NBC has revealed the identities of the eleven teams of two who will be competing on The Biggest Loser: Couples, the seventh season of the reality weight-loss series scheduled to premiere Tuesday, January 6 at 8PM ET/PT.
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Similar to last winter's The Biggest Loser: Couples edition and this fall's The Biggest Loser: Families edition, the season will begin with the team members initially competing and be eliminated together before later switching to individual gameplay.
The eleven teams will feature several "The Biggest Loser firsts," including a pair of 63-year-old grandparents that will be the series' oldest contestants ever, an 18-year-old man that will be the series' youngest male contestant ever, a 379-pound woman that will be the series' heaviest female contestant ever, and a 454-pound man that will be the series' heaviest contestant ever.
Although the season is being billed as a Couples edition -- which requires that, similar to CBS' The Amazing Race, the contestants have a pre-existing relationship of some type with their teammate -- most of the teams could also just have easily competed on this fall's Families edition, which required the contestants to compete with another family member.
Seven of the eleven teams are comprised of family members. Two of the teams are comprised of cousins, while two more are mother and daughter teams and another is a father and son team. In addition, the contestants also include a husband and wife grandparents team and a team of sisters.
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Three teams of friends and an engaged couple comprise the season's four remaining teams.
The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney and trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper all returned for The Biggest Loser: Couples' second edition, which was filmed this fall.
The eleven teams competing on The Biggest Loser: Couples -- as well as their NBC-supplied bios -- are:
- Carla Triplett, a 36-year-old assistant bank manager, and her best friend Joelle Gwynn, a 41-year-old non-profit founder, who are from Southfield, MI.
- Daniel Wright, a 19-year-old student from Willow Spring, NC, and his best friend David Lee, a 23-year-old student from Fuquay-Varina, NC.
- Sione Fa, a 28-year-old landscape company owner from Maricopa, AZ, and his cousin Filipe Fam, a 26-year-old lube technician from Mesa, AZ.
- Blaine Cotter, a 27-year-old college counselor from Gilbert, AZ, and his cousin Dane Patterson, a 27-year-old real estate appraiser from Mesa, AZ.
- Damien Gurganious, a 31-year-old industrial designer, and his fiancee Nicole Brewer, a 37-year-old wardrobe stylist, who are from Brooklyn, NY.
- Tara Costa, a 23-year-old finance manager and former model from New York, NY, and her friend Laura Denoux, a 24-year-old sales director and former model from Miami, FL.
- Ron Morelli, a 54-yeaar-old city councilman and retired food distributor, and his son Mike Morelli, an 18-year-old student, who are from South Lyon, MI.
- Estella Hayes, a 63-year-old retired nurse, and her husband Gerald "Jerry" Hayes, a 63-year-old retired engineer, who are from Wheaton, IL.
- Helen Phillips, 47-year-old retired retail manager from Sterling Heights, MI, and her daughter Shanon Thomas, a 29-year-old massage therapist from Centerline, MI.
- Cathy Skell, a 48-year-old title sales closing agent from Shiocton, WI, and her daughter Kristin Steede, a 28-year-old business owner from Greenville, WI.
- Amanda Kramer, a 30-year-old cosmetologist from Boise, ID, and her sister Aubrey Cheney, a 28-year-old information and education specialist from Gooding, ID.
About The Author: Steven Rogers