Previously on The Biggest Loser Commando Steve and Shannan went to the town of Ararat and scared a few kilograms off the residents. And then they trained a few and probably knocked another few off besides.

Tonight the chosen 14 will weigh in for the very first time in front of their friends and families. A new record for heaviest female will be set, apparently. Mary is fairly tall, I guess, so with all that weight stacked on an already large frame the number could be a little scary.

Also there’s going to be some abseiling down a cliff before they can get to the house? I thought climbing the mountain and working out on top was the entry test?

We start the episode with a beautiful sunrise and some lovely bushland. The trainers have the champions on a bushwalk to their next challenge location. Everyone’s still a little tired and sore after yesterday’s epic workout.
But it’s time to prove they’ve got what it takes to get to the house, Shannan says.

50 metre cliff. All they have to do is jump off the edge, Steve says. On a huge flying fox. So not even abseiling? Bah!

It’s not just a flying fox, it’s one they had custom built for them by an experienced rigging company. The steel wire goes from one clifftop to another clifftop across a valley.

Cam’s not keen. He came down about two and a half storeys when he was younger, banged himself up pretty bad. Shannan asks him if it’s time to get over the fear and Cam says alright, but if he’s going to do it, he’s going to do it first. Would have thought that would be the scariest trip, you don’t know it’ll hold!

Shannan says this is a test to show they’ve got the ticker to keep going, even when they’re wracked with fear. Got to pull it together and finish the task.

Cam was mucking around, fell, broke his wrist and did some internal damage and stuff. Ever since he can’t go anywhere high, not even up a ladder apparently. The kids want to go to a lookout and Cam can’t even get up the first flight of stairs. He knows he’s got to get over it. Make his kids proud. He has three kids. Kaidan? Aisha? Ned? I’m not sure I have those names right.

Cam’s not sure he’ll make it to his son’s 21st or high school, etc. He’s really not that big that he’s in any real danger of dying too soon. He won’t live as long as he should, but it’s not imminent like some of the others.

Time to start being a man, Shannan says. Time to put themselves in the hands of the safety guys. Shannan’s impressed Cam has put his hand up to go first. And he’s shaking like a leaf on the cliff edge, says he feels very ill.

Take a few steps down, little bit further. Whenever he’s ready, he can go.

And with not an instant’s hesitation Cam steps off the edge and sails across. But seems to stop mysteriously? Then is lowered down to the ground? I guess they don’t want them landing hard?

Mary’s up next. Shannan says she’s the biggest female contestant he’s ever seen and it’s quite an achievement just to get up to the cliff face. She’s bang up for doing the flying fox though. Never done anything like it before and she doesn’t consider herself brave or adventurous at all. Mary says she usually does “sitting down things” for fun. Knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking.

Mary’s main concern is have they actually made it secure enough for her weight. But they get her down to the launch zone… and she freezes. For a long time. But eventually she shuffles off, bumps her bum on the way down and then screams cowabunga on the way down. When she hits the midpoint she calls out to Shannan that she’s ripped out the bottom of her pants. Shannan chuckles and says he’s not sure Australia’s ready for that yet, we’ve only just met! Steve’s on the valley floor chuckling and asks her how she’s feeling. Mary replies she’s feeling cold on her arse!

Shannan’s looking forward to getting her back to Camp Biggest Loser and bring out the happiness inside her.

Shannan says physical strength pales next to mental strengthm give him courage any day.

At one point two champions go down together but we don’t hear why?

Anyway, they all manage to complete the flying fox and get back on the bus. Shannan’s chuffed they’ve all come so far already and he’s happy with the champions Ararat has given them.

On the bus on the way back to wherever Mary gets her ripped pants out and the hole is a heart shape.

They’re all wondering what they’ll have to face next. Caitlin is hoping to not be speaking in front of anyone. Cam just wants a shower because they’re all stinky!

They’re at some kind of hall. A hall that will be full of their family, friends, their townmates. They’ll be there for support as they all weigh in for the very first time. Mary’s feeling a little daunted, as is everyone else. Going to be a tough experience, no doubt.

Everyone goes backstage to find crop tops and loose singlets. Sharon’s not thrilled, saying she doesn’t even show her husband what’s under her clothes normally.

That’s weeeeird. No nakie fun times?

The girls are worried about everyone finding out how much they weigh.

