'The Biggest Loser' sends contestant Gail Lee home from the ranch

The Biggest Loser's thirteenth season eliminated Gail Lee during Tuesday night's broadcast of the NBC reality weight-loss competition's fourth episode.


Gail, a 57-year-old realtor from Poolesville, MD, became the fifth contestant ousted from the competition's thirteenth season after her Black team lost the fourth week's weigh-in by posting a lower total weight-loss percentage than the Red team -- which then forced the Black team's remaining contestants to vote off one of their own members.

"It's been such a privilege to be here. I've learned I can do things I never thought imaginable. I would have loved to stay here for a long time. I am looking forward to going home and finishing this journey with [daughter and previously eliminated contestant Lauren Lee] at home and being able to train with her and strategize with her. We're going to be able to support each other every single day," Gail said following her ouster.

The Biggest Loser's fourth thirteenth-season episode began with the competition's 13 contestants comprised of two teams -- the Red team who trained with previously new trainer Dolvett Quince, who returned to the show for his second season, and the Black team who worked under the guidance of veteran trainer Bob Harper -- meeting with The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney and learning they'd be competing in the week's challenge.

However, Red team member Allen "Buddy" Shuh, a 42-year-old pastor from Wayne, MI, was missing from the action and had to leave The Biggest Loser ranch for the week because his wife was expecting to have their baby. He planned to lose weight at home and return to the ranch for the weigh-in at the end of the week. His weight would still count for his Red team.


Alison told the contestants the team to win the challenge would have access to the gym all week, while the losing team would not have any access at all.

The challenge required each team to compete in an obstacle course which featured a series of doors. In front of each door was a question and they had to use a battering ram to break through the door that corresponded to their answer -- either A or B. If a team got the answer wrong, they must overcome an obstacle before moving on. The finish line was a set of double doors, and the first team to break through those doors and get everyone to the other side would win.

Gail sat out for the Black team so both teams could have an equal number of players due to Buddy's absence.

The obstacle course challenge ended up being a landslide in which the Red team won and the Black team wasn't even close because they were answering most of the questions wrong.

Afterward, Dolvett traveled to Chicago, IL and paid a visit to the home of former Aqua team members Adrian Dortch, a 34-year-old music producer and community activist, and his sister Daphne Dortch, a 37-year-old paralegal and kids activity team member from Evanston, IL -- who got eliminated during the premiere episode but were told they could return to the ranch if they could lose 50 pounds total in one month at home.


Dolvett worked out with the siblings because he really wanted them to be able to re-join the show, and he gave them The Biggest Loser Slim Coach device to help them track their daily progress of weight-loss.

Meanwhile, Black team member Christine "Chris" Pickler, a 42-year-old who is self-employed from Middlebury, IN, was threatening to quit the show because she didn't want to be filmed by the cameras anymore. She ended up locking herself in the bathroom and even her husband Roy Pickler, a 63-year-old self-employed Santa Claus from Middlebury, IN, had trouble talking her out of it.

Bob then came to talk to Chris and asked her why she was considering leaving the ranch. She told Bob she was no longer invisible and people kept trying to tear her walls down. She said it was just too difficult to live in the house, and Bob told her not to give up on herself. After their discussion, Chris changed her mind and knew she had to continue on with her weight-loss journey.

Throughout the week, the Black team had to work out and train in the cold outside without any machines or weights, while the Red team was quite happy and content in the gym with Dolvett. However, Bob was convinced that people don't need a gym to lose weight, so he was determined to prove that to his contestants and to viewers.

While both teams were working out, Dolvett struggled to train contestant Conda Britt, a 24-year-old nutrition health services technician from Rockford, MI. She continuously rolled her eyes at Dolvett when he was giving her instructions, and so as a result, Dolvett kicked her out of the gym and told her not to come back in until she got serious.


