The Biggest Loser Australia (Season 1)
Encyclopedia
The Biggest Loser Australia (season 1) is the first season of The Biggest Loser Australia, which is the Australia
n version of the NBC
reality television
series The Biggest Loser. The first season was first broadcast at 7pm each week night on Network Ten
for 10 weeks from 13 February to 27 April 2006. The eventual winner, as decided by percentage of weight lost, was Adriano "Adro" Sarnelli, who won . The host was announced as Ajay Rochester, who had previously gone through weight loss herself. American trainers Bob Harper
and Jillian Michaels
reprised their roles from the previous American version. Applications closed on 11 November 2005 with over 6,000 Australians having applied to take part.
At the beginning of the season, all contestants were given one 'last meal' of their favourite meals such as steak
, spaghetti
, chocolate
s, lasagna
, lollies, alcohol
, and other items.
At the end of the show, Adro could only manage to yell, "this is unreal", as the stage was invaded by loved ones and eliminated contestants. As Wal shouted 'Young Bull' at the top of his voice and the crowd cheered. On the Sunday night following the finale, 30 April 2006, a special episode of the show aired to reveal Secrets of The Biggest Loser which includes all the diet and nutrition tips which were used as part of the show as well as a behind the scene look at the show itself.
All previously eliminated contestants were also weighed for the chance of the runners-up prize of A$50,000. Wal lost 66.3 kg (37.52%) of his original weight, making him the biggest loser of those eliminated. The remaining contestants achieved the following results:
Final 4
Eliminated contestants
also utilized the same strategy, water loading to gain 7.7 kg (17 lb) in one week and then losing 14.9 kg (32.8 lb) the following week, although unlike Kristie, he did not have immunity, and gained the weight not to lose extra the next week, but to sabotage another player, which, to the dismay of many of his competitors, actually went successfully.
Contestant pages
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n version of the NBC
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...
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 first season was first broadcast at 7pm each week night 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...
for 10 weeks from 13 February to 27 April 2006. The eventual winner, as decided by percentage of weight lost, was Adriano "Adro" Sarnelli, who won . The host was announced as Ajay Rochester, who had previously gone through weight loss herself. 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...
reprised their roles from the previous American version. Applications closed on 11 November 2005 with over 6,000 Australians having applied to take part.
At the beginning of the season, all contestants were given one 'last meal' of their favourite meals such as steak
Steak
A steak is a cut of meat . Most are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers, improving the perceived tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole...
, spaghetti
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water. Italian dried spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but outside of Italy it may be made with other kinds of flour...
, chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
s, lasagna
Lasagna
Lasagna is a wide and flat type of pasta and possibly one of the oldest shapes. As with most other pasta shapes, the word is generally used in its plural form lasagne in Italy and the U.K. Traditionally, the dough was prepared in Southern Italy with semolina and water and in the northern regions,...
, lollies, alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, and other items.
Game variations
- Final 4 at finale: Adro was invited back in a rather odd twist that was seemingly forced into the show after Bob and Jillian complained that it was "unfair" for Adro to be knocked out by Harry, because Harry was allowed to take vitamins in the time that he was out of the house while the contestants inside the house were not allowed to take vitamins.
- Returning contestants: All contestants previously voted out were given the chance to compete against each other to be returned into the game. Tracy declined the opportunity to return and Wal gained weight meaning he had to leave the competition. Harry made the final spot and in turn knocked Adro out of the game with a vote from Kristie and Harry.
- Super Challenge: The several eliminated contestants returned to the show to compete in a "Super Challenge" in which they trekked through 3 km of sand dunes to then make a choice of meals from a table of varied calorie meals. The contestant to choose the lowest three calorie meals would have a chance to be in the final 4. Harry completed the Super Challenge first, and chose the meal second lowest in calories (canned Roma Tomatoes). Jo was second to complete the challenge and chose the lowest calorie meal (Ribena Light), and although coming in last place, Cat chose the third lowest calorie meal (Tuna in Oil). A weigh in decided who was a part of the final 4; Cat lost 0.9 kg, Jo lost 2 kg, Harry lost 10.7 kg which was enough to award his place in the final four contestants.
Team arrangements
- Teams: Contestants were initially divided into two teams of red and blue by their trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. The red team consisted of Adro, David, Jo, Kristie, Shane and Ruth and the blue team consisted of Cat, Artie, Harry, Fiona, Tracy and Wal.
