Last month, NBC announced that the fourth season of The Biggest Loser will begin airing on Tuesday, September 11 at 8pm ET. Originally, the network intended to premiere the new season of the reality series in the late summer. NBC even announced in April that the show’s fourth season would begin on Tuesday, August 21 at 8pm ET. The recent scheduling change marks the second time in the last three years that NBC decided to delay the show’s return until fall.
In 2005, the network announced that the second season of The Biggest Loser would premiere in August. However, NBC changed its mind a month later and decided to move the premiere date to mid-September.
Since the reality series debuted in 2004, comedienne Caroline Rhea served as the host. However, in February, it was reported that Rhea would be replaced by Days of Our Lives star Allison Sweeney for the upcoming season. A spokesperson for the network told the Daily Variety that the comedienne decided to leave the show “to pursue other interests.”
“Alison is an incredible talent and will bring not only a great fresh face to the show but a huge, loyal fan base,” Executive Producer and Reveille CEO Ben Silverman said of the new host. “We are thrilled and look forward to another strong season.”
Other major changes that have been made for the show’s upcoming season include a new “back to basics” concept that will remove the show from The Biggest Loser ranch and the return of personal trainer Jillian Michaels. The 33-year-old Los Angeles native left the show after the second season, citing the same reason as Rhea.
NBC has claimed that her return to the show will be accompanied by a “surprising new twist.” However, Michaels’ official website recently posted a message revealing what the fourth season’s twist is.
“Jillian returns to The Biggest Loser! Jillian… [is] coming back as a surprise trainer to whip a secret third group of contestants into the best shape of their lives,” the message said.
Michaels also recently wrote a letter to her fans, saying, “OK, you guessed it (or at least most of you did)… yes, I am returning to The Biggest Loser! That’s right, this year there will be three teams — Bob’s, Kim’s, and mine — taking part in the competition. I’ve been alluding to this for awhile now, but the master plan was in the works at NBC for over a year. This has been the most difficult secret I have ever kept… I am SO stoked to finally share the news with all of you.”
-Lisa CLaustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: realitytvworld.com
(Image Courtesy of NBC)
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
