Jillian Michaels is returning to The Biggest Loser again and she'll be bringing some teenagers with her this time.
ADVERTISEMENT
NBC has announced Michaels will be coming back for The Biggest Loser's upcoming fourteenth season, which will premiere in early January, and the new edition will feature a twist in which teenagers will also be part of the cast.
Michaels will be joining returning trainers Bob Harper, whom she has worked alongside on every The Biggest Loser season she has participated in, and Dolvett Quince, who joined the show two seasons ago following her most recent departure.
In addition to the fourteenth-season adult contestants, The Biggest Loser will also be attempting to tackle childhood obesity by featuring a group of teenagers 13-17 years of age for the first time in the show's history.
"As a former overweight teen, I know firsthand how dramatically weight issues can affect every aspect of a child's life," Michaels said in a statement.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Having recently become a mother of two, I am more passionate than ever about helping empower children and families with the information and resources they need to live a healthier life."
Similar to prior The Biggest Loser seasons, the adult contestants will be divided into three teams and trained by Michaels, Harper and Quince. However, each team and trainer will also "be paired with at least one child participant who will compete with and contribute to their respective teams, but the kids will not be eligible for elimination," according to NBC.
Unlike the adult contestants, the teenage participants will also not be secluded on the ranch for the majority of the season, as they will have to take lessons learned on the ranch and apply them at home as well in their normal everyday lives. Their progress and transformation will be featured in each episode.
NBC will reveal additional details regarding celebrity guest stars and surprises as The Biggest Loser's fourteenth-season premiere date nears.
News that Michaels was looking to rejoin the show a second time first surfaced in July when Us Weekly reported she was interested in coming back. Michaels, who had adopted two-year-old Lukensia and two-month-old Phoenix with partner Heidi Rhoades, had joined The Doctors after leaving The Biggest Loser but left the syndicated daytime TV show after only a few short months.
ADVERTISEMENT
"She thought the schedule would be better for starting a family, but it was a bad fit and she left," a source told Us at the time. "She sees the sweet gig she had on Loser!"
Michaels left The Biggest Loser prior to the debut of the series' twelfth season. According to the 38-year-old personal trainer, she planned for the eleventh season in 2011 to be her last due to personal reasons that included starting a family.
Michaels' departure marked her second exit from The Biggest Loser. In 2006, she left the series following the second season due to a dispute about the show's creative direction. While she was replaced by trainer Kim Lyons for the show's third edition, she subsequently returned for its fourth season.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski