‘The Biggest Loser’ to Return with New Host

In a recent press release, NBC revealed that Caroline Rhea will not be returning to host the fourth edition of hit reality show, The Biggest Loser. This is contrary to an earlier release that indicated Rhea would be returning.

Many former contestants speak well of Caroline and the way she kept it light for them off camera, and she will be missed. With Caroline leaving this show and William Shatner’s Show Me The Money biting the dust, Howie Mandel and Alex Trebek are now the only Canadians still hosting major game shows on U.S. television.

At the same time NBC announced the new host of The Biggest Loser… and it’s Alison Sweeney! Alison will be well known to some for her role as bad-girl “Sami Brady” on the popular soap, Days Of Our Lives.

Alison will continue her role Days Of Our Lives, for which she has won several awards since she began performing it in 1993. She will “merely” add The Biggest Loser to her workload, a prospect she describes in her blog by saying, “It’s going to be a pretty hectic schedule for me this spring!”

Some of you may have caught Alison in full panic on the second celebrity edition of Fear Factor after a stunt involving a creature-filled “coffin.” But she gutted it out, finishing second overall and winning $10,000 for her charity.

Alison personally struggled with her weight in the 1990s and discussed it in her 2004 book, All The Days of My Life (So Far). She currently stays slim by chasing after Ben, her two-year-old, and also working out as often as her busy schedule allows.

The Biggest Loser 4 will begin taping this spring, and I expect it will air in the September-to-December timeframe. So, we’ll have to wait a while to see how Alison’s approach to her new duties plays out on the show.

Changing topics for a second… have you wondered what the trainers do in the off-season? Right now, Bob and former-trainer Jillian are wrapping up a month-long stint on the Aussie version of The Biggest Loser. They do an innovative version of the show, with several episodes a week. They used the “returning player” twist before it was used in the American version!

Brian lives in Toronto where he can be reached at uncle_bto@rogers.com. He likes to hear your opinions and promises to respond to all serious email!

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