- Claire Collins (Nutritionist and dietitian)
Contestants
14 contestants started the game, 2 more than the previous season. As a result of contestant withdrawal, "The Outsiders" and replacements, the total number of contestants was 18.Original Contestants
| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Height | Goal Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Tsao | 37 | Ringwood North Ringwood North, Victoria Ringwood North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 25 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah... , Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... |
167 cm | 95 kg |
| Courtney Jackson | 21 | Varsity Lakes, Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... |
185 cm | 90 kg |
| Damien Wicks | 34 | Larrakeyah, Northern Territory Northern Territory The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions... |
188 cm | 110 kg |
| Greg Koutsovidis | 33 | Glynde Glynde, South Australia -References:... , South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland... |
175 cm | 90 kg |
| Gerard Fleischer | 43 | Bentley Bentley, Western Australia Bentley is a southern suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, and is located 8 km southeast of Perth's central business district. Its Local Government Areas are the City of Canning and the Town of Victoria Park... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
175 cm | 85 kg |
| Kelly Donaghy Lewis | 28 | Caringbah, Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... |
174 cm | 70 kg |
| Mellisa "Mel" Russell | 24 | Wollongong Wollongong, New South Wales Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney... , New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
183 cm | 75 kg |
| Marty Barrett | 38 | Cleveland Cleveland, Queensland Cleveland is a suburb located approximately east-south-east of Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland, and is the council seat for the Redland City local government area... , Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... |
193 cm | 95 kg |
| Patima "Pati" Singe | 26 | Bayview Bayview -Places:Australia* Bayview, New South Wales* Bayview, Northern TerritoryCanada* Bayview, Calgary, a neighborhood in Alberta* Bayview Avenue , a road in Ontario** Bayview , a subway station located on the above roadNew Zealand... , Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... |
172 cm | 70 kg |
| Michael Hinde | 28 | Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... , South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland... |
192 cm | 99 kg |
| Munnalita Kyrimis | 32 | Mount Gambier Mount Gambier, South Australia Mount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border.... , South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland... |
170 cm | 60 kg |
The Outsiders
| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Height | Goal Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher "Chris" Garling | 23 | Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
198 cm | 90 kg |
| Kimberlie Stewart | 32 | Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
173 cm | 99 kg |
Replacement Contestants
The replacement contestants were selected from a choice of four people as part of "The Walk".The two people that did not become contestants were
| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Height | Goal Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelli Harvey | 26 | Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... , QLD |
180 cm | 68 kg |
| Jess | ||||
| Laura Kufersin | 20 | Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... |
175 cm | 70 kg |
| P'eta Phelan | 27 | Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... |
179 cm | 75 kg |
Disqualified Contestants
| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Height | Goal Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jules Condon | 34 | Gordonvale Gordonvale, Queensland Gordonvale is a small sugar-growing suburb situated in the southern end of Cairns on the Mulgrave River. At the 2006 census, Gordonvale had a population of 4,420.... , Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... |
170 cm | 75 kg |
| Sam Birrell | 37 | Bell Park Bell Park, Victoria Bell Park is a residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is located 3 km north-west of the Geelong city centre and is bordered to the north by the Ballarat rail line, to the east by Thompson Road, to the south by the Midland Highway and to the west by Anakie Road.- History :Bell... , Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... |
171 cm | 79 kg |
| Sarah Peak | 25 | Carlingford Carlingford, New South Wales Carlingford is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Carlingford is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the The Hills Shire, Hornsby Shire and the City of Parramatta... , New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
170 cm | 75 kg |
Team arrangements
Teams: The show started with two teams, "Blue Team" trained by Bob and Shannan and "Red Team" trained by Jillian and Michelle. The Australian trainers entered the game and individually the contestants chose their trainers, with the heaviest contestant choosing first (Damien) and the lightest choosing last (Mel). Bob and Jillian then entered and joined the Shannan and Michelle respectively as co-trainers. As teams became uneven throughout the game, some challenge rewards or penalties were to swap team members which retained even numbers for teams to compete fairly.Duos: With 8 contestants remaining, teams were broken into 4 pairs of male and female contestants. Damien won the power to choose teams as a result of a minor challenge. At this stage of the game, Jules left the game making an uneven number of contestants, leaving Damien with the decision to leave one contestant to compete by themselves. The pairs grouped together were: Damien and Laura, Greg and Mel, Courtney and Munnalita, and Pati was left by herself which introduced a new twist. The biggest weight loser of all eliminated contestants returned to the game, this being Marty who was only just eliminated the day before. Greg and Mel were eliminated as part of a double elimination, and were replaced by new contestants Chris and Kimberlie, introduced as "The Outsiders".
Individuals: With 7 contestants remaining (including the new "The Outsiders"), pairs no longer existed and contestants competed in all challenges individually.
Final 4: The final four contestants were Chris, Kimberlie, Pati and Munnalita. As a result of the "wild card" challenge, contestant Marty returned to the game and replaced eliminated contestant Kimberlie, making Marty part of the final 4 contestants.
Filming locations
Filming of The Biggest Loser was primarily located in Sydney, NSW, Australia. The main filming locations seen throughout the show are the White House (where contestants reside and train), the "Outsider" training ranch (where "The Outsiders" trained before entering the house), the elimination room (a room inside the house where votes are cast for contestants to be eliminated from the game) and the diary room (a studio set up for contestants to leave video entries of their time in the house). Other game locations include "The Walk" which was filmed around Bobbin Head National Park, Turramurra, NSW. Other filming locations include areas around the house gardens for individual contestant interviews. There are also filming locations at South Sydney beaches and other areas where challenges take place. Areas of Queenstown, New ZealandQueenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
were also primary filming locations as part of the New Zealand Super Challenge, the focus points being the hike and sprint up Coronet Peak
Coronet Peak
Coronet Peak is a commercial skifield in Otago, New Zealand located 18 kilometres to the northeast of the town of Queenstown and seven kilometres west of Arrowtown, on the southern slopes of the 1,649 metre peak which shares its name...
and the Super Challenge at Paradise
Paradise, New Zealand
Paradise is a rural locality in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. It lies on the eastern side of the Dart River at the head of Lake Wakatipu, close to the settlement of Glenorchy....
. There are also the studios for the live finale reunion.
Filming dates
There are three main dates organised around the production of the show including the application and audition process, primary photography and production and the show finale which occurs 6 weeks after the final week of primary photography (the tenth week of game play), and was filmed on Monday, 23 April (instead of a live show like the previous season).Air dates and channels
This season began airing on Sunday 4 February 2007 at 7:00pm on Network TenNetwork Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
, five episodes each week night, with an additional sixth episode introduced on Sunday nights. After a total of 67 episodes (10 x 6 weeklies) the pre-taped finale episode screened on 26 April 2007.
Credits and associations
The Biggest Loser is a trademark of Reveille LLC and is licensed and produced by FremantleMedia Australia Pty Limited. In Australia it is distributed by Crackerjack ProductionsCrackerjack Productions
Crackerjack Productions is an Australian independent television production company headed by brothers Mark and Carl Fennessy....
, Grundy-Fremantle Media Group and Network Ten Australia. Among others, the major sponsors and suppliers that were explicitly credited were 100% Pure newzealand.com, Accredited Practising Dieticians, Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
, Brooks
Brooks Sports, Inc.
Brooks Sports, Inc. was founded in 1914 by Morris Goldenberg and is a company that produces high performance shoes, soccer and running apparel. Brooks originally produced bathing shoes in 1917 before moving into sports in the 1930s by producing baseball cleats in 1920 and football cleats in the...
, Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
, Fernwood Health Club, LG Electronics
LG Electronics
LG Electronics is a global electronics and telecommunications company headquartered in Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea. The company operates its business through five divisions: mobile communications, home entertainment, home appliance, air conditioning and business solution...
, Workout World and Valiant Hire.
Controversies
Casey Donovan: Before the show went to air, there were some controversies when allegations emerged that morbidly obese singer and Australian IdolAustralian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
series two winner Casey Donovan
Casey Donovan (singer)
-Australian Idol :Donovan transferred to the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney's Surry Hills in 2004 and it was in this year that her stepfather encouraged her to audition for the second season of Australian Idol...
had applied to be a contestant and had been rejected. Network Ten dismissed these allegations, arguing that Donovan had simply not survived the application process.
Health risks:
The show received further criticism, being attacked by exercise experts for promoting risky weight loss techniques that may endanger the show's viewers. There was also much criticism when news leaked of contestant Jules, then unknown, was forced to quit after multiple health scares and hospital visits. An eating disorders support group, The Butterfly Foundation, commenting on Chris's achievement, warned that such a dramatic weight loss could be a health risk.
New trainers:
With Shannan and Michelle introduced, this was a tactic to make sure that in the future series of the Biggest Loser, the two trainers will be Shannan and Michelle. By doing this, they hope that the Australian public can appreciate them as much as Bob and Jillian and to make future series of Biggest Loser an all Australian cast.
Reviews
The length of the show compared to the American version was accused of being too "bloated" with over 3 hours of extra footage for each "episode" or week, but at the same time, the type of participants used in the show are a good change from regular reality television "wannabes".Television viewing and ratings
- For full episode ratings, see: List of The Biggest Loser Australia (Season 2) episodes
The show averaged more than 1,000,000 viewers each night, peaking around 1.56 million viewers for one weigh-in show and 1.31 million viewers for one elimination show. The season premiere attracted only 1.17 million viewers compared to the first season premiere of 1.4 million, although depending on what was happening with the Cricket on Channel Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, the total audience peaked at 1.45 million. The ratings were considered a great success by the network, receiving a large portion of the target demographic (39.2% commercial share in demographic ages 18–49, and 42.6% of the 16-39 demographic). The season finale was the ratings success, being the highest rating episode of the show and ranking number 1 for the day with 1,995,000 viewers.
The following are some of the ratings achieved from the highest rated episodes. Unless otherwise stated, sources are gathered from OzTAM
OzTAM
OzTAM is an Australian audience measurement research firm that collects and markets television ratings data. It is jointly owned by the Seven Network, the Nine Network and Network Ten, and is the official source of television ratings data for all metropolitan television in Sydney, Melbourne,...
as a primary or secondary source.
| Episode name | Total viewers (Rounded to nearest 1000) |
Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| Season Premiere | 1,170,000 (peaking at 1.45m) | Sunday, 4 February |
| The Weigh-in (#8) | 1,560,000 | Sunday, 1 April |
| Elimination (#9) | 1,319,000 | Monday, 9 April |
| The Weigh-in (#10) | 1,310,000 | Sunday, 15 April |
| Elimination (#10) | 1,302,000 | Monday, 16 April |
| The Final Weigh-in and Elimination | 1,323,000 | Thursday, 19 April |
| The Finale | 1,995,000 | Thursday, 26 April |
External links
Official websitesResources
Contestants