nbc.com

WOW!!!! What a night. And our first Female Biggest Loser. And it couldn’t happen to a better person. Ali is so incredible, and genuine and hard working… I am so thrilled for her. I love all the contestants. So proud and impressed with their transformations – Bernie is so hot! Brittany, steamy hot! Jackie looks fabulous?! How cute is Jay??!!! And Roger is so handsome!

We all went out after the show to celebrate. I loved meeting everyone’s families. Mark & Jay’s sister explained to me that Jay used to watch Days when he was younger, so that’s why he couldn’t talk to me without blushing for the first several weeks! Lol. And I have my very own ‘Bern-dana’ now. I met Kelly’s incredibly supportive and funny family. They were all so fun to hang out with.

And, I needed to unwind. Those are the two most stressful hours for me!!! Mostly because I want it to be such a perfect experience for the contestants. I want them to enjoy themselves, show off their fab new bodies, but we have to put a show on! And that’s my job.. to keep the show going, keep things moving. And frankly, it wasn’t off to a great start when the teleprompter went out about 12 seconds into the live broadcast. I mean, come on. Actors worst nightmare. Luckily we made it through okay. And once I started introducing everyone, and the crowd was so wildly supportive and fun, it just all became such a party.
Ali was off on a plane to NYC that night to do the Today show on Wed morning. And then back to be on Ellen today – which will air on Friday (4/18). I went over to visit her on the set of Ellen.

. It is shot on the same lot as Days. Ali was FANTASTIC on the show. So cute, sweet and positive. She has such a great message to share with everyone. Afterwards, she asked if she could see where I work. I took her over to the Days set and it was the quickest spreading gossip. Cast and crew came out of the woodwork to come meet Ali give her a hug and congratulate her on her success. Ali is a big hugger. :) She walked through Salem, met Peter and Kristian (Bo and Hope).

Kristian gave her one of her bracelets of her own design. Hopefaithmiracles.com the bracelet has a charm on it that says “believe” and it gave me chills to see how it affected Ali to receive such an appropriate, and meaningful gift. She is such a sweetheart. And everyone loved meeting her.

So there you have it. The final episode on Campus. It’s always sad to say goodbye, but especially this group – they’ve been through so much, fought so hard, and accomplished so many amazing things. They are true champions. All of them. And it was an honor to share this experience with them.

It's Rocco so great? I love him. And I love how he was able to re-create those yummy dishes to make them lower calories. it was fun to see them all in the kitchen learning new techniques to share with their families.
That final challenge was pretty incredible. We couldn’t have asked for a better day – the weather was perfect at the beach, and I’ll tell you what… they gave me a run for my money getting up that mountain. Because while they were running down the beach, I had to go around the back way to get to that same path they ran up to meet them at the top of the mountain. And we couldn’t see how the race was going from our perspective. So the A.D. I was walking with was communicating with the producers to know how much time I had to get up to the finish line. Well, about half way up, all of a sudden he says “here he comes. Mark’s around the corner!” So John, the A.D. and I had to seriously RUN up the rest of the way to beat him.
It was so cute the way Roger included me in that final “pride on 3”. I guess in some ways, that sums up the entire season – I try to stay impartial, I care about everyone, and I want to see them all succeed, and I can’t get involved in the game play or decisions the contestants make. And ultimately, I admire how Ali, Kelly, Mark and Roger have played this game – each in their own way, they have proven that anything is possible, and that they all are winners. Is that incredibly hokey and cheese-ball or what? I just typed that and already I’m cringing. But come on, who wasn't moved by those great videos re-capping the whole season? It was so crazy to see Roger on the first day talking about wanting to be a sexy husband for his wife. And Ali, with Bette-Sue, day one, and how hard she's worked. Seeing how BL has changed Kelly & Mark, Ali & Roger - each of them gaining a new strength both physically and mentally - well, it's just incredible. Sorry, but I guess I can’t help but get all mushy about this show.
And I can’t help but be SO incredibly psyched to see everyone next week at the finale. From what I hear, they all look pretty spectacular, and we have some pretty major prizes to give out! The producers promised to go easy on the confetti this time. Ha.

Now, that you’re done reading this blog, please proceed directly to the BL home page and VOTE!!!

XO
ali

I can’t begin to describe how fantastic Australia is. Not only is it a beautiful country, the people are SO nice, everything about it … just blew me away. I can’t wait to go back, it was the most spectacular place, there are so many things to say about our trip, I don’t even know where to begin.
The Bridge Climb was just incredible. In the gift shop, they have a wall of photos of celebrities who have climbed the bridge: Robert DiNero, John Travolta… Drake Hogestyn, Deidre Hall!! So I knew I was in good hands. I talked to Dee, Drake and Thaao about traveling to Sydney – they went to promote Days last fall – and they couldn’t stop raving about it. Thaao grew up there, so he had many recommendations for us, including suggesting that I call (flashback to 2002) Justin Melvey (he played Colin on Days). Justin spent an hour on the phone with me, recommending places, and offering all sorts of advice. He was so nice about everything and it was the perfect way to get ready for our trip.

Okay, so 15 hours later, we arrived in Sydney. We all traveled together – the contestants, the crew, and me and Dave. We got there early Friday morning and spent the day just getting acclimated. Dave and I decided to walk around for a bit, do some sightseeing, stretch our legs, immediately behind us out of the hotel come Ali and Mark. Out for a jog. We ran into Jay and Roger doing visiting the Sydney Opera House. Every time Dave and I were coming or going from the hotel we ran into one of them on their way to or from the gym. They all worked SO hard in Sydney. I can only begin to imagine how heartbreaking it was for all of them – to bust their @sses so hard all week and see such low numbers on the scale.
But before we get to the weigh-in/elim … how CRAZY intense was the challenge this week??!!! I mean, seriously. Walking up to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge was amazing. Beautiful, and even though I’m not really afraid of heights, it is intimidating. I think something about looking down and seeing 6 lanes of flying traffic beneath your feet makes you feel very fragile. But that’s nothing compared to what Mark was going through. And to watch him face his fear like that – confront it head on – I think we were all impressed. And then the triathlon was incredible to watch. Truly epic. The way they all just dove into the harbor water… I was frustrated because it was the first challenge I couldn’t really watch. I had to get a move on back to the shore, so I could get up to the top of that building before they got there. Ha. It was so sweet to see Mark wait for Ali like that. For such a competitive person, it said a lot about how much he’s grown – that he was able to achieve his goal – he had asked the challenge producer what his time was on the course, and set that as his personal goal – he beat that time, but that was all he needed, he wanted to cross that finish line with Ali, his friend, and work-out partner. They have been through so much together and it was a very fitting finish. You didn’t get the chance to see in the episode how much Ali was touched by his decision to wait for her, but she was.

Okay, I’ve had like 5 people email me tonight to say they were bawling during the elimination. Of course they were – seriously, it was a tear-jerker. I was totally choked up. Seeing the bond between Mark and Jay, and hearing Jay talk about his decision to ask to be voted, it’s a tribute to the man he is. Not to mention the impact he’s had on Roger, Ali and Kelly. He is a great guy, and it was really hard to say goodbye.
It’s great to see Kelly’s attitude change over the last couple weeks. She has constantly been on the chopping block – since she started the show she’s felt that if she fell below she’ would be the one to go – and finally her successes have given her the confidence she deserves. I loved hearing her say she knew she was a threat, so what? Just gonna work that much harder.
Only 4 people left. 3 finalists. Who’s it gonna be??

XO
ali

p.s. For more about my trip to Australia, please visit alisonsweeney.com, I'm going to post more photos and stories about my expereince in Sydney on the message boards there. xo

Seriously, he was so amazing. What a fantastic person, he was so genuinely enthusiastic about helping the contestants. And so committed to making their ‘make-overs’ the best experiences possible. I just love how he embraced Dan’s rock-and-roll side. His haircut is so FAB! And showed Roger a fabulous suit, right off the rack. And ultimately, the best moments were when they all saw their make-over clothes and how small they are!

Last night, Dan protecting his slice of cake was cracking me up. He is so funny – and that cake sitting on the treadmill was classic. It reminded me of that classic high-school project where the kids have to carry an egg around with them, and take care of them like a baby.

I have to admit, I agreed with Ali. The boys’ behavior at that challenge this week came across a bit arrogant. And I didn’t get the concern they had about jeopardizing their friendship by playing against each other. My friends and I would SO have fun piling up on each others tables. They key is you have to be fair, and gang up on everyone equally… play to win! The ‘snacking’ as they played definitely added to that impression. I think in retrospect the guys saw that. Roger, Danny, Mark, Jay, you know I love you guys... am I the only one who always finds myself rooting for the underdog??
And after everything, not only did Ali and Kelly survive another weigh-in – they kicked @ss! They came in 1st and 2nd! How rad is that?! (okay, I know I have pulled ‘rad’ directly out of 1987, but I can’t help it.) I was sad to see Danny go. He’s a good guy, and it’s been so amazing to see his inner growth as well as the outer loss.

Am working at Days today. yay! As you may have noticed, I haven’t been in a lot lately. Which, I must admit, has been nice for me personally. I have been playing with Ben… being my old wanna-be Martha Stewart mom. We had such fun with our Easter crafts!! And Ben has been growing so much lately, He started pre-school!! Can you believe it? It’s so weird to talk about Ben being on Spring Break.
Back to Days – Ari is BACK!!! YAY!!!! You know how much I heart Ari Zuker. She rocks. And we have SO MUCH FUN working together. SO, I can’t wait to hear your feedback of Soul (Sami/Nicole) the sequel. I think Nicole is coming back just in time to remind Sami of who she really is. :)

XO

p.s. Please check out Dan's music!!! http://www. myspace. com/danevansmusic

How cool was that, seeing everyone back??!!! Wasn’t it so amazing to see how well everyone has done at home. Curtis blew me away – 100lbs, in 10 weeks, after only being on campus for 2 weeks. Ali, I was so thrilled that she won a chance to come back to Campus. She obviously has succeeded at home (how HOT is she!!), and made such a huge change in her whole outlook, but it was so awesome that all that hard work paid off, and that she gets to come back and compete again.

Lynn told me that he didn’t go home right away ready to change his ways. That it was a struggle for him at first. And actually, it was seeing the season 4 finale that ended up making the difference for him. That when he saw all the successes of Phil, Jerry (they’re the same age), Neil, etc, he felt that he could do it too – and now he’s on his way! He is helping Jenny and they are making great progress.

And, of course, I was so torn – watching Bernie weigh-in again, I so wanted him back into the game. But I felt the exact same way about Mark. I adore them both. And at the same time, Curtis would have been fun to have back at the ranch since we didn’t get enough time with him, and he’s such a cool guy. I was rooting for them all. But, of course, am delighted to see Mark reunited with his blue team.

Roger had to tease me about my reaction to Curtis losing 100lbs. I don’t usually high-five people during at the weigh-ins! It’s not really on purpose, but I guess because I want to be fair, and make sure everyone knows I’m equally happy for them all, I try to keep my reactions to their #s on the scale contained. But when that number – 100 exactly – came up on the board, I was just so caught off guard that I was already high-fiving him and celebrating with everyone before I realized what was happening. So, at spin class the next day Roger and Jay had to do their impression of me cheering him on, and being so happy for him. I took their ribbing well, but reminded him I was just as happy for him – but Curtis didn’t have the advantage of being on campus when he lost all that weight – that is pretty spectacular, right?!

I heart Jillian.

Bernie’s reaction to the temptation was hysterical. He told me after that he felt so vindicated getting all that money out of the vending machine after putting money into a machine like that for so many years. Lol. It was pretty shocking to me that everyone participated, but with so much time before the weigh-in, I guess they all felt it was worth the calories. No one seemed to much enjoy the snacks they got. Watching Kelly forcing herself to eat those candies, was like that movie when the little boy gets caught smoking, and his dad makes him smoke until he gets sick to teach him a lesson. She hated every minute of it.

That zip-line challenge was SO COOL. The first thing I said when I saw it was “I want a turn!!” lol – that is so my thing. The whole time we were up there shooting it was so windy. Seriously, we were being sand-blasted up there. But it was so worth it for the coolest challenge ever. Jay and Kelly both had to face major fears to accomplish the task. And they succeeded. Everyone was so proud of them for doing such a great job.

And afterwards, I leapt at my chance to take a turn on the zip-line. Maggie didn’t get to participate because of the uneven teams, so she and I both hiked up to the far side of the set-up, and got to just fly down-hill across the whole 500 foot canyon. We had so much fun!!! Maggie and I were screaming and laughing the whole way. Seriously, the coolest thing ever. Even though we were all tired and dirty afterwards, it was such a fun day.

