NBC ANNOUNCES CONTESTANTS FOR EXCITING NEW COUPLES EDITION OF HIT WEIGHT LOSS SERIES "THE BIGGEST LOSER," PREMIERING TUESDAY, JANUARY 6 (8-10 P.M. ET)
New Season Full of "Firsts" For Popular Series
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - December 18, 2008 - NBC announced today the 11 new teams of two who will be competing in "The Biggest Loser: Couples," premiering Tuesday, January 6 (8-10 p.m. ET). Alison Sweeney (NBC's "Days of our Lives") hosts the popular series, and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels also star.
It's the biggest season ever on "The Biggest Loser" with 11 couples who begin the show with a combined weight of more than 3.5 tons. Season seven also marks several "firsts," with the series' oldest players yet (63-year-old grandparents), youngest male contestant (18), heaviest female contestant (379 lbs.) and heaviest contestant ever in the history of the show (454 lbs.). Teams of two - including mother/daughter, father/son, sisters, best friends, grandparents, cousins, an engaged couple and former models - will all come together hoping to transform their bodies, their health, and ultimately, their lives.
The new teams competing for the $250,000 grand prize are:
BEST FRIENDS:
Carla Triplett (Assistant bank manager), 36, and her best friend Joelle Gwynn (Non-profit founder), 41, Southfield, MI.
Daniel Wright (Student), 19, Willow Spring, NC, and his best friend, David Lee (Student), 23, Fuquay-Varina, NC.
COUSINS:
Sione Fa (Owner, landscape company), 28, Maricopa, AZ and his cousin, Filipe Fa (Lube technician), 26, Mesa, AZ.
Blaine Cotter (College counselor), 27, Gilbert, AZ and his cousin Dane Patterson (Real estate appraiser), 27, Mesa, AZ.
ENGAGED COUPLE:
Damien Gurganious (Industrial designer), 31, and his fiance Nicole Brewer (Wardrobe stylist), 37, Brooklyn, NY.
FORMER MODELS:
Tara Costa (Model/Finance manager), 23, New York, NY, and her friend Laura Denoux (Model/Sales director), 24, Miami, FL.
FATHER/SON:
Ron Morelli (Retired food distributor, currently City Councilman), 54, and his son, Mike Morelli (Student), 18, South Lyon, MI.
GRANDPARENTS:
Estella Hayes (Retired nurse), 63 and her husband, Gerald "Jerry" Hayes (Retired engineer), 63, Wheaton, IL.
MOTHER/DAUGHTER:
Helen Phillips (Retired retail manager), 47, Sterling Heights, MI and her daughter, Shanon Thomas (Massage therapist), 29, Centerline, MI.
Cathy Skell (Title sales closing agent at real estate firm), 48, Shiocton, WI and her daughter, Kristin Steede (Business owner), 28, Greenville, WI.
SISTERS:
Amanda Kramer (Cosmetologist), 30, Boise, ID, and her sister, Aubrey Cheney (Information and education specialist), 28, Gooding, ID.
"The Biggest Loser" has become a worldwide hit airing in over 90 countries and produced in 25 countries. Since its debut in 2004, "The Biggest Loser" has grown to become a standalone health and lifestyle brand by developing tools and products inspired by the show and approved by its doctors and experts. Anchored by the online, subscription-based extension of the show, Biggestloserclub.com, The Biggest Loser Meal Plan, The New York Times best-selling books series, best-selling fitness DVD series, a line of appliances, fitness equipment, protein supplements and countless other health and lifestyle based products, The Biggest Loser consumer products program has generated over $50 million in spending with presence at more than 25,000 major retailers to date. Check out www.biggestloser.com for more information.
"The Biggest Loser: Couples" is a production of Reveille LLC, 25/7 Productions and 3Ball Productions. Ben Silverman (NBC's "The Office," "Ugly Betty"), Dave Broome ("A Model Life with Petra Nemcova," "Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope"), JD Roth ("Age of Love," "Beauty and the Geek"), Todd A. Nelson ("Unan1mous," "Beauty and the Geek") and Mark Koops ("American Gladiators," "Shear Genius") serve as executive producers.