Cam says there’ll be people in the crowd who weigh more than any of them and they’ve been handpicked to inspire them. Beardyman says they’re going to be a big inspiration, coming back 40kg or more lighter. And hopefully he’s right!

The crowd has arrived, doesn’t fill out all the seats, slightly less embarassing than it could have been. Everyone’s cheering them on and Mary says it’s very reassuring having all those people there encouraging them.

Steve says that over the years they’ve become experts at hiding the weight from themselves and their loved ones. No more hiding. It’s going to be confronting, Shannan says, but it will be empowering. He knows it takes a lot of courage to get up there and weigh in, they know if they can do this they can do anything.

Katrina’s first to weigh in. She’s very nervous, as you might expect!

Katrina’s Start Weight: 131.1kg

Gary, her husband, is in the audience and looks upset too. Katrina manages to read her weight out without crying though. That’s a start!
She was very nervous, she doesn’t share her weight with anyone else. Not even Gary, especially not him. She wants him to have a wife he’s proud of, and he can’t be proud of her right now. She feels disgusted with herself. She’s always been the fat Mum at the school gate, she doesn’t want to say it but she thinks her boys would be ashamed of her. One son shakes his head, the other doesn’t!

She last felt good about herself when she got married. Shannan asks how long ago was that and Katrina says that’s a test for Gary, not for her. Crowd laughs and claps. 23 years ago, apparently. Time to turn it around, Shannan says.

Katrina tells Gary she’s taking this twelve weeks to be selfish and look after herself. Sorry, but when she comes back they’ll be a dynamic duo.

Cal’s next to weigh in. His wife and baby son are in the crowd, I think?

Cal’s Start Weight: 131.6kg

Only 500 grams more than Katrina. Surprising, he’s taller. His little fella wants to get up on the stage with his Daddy. AWWW. Mum tries to hold him back but Steve’s like, nahhh, get him up here. The little fella runs up the stairs, Shannan tries to corral him but he runs around the back of the lectern and to his Dad. Up into the arms for hugs and giggles. Little fella pats his Dad’s chest and Cal says, “Yeah, that’s my boob mate.” Hah!
But his kid is why he’s doing it. He needs a Dad.

Caitlin’s next. She weighs in quick!

Caitlin’s Start Weight: 134.4kg

She’s only 17 and she’s disgusted by it, she says. She avoids her friends, takes a backseat in life, doesn’t have a boyfriend because who’d love her, she wonders.

Next is Matt.

Matt’s Start Weight: 122.8kg

He knows change has to happen. He wants to have kids with his fiance and they can’t do it at the weight they’re at. He wants to go lose the weight, come back and help her lose the weight, go get married, go on a cruise, come back and work on having some kids.

Natalie’s next.

Natalie’s Start Weight: 117.6kg

Natalie knows her weight is not good. She’s holding back the tears but not for long! She’s had a lot of things happen in her life that have brought her to that, she says. I’d imagine a lot of those things are eating too much.

In 2001, when she was 21, she got cancer in her thyroid and ever since then she’s had trouble controlling her weight. She knows she’s not the only one to have faced that, but it’s been hard.

After she recovered from cancer she met her now-husband and by the time they got back from the honeymoon little Jackie was on the way. Shannan tells Matt that that’s how you make the babies, don’t wait till you get home!
Jackie’s got some problems of her own. She wants to make sure Jackie gets the help she needs so she can have a healthy life but Shannan says the important bit is getting herself healthy so she can be there for Jackie.

Sharon’s Start Weight 109.8kg

When she comes back to Ararat she wants everyone to see a sexy mama. Okay.

Shannon’s Start Weight: 97.2kg

She’s not a good role model for her kids, she says. She’s giving them the life she wants for them but she’s not in it with them.

Toni’s Start Weight: 124.2kg

Kerry’s Start Weight: 141.6kg

Oh, Kerry and Toni are a couple. That must be why they did the flying fox together. They’re the only couple they’re taking and Shannan whispers loudly to the crowd that he’s never seen a couple more in love after seventeen and a half years. Awww!

Jane’s Start Weight: 121.7kg

Jane’s in tears on the stage. Her family has become her whole life, she’d do anything for them, but she needs to do this for herself. She doesn’t want them to hate her for it and one calls out they’d never hate her.

