9 Biggest Losers Sent Packing, Blogosphere is Ranting

by Bev Sklar (Subscribe to Bev Sklar's posts)
Jan 10th 2009 6:00PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Motivation

At the end of last Tuesday's premiere of NBC's The Biggest Loser Couples, nine contestants were sent packing. Eliminated. Goodbye. They arranged their personal and professional lives for an extended stay at the weight loss ranch, then nearly half the contestants were told to go home Week 1. A twist on a twist -- if their partners are still at the ranch in a month, they will get to return.

NBC's Biggest Loser Couples message board is mostly ranting, not raving. Just as viewers didn't like the dirty gaming of Vicky, Heba and Ed last season, they weren't happy watching nine head home after only one week of salads and sweat, even if over half will return. Here are a few sample Rants and Raves:

RANTS

"That is the cruelest thing they have ever done on this show."
"Why call it Biggest Loser Couples if you're going to send nine people home the first night?"
"So sad a good show is ruined ... that's not fair."
"Deeply cruel."
"I don't mind twists, but not this early."
"Way to wreck a good show!!"

RAVES

"I find the show very inspirational despite the contrived drama."
"What is the big deal here? I just don't understand how people can be so flabbergasted when this has happened before [Season 3], and it has been proven how well people can do [lose weight] at home."

Hmm ... same ol', same ol' doesn't sell on reality TV, but was this producer strategy cruel, genius or both? Weigh in your Rants or Raves in the poll below. See you next week, I'm still watching.

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Comments (5)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Betty 1-10-2009 @ 9:12PM

How cruel~~the the trainers and everyone else recognize the fact, that this is the heaviest group of people they have ever had, with the most medical problems of any other season, and much medication, and what do they do they send half of them home and tell them to do it on their own. It appears obvious to me that these people are begging for help, and would not humiliate themselves by showing their weight on national television if they could do it on their own~~this is senseless and cruel ~~ they should be ashamed of themselves for this

Tony 1-10-2009 @ 10:06PM

I thought this was incredibly cruel. However after thinking about what they did I realize it was a very good twist for the show. What better way to motivate these people than to put their teammate's chances at risk. They will work harder and better than any contestant has ever done on this show. Or maybe not. Time will tell.

therockes 1-10-2009 @ 10:49PM

Cruel: yes to the people involved in the show. I would be pissed and crushed. Genius: yes for the producers who will generate a whole new audience based on such controversy. That's Hollywood, folks. Sacrifice the individual for the $$$.

DD 1-11-2009 @ 1:29AM

I've been wondering why they would do this and all I can think of maybe a lot them were wanting to quit or leave and instead the producers came up with this idea and asked them to wait till the weigh in and then they could decide but then the producer gave them an out with the twist... Because it doesn't make sense to have a couple season with 9 people couples on week 2. What do you think?

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