- Pairs: When only eight contestants remained, they were broken into pairs. Wal won the power to decide who would be paired together, which were Artie and Tracy, Fiona and Shane, Adro and Ruth, Wal and Kristie. After one week of pairs, contestants competed individually.
- Final four: The final four contestants were Kristie, Fiona, Harry and Adro
The weigh-in
The following is a list of contestants and their weekly weight losses.| Key: |
| Biggest Loser |
| Immunity |
| Contestant | Start Weight | Start BMI | End BMI | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9/10 | Finale | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADRO | 136.5 | 45.1 | 28.1 | 128.8 | 126.9 | 124.4 | 122.8 | 122.2 | 114.9 | 112.5 | 108.9 | 102.6 | 85.2 | 1st |
| HARRY | 178.9 | 49.6 | 31.2 | 166.7 | 162.6 | 156.8 | 155.5 | 132.4 | 112.7 | 2nd | ||||
| KRISTIE | 104.8 | 39.0 | 24.6 | 95.4 | 94.6 | 92.5 | 90.8 | 90.2 | 85.6 | 91.5 | 83.4 | 80.5 | 66.1 | 3rd |
| FIONA | 101.1 | 33.0 | 23.4 | 94.8 | 94.9 | 92.9 | 91.5 | 94.4 | 86.6 | 86.3 | 87.1 | 81.4 | 71.6 | 4th |
| 154.0 | 53.3 | 34.7 | 145.2 | 140.6 | 136.6 | 131.2 | 133.8 | 127.9 | 122.6 | 119.8 | 100.4 | 5th | ||
| RUTH | 155.2 | 54.3 | 45.8 | 150.4 | 147.9 | 144.5 | 141.5 | 140.5 | 137.2 | 135.5 | Eliminated Wk 7 | 130.9 | 6th | |
| WAL | 176.7 | 46.0 | 28.7 | |161.2 | 157.5 | 150.6 | 150.1 | 145.3 | 140.1 | Eliminated Wk 6 | 110.4 | 7th | ||
| ARTIE | 156.4 | 49.9 | 37.2 | 147.8 | 144.8 | 142.9 | 140.5 | 138.7 | Eliminated Wk 5 (double) | 116.4 | 8th | |||
| TRACY | 109.8 | 35.9 | 28.1 | 103.6 | 101.8 | 100.1 | 98.6 | 98.1 | 86.0 | 9th | ||||
| CAT | 157.8 | 55.3 | 34.4 | 151.0 | 146.6 | 144.2 | Eliminated Wk 3 | 104.1 | 10th | |||||
| JO | 108.0 | 39.7 | 28.2 | 101.8 | 100.7 | Eliminated Wk 2 | 76.7 | 11th | ||||||
| DAVID | 196.7 | 66.5 | 50.3 | 189.3 | Eliminated Wk 1 | 148.8 | 12th | |||||||
Elimination chronology
The order of elimination was: David, Jo, Cat, Harry, Tracey and Artie, Wal, Ruth, Shane, Adro (with Harry and Adro returning to be part of the final four contestants).Finale
The finale was broadcast as a live contestant reunion on 27 April 2006, where the remaining four contestants were weighed to determine the first Australian Biggest Loser. Although commenting "I'm gonna win this", and losing 66.2 kg (37% of his body weight since his first weight-in), Harry lost out to Adro's marginally better 37.58%, who in total lost 51.3 kg. Adro had the highest percentage of weight loss, making him Australia's Biggest Loser for 2006 and the winner of . For Harry's efforts, he won $30,000. Third place went to Kristie, who lost 38.7 kg (36.93% - only 0.07% below Harry and within a percent Adro). She won a total of A$20,000. Coming in fourth was the lightest and youngest contestant, Fiona, who lost 29.5 kg (29.18%) and won A$10,000.At the end of the show, Adro could only manage to yell, "this is unreal", as the stage was invaded by loved ones and eliminated contestants. As Wal shouted 'Young Bull' at the top of his voice and the crowd cheered. On the Sunday night following the finale, 30 April 2006, a special episode of the show aired to reveal Secrets of The Biggest Loser which includes all the diet and nutrition tips which were used as part of the show as well as a behind the scene look at the show itself.
