Former 'Biggest Loser' Star Exposes Harsh Reality: Trainer Unapologetic!
The Ugly Truth About The Biggest Loser: Former Contestant Spills Tea on Abusive Trainer Bob Harper
In a shocking exposé, former Biggest Loser contestant Joelle Gwynn has come forward about her harrowing experience on the reality show, revealing that she was verbally abused by trainer Bob Harper. And in a stunning twist, Harper has defended his behavior, claiming it made for "good TV."
Joelle, who appeared on season seven of The Biggest Loser back in 2009, had initially hoped to lose weight and transform her life. Weighing in at 309 pounds, she was desperate for a change. However, what she got was a torrent of verbal abuse from Harper, which left her mortified.
"I felt like I was out of body," Joelle confessed, visibly shaken as she watched the footage back on Netflix's docuseries, Fit for TV: The Reality Behind the Biggest Loser. "That country bumpkin of a man berated me in such a way that I've never seen on the show before. It was very, very, very embarrassing."
Harper, who was one of the show's main trainers alongside Jillian Michaels, has long been known for his high-energy and no-nonsense approach to fitness. However, it seems that his tactics have crossed a line into outright abuse.
When questioned about his behavior towards Joelle, Harper shrugged off the incident, saying: "What's more important for weight loss? We all know it's diet, but that becomes boring television. You know what's not boring television? To see us in a gym yelling, screaming... that's inspirational, that's good TV."
He added: "The TV execs were very happy because that's how you create the drama... it wasn't about the treadmill, the picture was bigger than that. It was like her committing to something and finishing it. It wasn't one of my proudest moments."
But what's even more disturbing is that Harper has admitted he was on a mission to make "good TV," rather than genuinely helping contestants achieve their weight loss goals.
When confronted about his behavior, executive producer David Broome revealed that the show's creators were indeed after something sensational: "We wanted the show to be shocking. One great big kumbaya doesn't make good television, I can promise you that."
This isn't the first time The Biggest Loser has been embroiled in controversy. The show's infamous "temptation" segment, which pitted contestants against each other by tempting them with high-calorie foods, has been widely criticized.
But what's truly shocking is that former contestants have spoken out about the lack of support and resources available to them after leaving the show. Danny Cahill, who won season eight and shed an incredible 239 pounds, revealed that he had pleaded with producers to create an aftercare program.
"I even brought up, could we do an aftercare program?" he said in the documentary. "Lots of money has been put aside from the show, psychological help, gym memberships, recovery... whatever it took. And pretty much no one was interested in doing anything like that."
With hundreds of millions of dollars generated from the show, it's clear that more could have been done to support contestants after they left the show.
As Joelle so aptly put it: "F* you, Bob Harper. Your little dog too."
