Bryan Washington the twelfth contestant cut from 'The Biggest Loser 4'

Bryan Washington was the last remaining member of the Red Team before his status as a weight-loss threat caught-up with him, causing the 29-year-old from Riverdale, GA to become the twelfth contestant cut from The Biggest Loser's fourth season during last night's broadcast of the NBC reality competition series.


"When I got here I weighed 346-pounds.  Right now, I weigh 266-pounds," said an emotional Bryan following his ouster.  "I changed my life in three months.  I want everybody to know that I gave it my all.  I laid it on the line hard.  I'm proud that I never quit, and I'm not quitting on this.  Overall, The Biggest Loser experience for me has just been great and I couldn't ask for anything more."

The Biggest Loser 4's twelfth episode began with the seven remaining contestants meeting host Alison Sweeney in the gym, and she revealed that the next Reward Challenge was voted on by fans via NBC's website.  The four challenges fans could vote on were the 74 flight stair-climb from Season 1; the never-ending jump rope from Season 2; the pole-over-water from Season 2; and the endless escalator climb from Season 3.  All the contestants then trained, unaware which challenge viewers had voted for.

The contestants then met Alison at a swimming pool with poles suspended above it, and she revealed the pole-over-water challenge received the most viewer votes.  The challenge required each of the contestants to hold onto a pole suspended above a pool for as long as possible.  The contestant who held on the longest would receive an all-inclusive vacation for four to Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf's all-season resort in Idaho.

Isabeau Miller, a 21-year-old from Franklin, TN, was the first to lose her grip on the pole and fall in the water, and she was followed by Neil Tejwani, a 25-year-old from Marblehead, MA; Nicole Michalik, a 26-year-old from Philadelphia, PA; Bryan; and Hollie Self, a 28-year-old from Phoenix, AZ.


Bill Germanakos, a 40-year-old from Long Island, NY, and Julie Hadden, a 34-year-old from Jacksonville, FL, were the two contestants left in the challenge.  Bill tried to trash talk Julie, and was promptly heckled by the previously eliminated contestants who were watching from the sidelines.  Julie eventually fell in the water and Bill won reward, adding the vacation to his already impressive list of prizes that includes $5,000 and a new car.

"What makes this prize so great -- and what makes me so happy -- is this is the vacation I promised my kids," said Bill.  "And this year, I'm going to ski with them.  This is just going to make them so happy... It really is."

All of the contestants then frolicked in the pool.  Obviously oblivious to the numerous signs posted that warned against diving into shallow water, Nicole still dove headfirst into the shallow end of the pool.  She scraped her chin and chipped her front teeth.

"Right now, we could kick a field goal threw it," joked Bryan.

Back at The Biggest Loser campus, Neil had to explain to Blue Team trainer Bob Harper that Nicole had chipped her tooth and was currently at the dentist.  While Bob was upset it was cutting into Nicole's training time, he couldn't help but crack a joke when Neil showed him a picture highlighting the gap in her smile.


"She looks like some of my relatives back in Tennessee," commented Bob.

Nicole then returned to the campus.

"So I had to go to the dentist today.  I was there for about four-and-a-half hours," explained Nicole.  "They gave me temporary teeth."

The seven remaining contestants then met Dr. Jennifer Kerns -- a The Biggest Loser third-season contestant -- as well as Dr. Robert Huizenga, who went over the progress being made by the fourth-season finalists from the start of the competition.

It was then time for the last-chance workouts, where Bob pushed Nicole extra hard because of the time she lost earlier in the week.  Bob thought Nicole was "flying under the radar" and wasn't being perceived as a threat by the other contestants. 


Hollie was having trouble with Black Team trainer Jillian Michaels.  Hollie said she was having "stress-level issues" due to ankle problems she was experiencing, and she thought Jillian took that as meaning she couldn't workout as hard.  Bryan played some basketball with Red Team trainer Kim Lyons.

The Biggest Loser 4's twelfth weigh-in commenced.  The two contestants with the lowest percentage of weight-loss would find themselves below the yellow line and be up for elimination.

"I just don't want to be below the yellow line," said Bryan.  "That's all.  That's the name of the game right now.  You've got two weeks to stay above the yellow line... It definitely would change my life to be in the finals."

Bryan started the week at 270 and lost four pounds for a 1.48% weight-loss percentage.

"It's not as high as I was hoping for this week," opined Bryan.  "I worked hard... I don't know what to say.  I hope it's enough to stay above [the yellow line]."


Isabeau started the week at 234 and lost four pounds for a 1.71% weight-loss percentage; Bill began at 228 and shed six pounds for a 2.63% weight-loss percentage; Nicole started at 218 and dropped six pounds for a 2.75% weight-loss percentage; Hollie began at 204 and lost three pounds for a 1.47% weight-loss percentage; Julie started at 176 and dropped five pounds for a 2.84% weight-loss percentage; and Neil started at 303 and lost five pounds for a 1.65% weight-loss percentage.

Hollie and Bryan were the two contestants with the lowest percentage of weight-loss, and thus would be up for elimination.

"Now that I know it's Hollie and I below the yellow line, I'll talk to everyone in the house and see what's going on," said Bryan.  "But because I think everyone perceives me as the bigger threat between the two of us, it's definitely a huge possibility I'll be going home tomorrow."

Bryan also wasn't relishing the opportunity of telling Kim that her last remaining Red Team member could be going home.

"It's not anything that I'm looking forward to, especially knowing how hard both of us worked," he said.  "So to have to break that information to her is definitely going to be tough.  If I'm eliminated, I don't know what's going to happen to Kim.  We're the last two."


Since Hollie is an original Black Team member along with Bill, Julie and Isabeau, Bryan was aware that the majority of the votes wouldn't be on his side.  However he still lobbied for himself and tried to downplay his standing as a threat.  But then he basically said his goodbyes to everyone before going upstairs to pack, sensing the end of his time on campus was near.

The tough part then came as Bryan had to tell Kim he was up for elimination.

"Oh God... What a nightmare," said Kim.  "I can't believe you're below the yellow line.  I cannot believe it... I mean it's not good.  It's not good at all.  Obviously everyone here is going to see you as the bigger threat."

"Yeah," replied Bryan, "With the Black Team having the majority vote..."

"Yeah," answered Kim.  "We're screwed."

Bryan gushed that Kim helped him put "actual weight loss into real life."  He had a hard time expressing how grateful he was for her help.


"I definitely have a new lease on life," he said.  "I'm at the start of being a new person."

The contestants then gathered for the elimination ceremony -- and while Neil voted to boot Hollie -- Isabeau, Bill and Julie all voted to oust Bryan, who was the last Red Team member eliminated from the competition.

"Yeah, that's the one thing that does sting a little bit," said Bryan.  "That I played a part in The Biggest Loser history that wasn't good... One team being totally eliminated or extinct from the game.  I fought as hard as I could I think to keep it right here, but it just wasn't in the cards.  For everyone who's been on the Red Team from years passed, I apologize..."

The Biggest Loser 4's next episode will air Tuesday, December 4 at 8PM ET/PT on NBC.






About The Author: Christopher Rocchio