'The Biggest Loser' producer Lisa Hennessy dishes on the new season

The Biggest Loser's fifteenth season premiered Tuesday night with a one-hour episode on NBC.


In a new twist, returning trainers Dolvett Quince, Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels not only got to assist in the casting process, but they also get the opportunity to save one contestant from elimination during the season. Jillian already used her "trainer's save" on Craig Arrington in the season's debut.

The season's theme is "second chances." Second-season American Idol winner Ruben Studdard, for example, is the season's heaviest contestant at 462 pounds and is looking to "reclaim his health and re-write his future" along with the other 14 players -- who will all compete for a $250,000 grand prize.

During a recent conference call with Reality TV World, The Biggest Loser executive producer Lisa Hennessy talked about the upcoming season and Ruben's participation. Below is what she had to say.

To read Ruben's interview click here. To check out what Dolvett had to say on the new season, click here.


Lisa, why did you decide to introduce the new twist in which each trainer can save one contestant from elimination this season, and what impact do you think it will have on the season?

Lisa Hennessy: Well, it's two-fold. There's the umbrella -- the overall theme of the season is second chances, and so with giving each trainer a "trainer's save," that person was able to get a second chance, and deservedly so.

In addition, for the first time ever, the trainers were part of the casting process, and so we wanted to give them a much bigger role in this season. So if they were able to choose the contestants, they should be able to save a contestant.

And I think The Biggest Loser audience is much more forgiving. I mean, I think people actually get sad when people leave because they want them to be on the ranch. They want them to get healthy.

And so it made it a much more emotional season because you have this moment where the trainer can say, "You need to be saved. I want you to be here." And so with this particular franchise, I think that it was a great added twist to an already very emotional franchise, and, you know, it worked out really well this year for us.


Has the inclusion of Ruben this season led to the consideration of a celebrity The Biggest Loser edition?

Lisa Hennessy:  You know, Ruben came to us. It was a timely situation and our doors are open to anyone who needs help. And so you know, if there are people -- you know, whatever just a housewife or a celebrity that in the future would like to come to us and be part of the show. 

We are completely -- our doors are open to anyone who needs to make a change in their life. But in terms of like an overall celebrity season we haven't discussed that yet. We're still just dealing with this season.

What did the producers look for during the casting process this season and what do you think the trainers contributed?

Lisa Hennessy: As a producer's perspective, when we added the trainers in, you know, they're really the ones who know if someone has what it takes to really be strong enough to handle food rehab and to be able to come to the gym every day and make a difference.


And so you know, we were really excited when we added Bob, Jill, and Dolvett into the process, because they can look at that person -- look them in the eye -- and be like, "Do you have what it takes?"

Because, this isn't a normal reality show where people come on and they -- you know, there's a vote and people are there for 30 days and then, you know, they're out. I mean, these people have to really want it and really want to make a change, and these guys know better than anyone if someone's ready to do that.

I noticed that some people are in the food business like a cake decorator. I mean, that creates additional challenges, I imagine, for them. Is there ever a time when you suggest to someone, "You may want to consider a different occupation?" And when you're in that line of work, how do you cope with being able to maintain weight-loss and that sort of thing?

Lisa Hennessy: Well I think some of the contestants, once they're on the ranch, I mean, it's a lifestyle change in a big way. You know, Tanya Winfield, she is the COO of a fried chicken franchise in Chicago.

I highly doubt that Tanya is going to be going back to that particular line of business. And you know, she's been talking about other things -- about getting into the wellness business because this really jump started a whole new her. So I think that people do make a change once they get on the ranch because they see another side of life.


What would you say to people -- as you know, thousands of people try out for the show all the time -- who are critical of the fact you're putting a celebrity on the show over an everyday person, like say, a housewife who would love to take advantage of such an opportunity? Because Ruben is a celebrity, he was fast-tracked in the casting process although he could probably afford special training outside of the show unlike the average joe.

Lisa Hennessy: You know, our door is open to anyone who needs help. You know, Ruben is a human being and came to us. We'd reached out to him and, you know, we had a Skype conversation and he had me at, "Yes ma'am." He needed to be here. He was our heaviest contestant at 462.

And regardless of what your means are, to check into a food rehab, basically what The Biggest Loser is, is very different than having the money to hire a personal trainer... Ruben had to disconnect and you know be part of this process... We opened our doors to him as much as anybody else.

I just feel like it's completely fair that Ruben is on it due to the fact that he needed to be there. And so, there are hundreds of thousands of people that apply. There are only 15 that get a slot on the show, and you know, we choose people for many different reasons.

And I think by Ruben having a fan base, you think about all of the people that he will inspire and he will pay it forward. And this is a season of second chances. And so, you know, what better second chance than to give Ruben a second chance at life and to get his health back.


What exactly does "food rehab" mean?

Lisa Hennessy:  Well, The Biggest Loser, people are going into -- it's not just a reality show. You know, we're not just -- people are voted off or people are eliminated. Once they get onto this show, they're making a massive lifestyle change not only in terms of their nutrition but in terms of their working out.

And when they come in -- that was the biggest thing that I talked about, is like, you need to be cut off from your agents, your managers, your family. You know, you need to think only about yourself.

And that's what we do at The Biggest Loser ranch, is when people come in, they're disconnected from the rest of the world so that Dolvett, and Jill and Bob can strip them down to where they need to be in order to build them back up.

That's a term that we've used before. They're making changes not only in terms of food, but they're lifestyle changes and it has to be you know a closed environment for the time that they're at the ranch in order to make the changes that they can and to keep that weight off in the future.

I think it's very powerful how The Biggest Loser sticks a number on somebody and makes them realize, "I weigh this many pounds," as opposed to, "Oh, gee, I need to lose some weight." How does that affect the journey on the show for the contestants if the numbers are out there getting waved in front of the world?


Lisa Hennessy: You know, it's a statement. It's like, it's where the journey begins and then there's benchmarks along the way so people can monitor their progress, which is so very important not only on the show, but if people are trying to lose weight at home.

To read Ruben's interview click here. To check out what Dolvett had to say on the new season, click here.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski