The fourth season of the Australian version of the original NBC American reality television series The Biggest Loser, known as The Biggest Loser Australia: Couples, premiered on 1 February 2009 on Network Ten. Series Host Ajay Rochester reprised her role for the fourth season, along with trainers Shannan Ponton, Michelle Bridges and Steve Willis ("The Commando"). The show also introduced a new trainer Emma Hutton ("Emazon"). Applications opened mid-2008 for potential contestants. On 27 April, Bob Herdsman was crowned the oldest contestant in Australian History to ever win with a record weight loss of 87.6 kg, or 52.21% of his starting weight, and won $200,000 in prize money.
Season Overview
List of episodes
Game variations
Couples: Season Four began with contestants split into 10 teams of two, each with a preexisting relationship. These couples were divided into two groups for training purposes only - the contestants challenges, temptations and eliminations in their pairs. In the sixth week, the pairs were dissolved and the contestants were split into a red team and a blue team. Double or nothing bracelets: In the first week, The Walk introduced the double and nothing bracelets to the game. One player was given a gold bracelet (the "double" bracelet) and another player was given a silver bracelet (the "nothing" bracelet). The contestants chosen to hold the bracelets will retain possession of them until the finale or until they are eliminated, whichever happens first. If a contestant with a bracelet is eliminated, he or she must then give the bracelet to one of the remaining contestants. If the contestant in possession of the double bracelet is a finalist and wins the weigh-in at the finale, that contestant will receive double the standard grand prize. If the contestant with the nothing bracelet is a finalist and wins the weigh-in at the finale, however, that contestant will receive nothing. Also, no contestant can have both the double and nothing bracelets at one time. Castaways: In Week 7, after Nathan was "eliminated", he was given a letter by Ajay, instructing him to choose one other person to eliminate with him, and he chose Bob. But they both later found out they weren't technically eliminated from the game, just from the house, and that they would be taken back to Fitzroy Island to be trained by the Commando for the next 5 weeks, and the person that has lost the most weight overall would be guaranteed a spot in the (now) Final Four. That person was Bob, having lost 76.2 kg, or 45.41% to Nathan's 46.2 kg, or 31.82%
Cast and personalities
Host: Ajay Rochester has returned for a fourth season. Trainers:s Michelle Bridges and Shannan Ponton have also returned, along with Steve Willis ("The Commando") and new trainer Emma Hutton ("Emazon").Nutrition consultant Professor Clare Collins PhD FDAA
Contestants
There are 20 contestants in this season, competing as ten teams of two.
Note: * Holly and Melanie were given a "double vote" as a result of Nathan and Andrew's second walk. As a result, Holly and Melanie's vote was definitive in voting Jodi and Jeda off the show.
Note: ** In week three a second "elimination" was performed with incredibly short notice after the normal elimination, resulting in Nathan & Andrew getting four nominations. In another twist Ajay revealed that they had a lifeline, in which they would compete against the average weight loss percentage of the other six couples and if they won they would have the one and only vote at the next elimination.
Note: *** In week 11, both Stewart and Sharif returned to the competition, to compete in singles.
: After the red team chose to eliminate Nathan, he received a letter instructing him to select one other player from either the red or the blue teams to leave the house with him. To increase his brother's chances of winning the overall title, Nathan chose Bob to join him. After leaving Camp Biggest Loser with the belief that they had just been eliminated from the game, Nathan and Bob were greeted by the Commando and informed that they would be returning to Fitzroy Island to spend the next five weeks training with the Commando. At the conclusion of those five weeks, the man who had lost the most weight during their time on the island would receive a guaranteed spot in the finale.
Game elements
The episodes and elements of the show are screened on a weekly rotation, generally in the following set up: Sunday: Conclusion of the Major Challenge, Last Chance Training and Weigh-In. Monday: Elimination Tuesday: Warehouse or Challenge Wednesday: Temptation Thursday: "The Walk" Friday: Major Challenge