Bob Harper is ready to whip The Biggest Loser's new contestants into shape — whether they like it or not! As seen on the NBC hit's Sept. 11 premiere, Harper debuted a new role for the season and will train eliminated players at Comeback Canyon in an effort to get them back into the competition.
"This is going to be the most competitive season, because the ex-athletes are the ones who are so committed to the process. It's going to be a wild ride," said Harper, who may have the chance to work with former New York Jets offensive lineman Damien Woody and three-time Olympic softball gold medalist Lori Harrigan-Mack in his new role. (Harper will work out the eliminated players one-on-one starting immediately after their elimination.)
Season 16 of The Biggest Loser marks the third time Jillian Michaels opted out of training new contestants, but Harper is confident the series will continue to flourish even without her tough love techniques. "I've worked with Jillian since the very beginning, so of course I'm going to miss her," Harper said. "I'm going to continue doing what I've always done."
Last February, Michaels was quick to criticize season 15 winner Rachel Frederickson for losing a whopping 155 lbs. on the show, but as Harper explains, there's only so much the trainers can do to guide a contestant's weight loss journey.
"I've always treated this job like triage or an emergency room," he tells Us Weekly. "Contestants come in, you give them as much information as possible, show them that it does work with diet and exercise. Then at some point, it is the responsibility of that person to take control of their own lives. It's up to them to implement it."