Rodger’s Start Weight: 125.6kg

He’s carrying so much weight around his gut, not so much on his arms, which is about as bad a sign as you can get! He knows he doesn’t get enough exercise. He does take the dog for walks though. And by that he means he takes the dog out into the bush, lets it off the lead for a run, gets back in the ute! There’s also footage of him leading the dog beside his ute as he drives along, which has to be an incredibly bad idea if ever there was one.

Anyway, supermarket manager Cameron is next!

Cameron’s Start Weight: 146.4kg

Cam says that’s only how much he weighs at the moment. It’ll be the last time he weighs 146kg. He runs the local supermarket, staff look up to him, his kids look up to him. His family means everything to him. Awww! Tears from the big fella! Time to suck it up and be a man, he says.

Craig’s next. He’s probably the biggest of the men, I’d say. He’s a bit scared.

Craig’s Start Weight: 183.4kg

Lots of friends and family there for him, he’s not wanted to admit how big he’s gotten. He was engaged to be married but it fell through. So he gave up on life, just goes to the pub and eats and drinks. Last to leave most of the time. Life’s tough at that size. He says kids point and laugh at him in the supermarket. Really? Because by the looks of it you’re far from the biggest in the town!
His nephews and nieces mean the world to him. He wants to lose the weight and get his self confidence back so he might meet someone, have some kids of his own because they bring him so much joy. He promises his family that when he comes back in three months time they hopefully won’t recognise him.

Next to weigh in is Mary. She’s worried about revealing her actual weight to everyone.

Mary’s Start Weight: 181.5kg

Then Commando Steve drops the bomb that she’s the heaviest female contestant in Biggest Loser history. What’s life like for her? She says it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. She has to hold the wall to keep herself upright when she first gets up in the morning. It’s hard to clean herself in the shower because it’s a lot of weight to have on her feet. She drags herself to work and puts on her best face. Then drags herself home and screams at her husband because she’s so tired.
They’ve recently moved into her Mum and Dad’s old house, they’re renovating the house she grew up in. They’ve put ramps into the house in case she ends up in a wheelchair. They’ve had to put a bar beside the toilet so she can get back up again. And all this before she’s 50, she says.
She’s tried dieting before and she says you do that on your own in case you fail, because you know you’re going to fail, of course you’re going to fail because you don’t have the support. But now she has all the other champions there to back her up and all the townsfolk to support her, so she won’t fail, she won’t have any excuses. Standing ovation from the crowd.

Commando Steve says he’s behind her, too. But she’s got to meet them half way and Mary says she’ll meet him more than half way. Go Mary go!

The competition has started but so has Ararat’s journey. They need to lose 26,000kg to lose the fattest town tag, but they can turn it around and become one of the fittest.

The champs get a standing ovation on the way out. Lots of excitement!

An ad during this interminable ad break told me I should try and drink 8-10 glasses of fluid a day. What sort of fluid? How big should the glasses be? What if I don’t have time for that much pee?

Anyway, time for everyone to hope on the train to Sydney. Lots of tearful goodbyes on the train platform. Trains are the worst for that. You can keep hugging and kissing right up till the doors are about to close. It’s not like an airplane where you have to say goodbye at a gate and then run for the plane!

That’s going to be a loooong train trip. But they arrive, finally and Steve and Shannan are already there waiting. How’d they beat them, did they catch a plane? Hah!

Everyone’s very excited to be in Sydney, most haven’t been before. Official Biggest Loser business starts now, Shannan says.

They take a stroll to the Sydney Opera House steps where Hayley’s waiting to greet them.

WHERE THE FUCK IS MICHELLE? Ahem.

Hayley’s setting them a challenge before they even get to the house. The challenge is called “The Punisher”. Oh dear. I’ve seen that guy, he kills bad guys!

The last two pairs to finish today’s task will be facing elimination tonight. Before they even get inside the house. Ouch!

Next time, aka Sunday 6.30pm… 10,000 steps. Up and down the stairs out front of the Opera House and Mr Voiceover Man is trying to wind us up by suggesting one person won’t even make it to the house.

And then DRAMATIC MUSIC. “WHERE IS MICHELLE?” And a ladyvoiceover lady says the answers are coming.

Yeah, I don’t belieeeeeeeve you.

Guesses, people? I think maybe she’ll be taking the eliminees off for secret training to come back later. Like ninjas, only not Tiffiny’s ninjas, Mish’s ninjas.

I just want there to be ninjas, okay?