All previously eliminated contestants were also weighed for the chance of the runners-up prize of A$50,000. Wal lost 66.3 kg (37.52%) of his original weight, making him the biggest loser of those eliminated. The remaining contestants achieved the following results:
Final 4
| Contestant | Start Weight (kg) | Finale Weight (kg) | Total loss (kg/%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADRO | 136.5 | 85.2 | 51.3 (37.58%) | 1st place, won |
| HARRY | 178.9 | 112.7 | 66.2 (37.00%) | 2nd place, won |
| KRISTIE | 104.8 | 66.1 | 38.7 (36.93%) | 3rd place, won |
| FIONA | 101.1 | 71.6 | 29.5 (29.18%) | 4th place, won |
Eliminated contestants
| Contestant | Start Weight (kg) | Finale Weight (kg) | Total loss (kg/%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAL | 176.7 | 110.4 | 66.3 (37.52%) |
| SHANE | 154.0 | 100.4 | 53.6 (34.81%) |
| CAT | 157.8 | 104.1 | 53.7 (34.03%) |
| JO | 108.0 | 76.7 | 31.3 (28.98%) |
| ARTIE | 156.4 | 116.4 | 40.0 (25.58%) |
| DAVID | 196.7 | 148.8 | 47.9 (24.35%) |
| TRACY | 109.8 | 86.0 | 23.8 (21.68%) |
| RUTH | 155.2 | 130.9 | 24.3 (15.66%) |
Contestants
(In Order of Elimination)| Contestant | Age | Hometown |
|---|---|---|
| David "The Ox" Hilyander | 33 | 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... |
| "Jo" Cowling | 33 | 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... |
| Catherine "Cat" White | 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.... |
| Tracy Moores | 44 | 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... |
| Arthur "Artie" Rocke | 42 | Hervey Bay, 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... |
| Vladimir "Wal" Milberg | 42 | Townsville, 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... |
| Ruth Almeida de Campos | 28 | Newcastle Newcastle, New South Wales The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas... , 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... |
| Shane Giles | 35 | Ballarat, 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.... |
| Fiona Falkiner | 23 | Geelong, 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.... |
| Kristie Dignam | 33 | Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... , 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... |
| Harry Kantzidis (Runner-up) | 38 | 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.... |
| Adriano "Adro" Sarnelli (Winner) | 26 | Newcastle Newcastle, New South Wales The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas... , 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... |
Controversies
- In the first week of the show, contestant Ruth thought she was pregnant and almost left the show. She tested negative and returned to the competition.
- Trainer Bob Harper was absent for the second week of the show on season 1 after his mother suddenly died of a heart attack.
- At one stage in the game, Kristie, having earned immunity, used water loading to gain 5.9 kg which meant she had a large loss of 8 kg the following week. The water loading technique was then officially banned with a new rule being stated, gaining weight resulted in being at risk of elimination even if immunity was won. This happened before when Shane and Fiona used that technique so they can lose big numbers on their following week, having won immunity in a card playing "temptation" that had no negative outcomes.
- After the contestants were reduced to a final three, one of the evicted guests was given an opportunity to reenter the game. Jillian immediately voiced her opinion that it was unfair and pledged her allegiance to the previous final three. Harry was the contestant that won the right to return and he feuded with Jillian who was still not happy. After Adro was eliminated, Jillian and Bob successfully lobbied to get Adro back on the show citing Harry's "unfair" advantage at being allowed to use vitamins while he was out of the house.
Records
A number of The Biggest Loser records were set during the first week, with contestant Wal losing 15.5 kg (34.2 lb), the most weight lost by any contestant in one week; together with the greatest total weight loss for all contestants with 97.8 kg (215.6 lb); and the Blue team losing the most weight by a single team with 56.4 kg (124.3 lb). Kristie lost the most percentage of body weight in the first week of any show. In later shows, Shane, Fiona and Kristie are the only contestants to gain weight, Shane gaining 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) and Fiona gaining 2.6 kg (5.7 lb), both "Water Loaded" so they could lose more weight the following week. Similarly, a contestant on US season 4The Biggest Loser (Season 4)
The Biggest Loser is the fourth season of the NBC reality television series entitled The Biggest Loser. The fourth season premiered on September 11, 2007 with 18 overweight contestants in a weight loss competition for an ultimate prize of $250,000...
also utilized the same strategy, water loading to gain 7.7 kg (17 lb) in one week and then losing 14.9 kg (32.8 lb) the following week, although unlike Kristie, he did not have immunity, and gained the weight not to lose extra the next week, but to sabotage another player, which, to the dismay of many of his competitors, actually went successfully.
External links
Contestant pages