Dolvett then joined Conda outside to talk to her and admitted it was very hard to work with her when she constantly made wise cracks and faces at him. Dolvett told her he believed she wasn't taking her condition seriously and that she needed to commit to the process and want to transform both physically and mentally.

Conda said she really didn't know why she was on The Biggest Loser ranch and attempting to lose weight, but at the same time, she wasn't ready to let her team or Dolvett down. She then went back into the gym and trained hard.

Later on, The Biggest Loser's thirteenth-season's fourth elimination weigh-in commenced.

Alison explained the team with the lowest weight-loss percentage would lose the weigh-in and be put up for elimination. She said the person who achieved the highest weight-loss percentage on the losing team would receive immunity, but all the team's contestants must then vote off one of its other members.

Bob's Black team weighed-in first and Emily Joy, a 29-year-old teacher from Huntersville, NC, was the first member to step on the scale. She started off the week weighing 244 pounds and dropped to 235 pounds after she lost nine pounds.


Isaac "Chism" Cornelison, a 19-year-old student from Magnolia, TX, fell from 332 pounds to 320 pounds after he shed 12 pounds, while Cassandra Sturos, a 25-year-old in-home senior caregiver from Fowlerville, MI, lost six pounds after dropping from 212 to 206 pounds.

Jeremy Britt, a 22-year-old banker from Rockford, MI, then weighed-in on behalf of Bob's team and fell from 358 pounds to 347 pounds after he lost 11 pounds. Gail lost a total of five pounds after she dropped from 302 pounds to 297 pounds.

Chris shed seven pounds after falling from 222 to 215 pounds, while Megan Stone, a 21-year-old student and support staffer for an organization that assists disabled adults from Dittmer, MO, dropped from 240 to 238 pounds after losing only two pounds.

Bob's Black team lost a total of 52 pounds and posted a 2.72% weight-loss percentage.

It then became time for Dolvett's Red team to weigh-in.


Buddy -- who had just returned for the weigh-in after being at home for the week -- was the first member of the Red team to step on the scale, and he lost a total of 10 pounds. He dropped from 363 to 353 pounds, while Roy fell from 278 pounds to 272 pounds after shedding six pounds.

Kim "Kimmy" Stone, a 48-year-old registered nurse from Dittmer, MO, fell from 203 pounds to 197 pounds, losing six pounds since the beginning of the week. Mark Cornelison, a 43-year-old youth pastor from Magnolia, TX, shed 11 pounds after dropping from 266 pounds to 255 pounds.

Kim Nielsen, a 38-year-old former professional wrestler from Roswell, GA, lost 10 pounds after she fell from 230 pounds to 220 pounds, while Nancy Rajala, a 63-year-old retiree from Fowlerville, MI, started off the week weighing 205 pounds and fell to 200 pounds after she lost five pounds.

Conda then weighed-in and learned she lost 10 pounds after she dropped from 275 pounds to 265 pounds.

Dolvett's Red team lost a total of 58 pounds and posted a 3.19% weight-loss percentage, winning the weigh-in.

Alison then announced Bob's Black team would face elimination, but Emily received immunity for posting the highest weight-loss percentage on her team.


Afterward, the contestants on the Black team took their seats in the voting room and revealed their votes. Megan, Cassandra, Chris, and Emily all voted to oust Gail from The Biggest Loser, while Chism, Jeremy, and Gail voted for Chris. With four votes, Gail was eliminated.

In a post-elimination update, Gail, who started The Biggest Loser weighing 322 pounds, said she currently weighs 266 pounds. Gail said that although she didn't give losing weight 100% percent while on the ranch, she certainly was doing so at home.

However, after walking four hours a day and experiencing pain as a result, Gail learned from a doctor that she had tendonitis in her hips and was restricted from training hard or attempting strenuous physical activity. But Gail found alternative ways to workout and lose weight, such as swimming more in a pool. She said her overall goal was to make Bob proud and prove to everyone she had what it takes to lose weight and become healthier.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski