Archive for January, 2012

In what I can only assume is a display of disinterest in the “looking for lurve” angle the show has taken this year, the ratings for the debut episode of The Biggest Loser Australia are well down on last year.

Last year the show opened with an audience of 1.42 million. This year a mere 897,000 tuned in.

For those aged 16 to 39 the show lost almost half its audience, going from 646,000 viewers in 2011 to 334,000 last night. Among those aged 25 to 54 it went from 879,000 in 2011 to 485,000.

(Source: News.com.au )

Not great news for the show, though not disastrous enough to justify canning it just yet. Channel 10 will be hoping the prospect of some in-house romance and a proven formula is enough to keep folks in the Biggest Loser camp, rather than swapping over to Channel 9’s Excess Baggage next week.

Time will tell.

Australia’s one of the fattest nations on Earth, Shannan, Michelle, Commando and Tiffiny tell us.
And it’s costing us a lot of money and costing some a chance at happiness and love and you can expect a lot more of that as the series goes on!

But first a short montage of past seasons… followed by the announcement that this year, instead of couples or families we’re back to singles.

GOT IT? SINGLE FATTIES. LOOKING FOR LURVE. And not the temporary fix of a tub of ice cream and a chick flick!

Lots of shots of the various contestants facing themselves in their underpants-clad reflections in the mirror. And tears about nobody wanting to be with someone so fat.

Sixteen unattached Australians getting pushed by the country’s toughest trainers. All four of the trainers are looking even more ripped than ever. Michelle, in particular, has abs you could bounce a sammich off!

And, of course, the challenges and Temptations to push them to the breaking point – and beyond. One of Tiffiny’s charges throws in the towel at one point during a workout.

Biggest Brother Loser! Yes, they’ve gone ahead and installed spy cameras and microphones all over Camp to catch the sneaky binge eating and the friendships forming… and the early stages of courtship! Awww, chubby love!

But of course it’ll all come down to the weight lost each week as measured by the Scales of Doom.

Tonight! The competition begins with the trainers heading to the four corners of Australia to pick up their new team members. Meeting them at home or at their jobs or even at a restaurant!
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One of the young guns in Shannan’s team this year will set a new record for the heaviest contestant ever to appear on the show.

For those who’d rather wait to find out the magnitude during the show, you should stop reading here.

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Those who were around two years ago might remember the announcement before the show aired that one contestant would be effectively erased from existence due to criminal charges being laid in relation to child pornography offences.

Nothing quite so salacious this year, but in the news today is a story regarding one contestant’s eviction from the show due to an overindulgence in alcohol.

News.com.au aren’t saying who, but do reveal it will be one of the male contestants, presumably meaning it will be one of Shannan or The Commando’s charges, barring any team swapping shenanigans.

So, get your bets in now – will it be one of Shannan’s young guns or one of Commando’s old bull brigade? My money’s on one of Shannan’s team!

(Thanks to @wittle_puppy on the Twitters. Send me tips on Twitter – @mythor )

Time to get familiar with another set of names and faces – Season 7’s Contestant pages are now up.

Some quick highlights:

Another “world’s heaviest contestant” this year in the form of Ryan, who looks to be smuggling his own tire into Camp, though he’s not even on Commando Steve’s team.

A first, at least for Australian Biggest Loser, is the inclusion of someone with a disability – Selena is deaf! It’s not clear whether she is profoundly (completely) deaf or whether it’s a partial hearing loss, but being on the “I AM A WARRIOR” team could be interesting. She’s overcome some diversity in her life but she may not be able to hear Tiffiny’s motivational shouting!

“Token Homosexual” will this year be played by Margie, who has played three kinds of football, representing her state in two of them. She also looks just like you’d imagine a mid-30s morbidly obese lesbian footballer would look. Which surely played no part in her selection as a contestant!

Cheesiest quote: “I’m single and ready to mingle” – Lisa. You don’t need to lose weight to get a date, you just have to stop using lines like that!

Elder Statesman: Alex at a (relatively) sprightly 50. In a shocking turn of events he’s most inspired by previous contestant Bob. Though he’s far from alone in citing Bob as a big motivator.

Contestant most likely to be the stupidest: Lydia. Who puts Chris down as their inspirational role model person? Stupid people. That’s who.

And of course my tips on who’ll be the hottest for finale!

For the menfolk: A close race between the budding musician James and the chubbybubby Hamish. It’s hard to tell what’s under the flab with Hamish but he’s young and a bit of weightloss might move him from flabby to just cutely chubby. And James is already not too awful to look at and has the added appeal of being a muso, something the ladies seem to like.

For the ladies: Rebekah. Not even a fair race, she’s already looking pretty fine. Though she’ll need to give up the cigarettes if she hopes to find love with anything but another ashtray.

And who’s going to win? You know what, I’m going bold this year.

Margie will win The Biggest Loser Australia 2012. You heard it here first!