The Biggest Loser Australia (season 3)


The third season of the Australian version of the original NBC American reality television series The Biggest Loser premiered on 3 February 2008 on Network Ten, and was screened for 6 nights a week over 12 weeks. It was won by Sam Rouen on the finale broadcast on 1 May 2008
Host Ajay Rochester and trainers of the previous season, Shannan Ponton and Michelle Bridges returned to this season of the show, as did US trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, and part-time trainer The Commando.
Applications opened at the end of the previous season with over 6,000 people applying and primary photography was shot between October 2007 and February 2008. As with the two preceding series of The Biggest Loser, the winner titled "Australia's Biggest Loser" was eligible to win $200,000.
New elements to this season included "The Warehouse", where contestants choose their diet for a week, and a rival team of contestants trained separate from the main contestants in the United States. The season started with 30 contestants, of which 19 were selected to compete for the main prize.

Season Overview

List of episodes

Game variations

The episodes and elements of the show are screened on a weekly rotation in the following set up:
At the beginning of the season and beginning of each week, contestants are weighed and compared to their previous weight. When the contestants are in "teams", their total weight losses are combined for a combined weight loss percentage. The team with the lowest weight loss percentage face elimination. When the game shifts to "singles", the two players with the lowest weight loss percentages are eligible for elimination. After the finalists are decided, they go home for a certain amount of time to continue their diets at home until the live finale where they are weighed in one last time and the winner, the "Biggest Loser", is crowned. The contestant's weekly results can be seen below, and are listed in chronological order of elimination, with the exception of the finalists, whose results are listed in order of their position on the leaderboard.
;Teams
;Winners
;BMIs
;Notes
Contestants must choose between two foods to have as their diet for the entire week. Except for the first week, the biggest loser from the previous weigh-in is the only person to choose on behalf of their team, the other team must take the remaining item.
No Warehouse in Week 5 due to the black team's arrival into the game.
No Warehouses from Week 8 onwards due to Ajay announcing that the contestants would go to singles.

Temptation

Every week, temptation was tasks the involved contestants having to eat or not eat the food to win immunity and must face the walk. If a temptation wasn't won by any contestant, the contestant who currently hold immunity will retain the immunity and face another walk.
No temptation in Week 5 due to the Black Team's arrival into the game.
No temptation in Week 7 due to Michelle's decision regarding the acceptance of $50 000 and departing the White House, offered as a result of her being the Biggest Loser in Week 6. No temptation in week 10 due to Hawaii.

"The Walk"

Teams have to participate in the elimination if they have the lowest percentage of weight loss at the previous weigh-in. Contestants must vote strategically to stay in the game and eliminate another contestant by a majority vote. If the vote is tied it's a hung vote and the power of elimination is given to the other team where they must vote as one when making their decision.
;Elimination notes
In week 10 the contestants went to Hawaii to fulfill their nightmares. Garry climbed a mountain, Kirsten paraglided, Sam swam in a shark cage, but then hopped out of the cage, Michelle went up 5 000 feet in an engine-less glider and Cosi and Alison jumped 10m into a blowhole.

The 11 at home

After 19 contestants were chosen to compete for the main prize, the remaining 11 were sent home. Michelle and Shannan helped the contestants lose weight via the internet. They gave them gym memberships and $10,000 in prize money from the Biggest Loser Club online website to compete for. Throughout the season, some episodes had segments in which Shannan and Michelle would catch up with these 11 to show the viewers the progress they made.

Cast and personalities

The season began with 30 contestants, 15 were selected by Shannan and Michelle to enter the white house; however, to make sure that each team had the same number of players, one would have to be eliminated. Of the remaining 15, 4 received a second chance to become part of the black team selected by the Commando to be trained by Bob and Jillian in the US, leaving the remaining 11 to compete for $10, 000 with Biggest loser club online.

Original contestants

These contestants were chosen after 12 eliminated contestants were given to chance to win their place back into the game by a race with the trainers. The two contestants that were chosen were Michelle and Bryce.

Unsuccessful contestants

Filming locations & dates

Primary film locations were in "" located at 4 Kinka Road, Terrey Hills, Sydney, New South Wales. Elements were also filmed in Los Angeles, California.
Primary production commenced in October 2007 and completed in February 2008.

Air dates and channels

The program began screening on 3 February 2008 on Network TEN and continued weeknights at 7:00 pm and Sundays 6:30-7.30 pm each week.

Reception and public response

Television viewing and ratings

The season premiere attracted 1.91 million viewers, an improvement of 118,000 on the previous season premiere.
The season finale attracted an average of 1.88 million viewers, peaking at 2.35 million. It was marginally down on the previous two seasons but still became the highest rating program of the year at the time of broadcast.