'The Biggest Loser' eliminates Tumi Oguntala, sees Bobby Saleem re-enter the competition

The Biggest Loser eliminated Tumi Oguntala and saw Bobby Saleem return to the ranch during Tuesday night's eleventh broadcast of the NBC reality weight-loss series' fifteenth season.


Tumi, a 41-year-old brand strategist from Clifton Park, NY, was ousted after she fell below the yellow line with fellow contestant Tanya Winfield and then the rest of the season's contestants voted her out of the competition instead of Tanya. Both women fell below the yellow line because they had posted the two lowest weight-loss percentages of all the remaining players at the season's eleventh elimination weigh-in.

"To leave at this point, it's sooner than I wanted, but I'm okay with that. I'm proud of myself. Before I came here, I really thought I was destined to die early. I didn't want to have children because of that. I thought my weight would eventually do me in and now I'm leaving here with my life, with my future, with so much in front of me," Tumi said following her ouster.

"In doing that, I feel like I've proven that I'm worthy to be a mom and that I'll love whatever children I'll have enough to do this, because I didn't want to die and leave children behind like my mom did. I'm going to do it as soon as I get married. I'm going to start and that's because I came here."

In addition, Bobby, a 28-year-old attorney from Chicago, IL, was allowed to re-enter the competition after he posted the highest percentage of weight-loss of all the previously-eliminated contestants since The Biggest Loser's fifteenth season began.


The Biggest Loser's episode began where the last December broadcast had left off, with the eliminations of Hap Holmstead and Matt Hooper, and the return of all the eliminated players.

The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney asked Bobby, Hap, Matt, Ruben Studdard, Fernanda Abarca, Craig Arrington, and Holley Mangold to step on the scale and weigh-in. Alison explained one person would win the chance to come back to the show in a season of "second chances."

Matt's total percentage of weight-loss this season was 26.12% and Hap's was 21.59%. Ruben started The Biggest Loser weighing 462 and dropped to 377, losing 85 pounds and posting an 18.40% weight-loss percentage. Fernanda lost 42 pounds, dropping from 250 to 208 pounds. She posted a 16.80% weight-loss percentage.

Holley shed 74 pounds and posted a 21.08% weight-loss percentage, falling from 351 to 277 pounds. Craig dropped from 385 to 307, losing 78 pounds and posting a 20.26% weight-loss percentage. Bobby posted the highest percentage of 27.09%. Bobby dropped from 358 to 261 pounds and lost a total of 97 pounds. Therefore, Bobby won the spot back.

The contestants then competed in a challenge. Each player had to pick up one kettle bell and bring it to the top of a hill, where he or she would hang it on his or her post. The first person to hang all 10 kettle bells, which were spread out in the sand, would win the challenge. However, in a twist, there was one "golden kettle bell" hidden in the sand, and if a contestant found it, the bell would count for five bells on the post. 


Marie Pearl, a 30-year-old senior staff accountant at a community college from Springfield, MO, found the golden bell, but Jay Sheets, a 38-year-old food company marketing associate from Farmington, MO, still ended up winning the challenge.

As his prize, Jay walked away with $25,000 worth of home-gym equipment. For finishing the race in last place, Tanya, a 41-year-old restaurant franchise chief operating officer from Plainfield, IL, received a one-pound disadvantage on the scale.

Last night's episode also featured updates on Hap and Matt's weight-loss progress since they were forced to leave the ranch. Hap started the show at 403 pounds and currently weighs 270. He discovered a portable grill would help him eat healthy while on the road for work.

Matt began the show at 356 pounds and now weighs 240 pounds. He revealed he has lost six suit sizes and is thrilled to plan his wedding with his fiancee as a new man.

Later on, all the season's contestants, Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels and Dolvett Quince arrived for the season's eleventh elimination weigh-in. Alison explained there would be a yellow line, so the two people to post the lowest percentages of weight-loss would fall below it, resulting in their peers voting one of them out of the competition.


Tanya stepped on the scale first and fell from 201 to 198, losing three pounds. However, with her one-pound disadvantage from the challenge, she posted a 1.0% weight-loss percentage.

Bobby dropped from 261 to 254 pounds, shedding seven pounds and posting a 2.68% weight-loss percentage. David Brown, a 43-year-old construction company project manager and phone company social commerce leader from Edmond, OK, fell from 282 to 270 pounds. He lost 12 pounds and posted a 4.26% weight-loss percentage.

Chelsea Arthurs, a 28-year-old clinical research professional and event planner from Raleigh, NC, shed six pounds and posted a 3.39% weight-loss percentage after falling from 177 to 171 pounds. Rachel Frederickson, a 24-year-old voice-over artist from Los Angeles, CA, posted a 3.59% weight-loss percentage and lost six pounds. She dropped from 167 to 161.

Jennifer Messer, a 42-year-old clerk and bookkeeper from Abingdon, VA, fell from 195 to 189 pounds, losing six pounds and posting a 3.08% weight-loss percentage.

Jay dropped from 196 to 192 pounds. He lost four pounds and posted a 2.04% weight-loss percentage. Marie shed four pounds, dropping from 187 to 183 pounds. She posted a 2.14% weight-loss percentage. Tumi dropped from 225 to 221 pounds, losing four pounds and posting a 1.78% weight-loss percentage.


Therefore, Tanya and Tumi fell below the yellow line and were up for elimination. Bobby, David, Jay, and Marie all voted to oust Tumi from the ranch, which were enough votes to send her home. The four players said Tumi posed more of a threat than Tanya and some contestants had grown closer to Tanya emotionally.

The Biggest Loser's next episode will feature the remaining contestants heading off to the U.S. Olympic training site in Park City, UT.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski