'The Biggest Loser: Couples' cuts Austin Andrews, determines final 4

The Biggest Loser: Couples eliminated Austin Andrews, a 21-year-old radio board operator from Pasadena, CA, and determined its final four contestants during Tuesday night's broadcast of the NBC reality weight-loss competition.


Austin became the nineteenth contestant ousted from the competition's eleventh season after he finished with the lowest weight-loss percentage at the nineteenth week's weigh-in, which featured the five remaining contestants weighing-in individually, and was subsequently voted off by the rest of the season's cast.

"It is incredible to realize I've lost 161 pounds. That's an entire man. That is an entire normal-sized man and I lost him and I was carrying him around on my back. That was my life since I was like 12-13. My journey started with the recognition, 'I aint a man and I gotta get there somehow.' Not that I'm all done growing up -- not that I'm finished and everything's good -- but I have come so far," Austin said following his ouster. 

The Biggest Loser's nineteenth eleventh-season episode began following a game-changing twist in the competition, which revealed a non-elimination weigh-in where contestants Jay Jacobs, a 53-year-old entrepreneur from West Orange, NJ, and Hannah Curlee, a 32-year-old human resources representative from Nashville, TN, were both saved despite falling below the yellow weigh-in line.

The next day, the contestants met with The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney and learned it would be "final exams week." Alison then explained veteran trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper and new trainers Brett Hoebel and Cara Castronuova would be giving each of the five contestants a grade from 1-100 based on their performance in four unique tasks: "spinning with Bob," "motivating with Jillian," "boxing with Cara," and "health and wellness quiz with Brett."


The winner would be announced after the last test was completed, and the contestant to receive the best grade overall would win $10,000.

The contestants were first required to teach Bob how to ride a spin bike. Irene Alvarado, a 26-year-old student from Portland, OR, received 72 points for her exercise lesson, while Olivia Ward, a 35-year-old opera singer and plastic surgery office manager from New York, NY, earned 100 points after Bob thought her lesson was "perfection."

Jay received only 58 points because Bob said he left out all the safety features of and instructions for the bike, while Austin received 95 points and Hannah did a fantastic job and earned 100 points.

They then met with Brett and underwent a series of quizzes, in which the contestants had to answer trivia questions about food, exercise and health. Brett emphasized the science behind the training. Hannah scored a 77, Irene received 80 points, Olivia earned 83 points, Jay managed to grab 88 points, and Austin received 82 points.

It was Cara's turn next to test the contestants. She took them through some boxing matches and Irene received 70 points, Olivia earned a perfect 100 points again, Jay scored 95 points, Austin received 95 points as well, and Hannah scored a 92.


Jillian then worked with the contestants in attempt to make them open up to her and do the actually motivating, instead of relying on the motivation of their trainers. Hannah received 90 points, Irene earned 85 points, Jay scored a 90, Austin earned 85 points, and Olivia scored 89 points.

The five remaining contestants then met with Alison again and learned they would be competing in the week's final test, getting them one step closer to the $10,000. Alison explained they would be playing The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout on Connect for Microsoft Xbox 360 -- a game that would feature the five of them as animated characters.

The game consisted of four exercises, or four rounds, of which the contestants were required to match the movements of each exercise. The contestant to match the form of their animated character in the game the best throughout all the rounds would receive 100 points towards their total, while the person to finish in second place would receive 90 points, the contestant to capture third place would gain 80 points, and so on.

Hannah won the competition and earned 100 more points. Alison then tallied up all the contestants' scores and announced the winner of the "final exams week" challenge. Olivia came in first place as she had the highest points out of 500 possible points, while Hannah came in second and landed only three points behind her.

Following Hannah was Austin, Irene and Jay based on the total number of points they had received. As the winner, Olivia won the $10,000 and an Xbox360 with Connect system that came with The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout game.


The contestants then worked out with all four trainers in the hopes of making it to the final four.

Afterward, the five contestants met with Alison and learned they would be competing in the finals week challenge. Alison explained they would be given 100 sandbags and must carry and use them while climbing up a series of steps. They were required to stack 25 bags before advancing to the next step, and the first player to get to the top of the steps and hit the buzzer would win a one-pound advantage at the subsequent weigh-in.

Austin won the challenge and received the one-pound advantage, and then the contestants participated in their last chance workouts with a little tag-teaming involved amongst the trainers.

Later on, The Biggest Loser: Couples' eighteenth elimination weigh-in commenced. Alison explained that the two individuals with the lowest weight-loss percentages would fall below the yellow line, and one would subsequently be voted off by the rest of the season's contestants. 

However, before having the first contestant step on the scale, Alison added there was going to be one more test -- a test of values for both Olivia and Austin. Alison told them they would each have a choice to trade in their prizes for another.


Olivia was given the option to trade her $10,000 winnings in for a one-pound advantage at the weigh-in, while Austin received the opportunity to switch his one-pound advantage for $10,000 instead.

Austin opted to keep the extra pound advantage he had originally won, while Olivia also chose to hold onto the $10,000.

Olivia said the money marked a new start to her life, and she admitted she wanted to take her husband on a trip. She thought it was a blessing that she won the money, and she didn't want that to get taken away from her. Austin chose to keep his one-pound advantage because he claimed he desperately wanted to make it into the final four.

Hannah was then the first contestant to weigh-in. She started off the week weighing 154 pounds and dropped to 150 pounds, losing four pounds and posting a 2.06% weight-loss percentage.

Irene was the next to step on the scale. She lost five pounds and posted a 3.29% weight-loss percentage after she fell from 152 to 147 pounds.


Jay dropped from 255 pounds to 246 pounds. He lost a total of nine pounds and posted a 3.53% weight-loss percentage.

Olivia started off the week weighing 158 pounds and slimmed down to 153 pounds after she lost five pounds and posted a 3.16% weight-loss percentage.

Austin was the last contestant to step on the scale and was eager to find out his results since he knew he had the one-pound advantage under his belt. Austin shed only one pound and posted a 0.85% weight-loss percentage, including the one-pound advantage, after he fell from 236 pounds to 235 pounds.

Austin said he might as well have fallen below a red line, because he knew he didn't stand a chance against Hannah when it came to winning votes from the rest of the season's cast.

Afterward, the contestants rejoined Alison in the voting room and revealed their decisions. Olivia and Jay both voted to oust Austin from The Biggest Loser: Couples, which was enough to result in his elimination. Irene, as a result, did not have to announce her vote.

In a post-elimination update, Austin, who started The Biggest Loser: Couples weighing 396 pounds, said he currently weighs 230 pounds. He said he has begun to talk to elementary school classes, sharing information about prevention when it comes to eating healthy.


Austin also shared a song he wrote with students after he admitted he never had the confidence to perform in public when he was overweight, and he plans to enroll in college this fall.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski