Interesting news! It turns out the rumours were true and trainer Michelle Bridges will not be part of the next season of The Biggest Loser Australia. And Commando Steve is also not coming back. Officially, they chose not to return, and with a shiny new baby to care for, who could blame them?

Fortunately, Shannan Ponton is returning, and this time he’ll have a brand new opponent/partner – Libby Babet!

Who? The lady on Shannan’s back!

When she’s not riding around on Shannan, Libby is the founder of BUF Girls, “fun, themed fitness experiences you’ll get excited about!” She’s also the founder of AGOGA Bondi, where people “train like an athlete”. And co-founder of Chief Bar, which I thought must be a bar for drinking the alcoholic beverages, but is actually an all-natural protein bar.

She seems to keep herself busy, that’s for sure.

The new subheader for the show, Transformed, also represents a shift towards “more relatable, every day Australians” taking part. Rather than the usual parade of very morbidly obese contestants, the show will focus on people who are “on the slide” towards morbid obesity. The examples given being Mums who’ve been focused on the kids and ex-athletes who’ve started packing it on.

They’re also promising an increased emphasis on nutrition, which was fun for a while the last time they tried it…

And, of course, Fiona Falkiner is returning to host the show again. She did a great job last time, and I’m not just saying that because I am deeply in love with her. I swear.

Applications for the new season are now open at www.thebiggestlosertransformed.com.au, good luck if you throw your name in the hat!