The Biggest Loser 2: A Preview

Returning this fall is one of the breakout hits of last season, The Biggest Loser 2. No, it’s not a series about Omarosa and Jonathan Baker, but instead focuses on two teams of overweight contestants and their competitive struggles to lose weight and, in the process, regain control of their lives.

The show features entertaining challenges, team dynamics and many inspirational and heartwarming moments as they struggle toward the title of “The Biggest Loser.” The winner of The Biggest Loser 2 will survive frequent temptations and weekly eliminations as they are put through a supervised crash program of weight loss to win a $250,000 prize. However, it’s safe to say that every contestant is a winner if they can take the lessons learned to heart and remain motivated outside the confines of the game to keep that darn weight off!

The series will again be hosted by comedienne Carolyn Rhea, who by the end of last season was starting to get a little more comfortable in the not-as-easy-as-it-seems role of hosting a reality TV show. We can only hope she continues to mature in this role.

Also back are our two trainers, Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. Last year we learned that they had very different styles, yet both achieved remarkable results with their teams. The show will retain a familiar look because it was again be filmed at the same luxurious ranch.

One change for this year is that instead of dividing the participants into teams based on the sum of their weight, teams are being formed solely by gender. Yes, it’s the “men versus women” thing once again – a format I personally think has been done TO DEATH on reality TV in the past few years! I enjoyed the mixed teams of Season 1, and the gender-based sub-alliances that developed anyway. Was it really that hard to tell which team was which, with those gaudy red or blue jumpsuits they wore?

Here’s a quick look at this year’s fourteen contestants – though we’ll get to know them better in the weeks to come.

THE WOMEN (Blue Team):

Andrea Overstreet, 28, Placentia, California

Andrea was thin most of her life until she had two kids and gave up sports. She now sees herself as “the soccer mom.” As a hairdresser, she spends much of her day in front of a mirror – not great for her self-esteem.

Jen Kersey, 24, Des Moines, Iowa

Jen is the youngest of the woman this year. A med student, wife, and mother of two youngsters, Jen never has any “me time” to focus on herself. Currently, her food selections are haphazard and often obtained from a vending machine, instead of more healthy choices.

Kathryn Murphy, 28, Bloomington, Minnesota

As she describes herself as “arrogant,” I expect that Kathryn will get into a few arguments. Because she is an attorney, I expect her to use her intelligence and debating skills win most of them. Unless she can form an early alliance, I further expect her to be resented and have a short stay in the game.

Ryan Kelly, 26, Jefferson City, Tennessee

Preacher’s daughter Ryan is a legal assistant and both she and her police officer husband are active in their church. She’s undertaking this process for her kids, but admits she wants to look and feel better for herself as well. Ryan is very likeable, and if she can post consistent weight-loss numbers, I think she might last a long time in this game.