Saying goodbye to Bernie was so difficult for everyone, the black team and the crew. We all loved having him around on campus, making everyone laugh and being such a great competitor. He’s such a great guy, and I was so sorry to say goodbye to him. But, wow, he left campus in about the most honorable, classy way you could go. He sacrificed himself for his teammate, and didn’t regret it for a second. The whole time it was just concerned for his teammates, showing that he is the strength and the support-system for that whole team, not just through his words but his actions too. I couldn’t help but notice how they were all holding hands during the voting, and that he had nothing but encouraging things to say to his teammates as he left. Bernie is truly a great guy.

Jay put up such huge numbers on the scale last week! Not only did he help lead his team to a resounding victory last week, but he won Biggest Loser of the Week. And what a great reward! It was so cool seeing all those boys in blue head off to Vegas for a night. They really have bonded – and are just as tight as they seem on the show. And they had an awesome time – who doesn’t have fun in Vegas? Gotta admit, I’m impressed by how much they worked out while they were there, not sure how many times I’ve worked out while in Vegas.

What is crazier than those tattoos? I told Dan I don’t envy him having to show his mom that ‘guardian angel’ on his arm. I guess I’ve never been much of a tattoo person. It’s not really my thing. A bunch of the actors I work with at Days have tatts. It’s such a pain for the make-up dept to have to cover them up in scenes, and you can always sort of see them anyway. So I guess I’m biased. Lol.

The obstacle course was pretty tough, right? The black teams fate seemed sealed when I saw Roger grab like 5 sandbags in each arm to hustle them up to the blue table. Uh huh.

This week the teams were all hyper-aware that this weigh-in was going to make a huge difference in the outcome of the entire game. Four vs four, the elimination was going to put one team at a huge disadvantage. And neither team wanted to be in that situation. Mark is right – he’s lost so much weight, that his numbers aren’t going to be as high as he needs them to be to stay in this game.
The emotion, the heart and the team spirit these guys showed in the elim process was really special. Now you know why I love these guys. They are such tough, honorable men, and I really admired the way they handled such an impossible situation.

I’m sorry I haven’t blogged in a while. I’ve had a pretty hectic schedule, including some travel that made it impossible to post. But BELIVE ME, I have had some SERIOUS feelings about the last couple episodes. As I think was made clear tonight, Mark is NOT a bad guy. From almost the very beginning, I totally relate to how competitive he is, and I understand how that can overshadow other sides of his personality that we all saw being on campus, but don’t come across. Just as an example, here’s a side of Mark you didn’t see on tv.

The very skilled (and nice) caterer at the Biggest Loser prepares very delicious but not always healthy meals for the crew. The cast eats in their house, separate from the crew, of course. And normally, I eat before I come to set, but when I’m there, I can usually find a fish, or chicken dish that is reasonably health conscious. One night, however, I was left debating between pasta with cream sauce and chicken dumplings. I couldn’t even have the salad because it was a Caesar salad. So, the lightbulb went off (this would be the perfect place for a Days of our Lives style ‘flashback’ to the cooking challenge, lol) and I hiked over to the contestants kitchen to scrounge around and find something healthier for dinner.
Who was there to save the day? Mark!! He happened to be walking by and asked what I was doing. I explained my predicament, and he offered to make me dinner. I didn’t want to put him out, but he insisted he had nothing else to do and wanted to do it. So… I said “yes! I would love something healthy!” especially now knowing how delicious Mark’s cooking is (the scallops were perfect, according to Rocco)! And it was DELICIOUS. He made me a swordfish filet and vegetables. Perfectly cooked and the perfect portion. I had to ask him – what’s the deal? You clearly enjoy cooking, and you’re great at it… why didn’t you do this at home? We talked a lot about how life and family can get in the way of your health before you even realize it. I ended up hanging out with Mark, Jay, Dan, Brittany, Roger, Jillian and Jackie for a while that evening and we all had such a good time. It was so much fun to just relax and chat without the cameras rolling.

(p.s. Amanda, I shared your post with Mark. He really appreciated Trentin's support, and was so happy that you posted. He asked me to relay the message that he'd love to write him a note if you want to email me your info privately, go to my website, Alisonsweeney.com and u can send me a private message there. I'm happy to be the messenger! thanks for watching!!!)

This week started off with a bang. At the end of the last elimination I warned them that this week things were going to change – and that only one person was going home, no more team eliminations. They had a ton of questions… which would be answered at the challenge.

I have to say, I was shocked by Jillian’s reaction to the news that we were going to black and blue teams. I’m not sure what I expected, but as Bob claimed Orange, Black and Grey teams as the new blue, the tears running down Jillian’s face said it all.

I know all the teams feel really close to Bob and Jillian, and they have had the unique experience of being trained by both of them for several weeks now. And even though it has still been a ‘competition’ to the contestants, Bob and Jillian were happy to take a break from competing against each other. And then, the midnight announcement in front of the escalators at an LA mall, it’s ‘game on’.

Bob had the unenviable position of winning the right to choose the teams. And it’s pretty clear that he stacked the deck in his favor – physically. He chose teams that have been clearly marked as the biggest ‘threats’ on campus. But knowing Bob, I know he was also considering the best fit for each contestant, as much as he was thinking about putting together a great team. And again, Jillian has a team of ‘outcasts’. Though as was proven by Jillian last season, you can never discount her band of misfits. And truly, there are no underdogs in this game. Because so many different factors come into play. I mean, who would have guessed that Orange Team would have won the Biggest Loser Team of the week, twice? Who would have thought that from one week to the next, the Yellow team could have gone from almost being eliminated to winning the weigh-in?

And lets talk about Brittney, staying strong on that escalator up against the boys in blue. She held out for more than 20 minutes. That was truly impressive. And while I think Jillian was trying to save Brittney’s legs to, with a ‘live to work-out another day’ mentality, I could see that Brittney did not want to give up. I totally relate to that competitive spirit. I told her too, I totally get why she didn’t want to give up. I’m like that too … I hate working out, and certainly stair-steppers are the devil, but make it a game? And I would’ve kept walking until I passed out rather than give up. Brittney has been working hard for weeks now, but she shined in that challenge and earned new respect from everyone out there that night. I think the blue team knows the black team isn’t giving up without a fight. Which was why it wasn’t surprising but certainly impressive that no one was ‘tempted’ by the strategy advantage at the Cola Wars temptation.

Ultimately, everyone is at the BL ranch for the same reasons. To lose weight, get healthy, to change their lives. But at the end of this experience, only one person gets to ‘win’, and only one person gets the $250,000. So it is understandable, that even though this is a truly unique bonding experience, no matter how the teams start out, it is, in the end, an individual game.

I was sad to say goodbye to Jenn. She and Maggie have been such a fun team to get to know, they both work really hard, and Jenn was starting to have all that work pay off on the scale. We spoke briefly before she went home and it was hard to see how disappointed she was to be leaving the ranch so soon, but I knew she was committed to getting healthy, and seeing how great she looks now was so inspiring.

The Yellow Team

Wow. What a turn around. Last week they were below the yellow line, and in one week the Yellow team turned it around to win the weigh-in. And on the heels of that success, they get the majority of the votes from the other teams as the team they would most like to vote out right now.

Now, a word about that. Let’s all agree that BL isn’t the kind of show that would just send another team home for no reason. So each team had to go off by themselves for a couple minutes, and speculate about what we were going to do to the team they picked. I would have done the same thing, trying to outwit the game. But sometimes you can think to much. I mean, I sort of assumed the teams would vote for the Black Team. And, actually, I don’t know why they didn’t. Everyone likes Mark and Jay, they are great guys, but they’ve been the obvious threat from day 1.

I felt bad for Kelly and Paul because they didn’t have any time at all to enjoy their reward before they were handed the unsettling news of being pitted against the rest of the teams for the whole week. Not an easy task. Even with Jillian focusing exclusively on them. Which by the way, I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Jillian and Bob both, are unbelievably tough in group settings. One-on-one? Watch out.

It was amazing to watch Paul bound across that balance beam in the pool. (How hilarious was the gong they kept playing?) He was cautious the first lap. Maybe even the second… but he quickly took the lead and never looked back. And never gave Kelly a chance, either?! She told me she kept trying to get a chance to do it, but Paul was on a mission – which would serve as a foreshadow to the weigh-in, he was determined to show that the Yellow team could beat the group.

And Kelly looked so torn up about giving their prize to the other teams. It was an extremely generous decision, as well as a politically wise one, but Paul seemed to be truly focused on his goal and not interested in the distraction. Kelly seemed much more upset to give up the letters, but she didn’t hesitate to agree with Paul when he made the offer. And the other teams, seemed genuinely taken aback by the offer. They were truly overwhelmed to know they’d be hearing from their loved ones, thanks to Paul and Kelly. They’ve been away from their families for a month now, and I can only imagine the toll that takes of everyone. Hopefully the letters will inspire them to stay strong and focused on their goals.

Once again, I was pretty surprised by the decision at the Elimination. Black clearly avoided the noose by winning BL Team of the Week. Without that immunity, Paul made it clear at the weigh-in and at the elimination table that the Yellow teams vote was going to be Mark and Jay.

There was obviously a lot of strategy and gameplay going on all week. And while Kelly seemed upset by some teams coming forward during elim with how they’d ‘taken it easy’ which ultimately helped the Yellow team secure a victory at the weigh-in, they have clearly formed tight alliances with certain teams.

Clearly, the teams of two are diving into the strategy of Biggest Loser early on. Jackie and Dan selected ‘Gameplay’ as their reward for being Biggest Loser Team of the Week with barely any hesitation. And then they asked me if I would reveal what their prize had been. I said it is their prize to share, or keep to themselves if they wish. But that, the other teams would definitely find out what they’d won at the next elimination. So, they must have re-thought their story, because I was working out in the 24 hour gym on campus when Dan and Jackie rejoined the group. And they announced that there were three envelopes, they explained what they’d won, but they chose to mislead everyone and claim that the envelopes were not marked. That it was a blind choice. It was definitely an interesting maneuver on their part. But I love how they work out as they scheme!

The challenge led to some interesting discussions and certainly was revealing of all the early alliances that have crept up. I was surprised by the reaction of the other teams to the interaction between Mark and Jay. I must admit, I was standing 15 feet from them and I didn’t find their argument to be so out of line. I guess I have brothers, and I’m extremely competitive as you can clearly see Mark is. So I guess it seemed like a moment of frustration to me, and it caught me off guard the way that it was interpreted by Brittany and some of the others. I did catch the by-play between Jackie and Jay. Again, I just think that challenge brought out a lot of strategy and emotion that people weren’t quite ready to admit to? And in the end Gray won. Who would have guessed that? They seem like such an obvious ‘threat’ to me in this game. While the black team is more in the ‘limelight’ the Gray team has a tremendous amount of weight to lose, and the numbers they’ve been putting up are impressive. I was surprised that no one thought of them as a threat to take out early if possible. How long they will succeed in staying below the radar.

I loved how Jillian dealt with Ali and Bette-Sue. It was so amazing to see the breakthrough in their relationship. And to see how honestly Ali faced her emotional struggles with her weight. And I love Bette-Sue for acknowledging her weaknesses, and wanting to change, and loving her daughter SO MUCH. They are such great, strong women. I really admire both of them and am so proud of the huge changes they have made, in such a short period of time.

What can I say about Neill and Amanda. I love how Jillian reached out to him. She has an amazing way of getting through to people, and figuring out what is mentally and emotionally behind the weight is just as important as the nutrition and exercise. But I have been in the gym when she punishes everyone because he was walking or holding on to the treadmill. And it’s understandable how infuriated everyone was by his behavior. Amanda never gave up. While I was in the gym with everyone this week I never once heard Amanda complain, or saw her slow down. She committed 100% to this competition and I was not surprised at all to see how well she’s succeeded at home.

The twist for the next week? You’ll have to wait and see!!! :)

The challenge this week looked like so much fun – obviously not for 100 ups and downs, but I really wanted to try the giant see-saws and see what it felt like to be 12 feet up in the air. I was so bummed not to get that chance. Next time!

Anyway, it was impressive to see Mark and Jay, again dominate the challenge. Their communication skills kept them going as they got tired, and again Blue team was making the Black team fight for victory, but in the end the outcome was clear. Black team wins again. But most of the teams wanted to keep going, to reach the 100 mark. Bette-Sue wasn’t as excited to keep it up as Ali, but Ali kept her going. Purple team were closest to me, so I got the chance to see how well Maggie and Jenn support each other. They were great at inspiring each other, when it was needed, or giving a verbal kick in the pants, when that was what’s called for. That’s what friends are for, right?!

I love Jillian, and believe me – I’ve worked out with her, and she is a bad@ss. But it was hilarious when she said that Bob is a ‘kinder, gentler’ trainer, and then they cut to him in the gym kicking Roger’s butt. Because I know Bob seems sensitive, and he is, but he definitely doesn’t let that stop him from getting the job done. And then we definitely saw that Jillian has a ‘softer’ side too…

Neill’s struggle with the gym was such a key part of the episode. While I can only imagine how hard it was for him to watch, it shows how real and how tough this experience is. Weight loss is not just about counting calories and running on a treadmill – there is huge emotional and psychological aspect that is dealt with every day. And Jillian’s talk with Neill was just one example of the way that Jillian and Bob work with everyone they train to help them change the rest of their lives.

Everyone dealt with very low and frustrating numbers on the scale today. And the temptation the night before the weigh in didn’t help. Though Mark, Paul and Mallory all took into account their calories and spent extra time at the gym they all were thinking about that BBQ when then got on the scale. But the weigh-in was a wake-up call to everyone that weight loss at the Biggest Loser campus in some ways, is just like at home. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve experienced that same feeling myself – I spent a whole week, eating right, working out for what? No lbs gone?! And then it’s so much easier to just throw in the towel. I have so much admiration for everyone, dusting off their disappointments and renewing their efforts with Bob and Jillian to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

The elimination this week was so emotional. Each team had a different approach. Purple went with the numbers, meaning they voted for the Brown team because they had the lowest percentage of weight loss. Other teams went with the bonds they’d formed – some were clearly so close to Curtis and Mallory and some have tight friendships with Kelly and Paul. Amanda and Neill seemed very upset to be losing their roommates. They obviously had a lot in common, and the friendships that are formed on campus become very close very quickly. I have to say, on that subject, having watched reality shows for years, I never really understood why contestants would become so emotional about voting someone off after having only known that person for a few weeks.

But having lived through, only partially, what they are going through, it all makes sense now. They are living in each others pockets… 24/7. they have no outside support system, so they immediately bond with the people they click with. Bottom line, you have to trust someone, somehow. And with everyone at Biggest Loser, ultimately trying to achieve the same goal, it is easy to see how such tight friendships form so quickly. And it was heartbreaking seeing Jay hug Mallory goodbye, and Neill show such emotion at saying goodbye to the brown team. They walked away with the pride of knowing they do have the inner strength to continue – and that everyone in the room, crew, host included is supporting them on their journey and wishing them the best of luck.

Biggest Loser, Season 5 is here! It seems like just yesterday I was saying goodbye to Bill, Holly, Julie & Isabeau. (oh, right… the finale was only 2 weeks ago.lol) And here we are again. A new ranch again this season. With 20 new contestants. 20!!! I mean, that is a lot of people.

Right from when we first started discussing the possibility of doing teams of two, I loved the idea. To have a teammate with you, going through this experience, would add so many interesting dynamics to the show. First of all, you have a built in support system. Some one who will love you no matter what happens on campus. But, then in some ways maybe it’s harder too. And gotta love Jillian’s comment – they may be bringing their ‘enabler’ with them…What’s harder: getting on the scale in front everyone in America, or getting on the scale in front of your husband?

It’s a little bit difficult to get to know 20 new people right away. Some personalities stand out more than others. Paul for example… he teased me and let me in on his sense of humor right away. And I am, of course, fascinated by his relationship with his ex-wife, Kelly. They both seem like great people, and its so interesting that they are ex’s who decided to team up for an experience like the Biggest Loser. Obviously they still care about each other a lot.

Right away, I love Dan – he is hilarious, and very charming. He and his mom are so boisterous and they have a very loving relationship. Talking to all three parent-child teams really struck home for me. I have a young son, and I am trying so hard to teach him healthy eating habits and getting him outside to play all the time, so I know how tough it is. And I relate to these Bette-Sue, Jackie and Lynn, feeling like they are responsible for their child being in this situation. But I love the pro-active attitude both members of these teams have taken. The kids aren’t letting their parents take all the responsibility, and they are definitely all taking on the challenge of getting healthy.

I look forward to getting to know all the other teams as well… based on the challenges this week, the Black team is setting a pretty high standard. They are clearly going after everything on Campus no holes barred. And Bette-Sue seemed to struggle with her confidence when facing our very first challenge. But when she finished in the middle of the pack at the balloon challenge I could see her confidence go way up. It was just too bad to see the purple team, Maggie and Jenn have such trouble out there on the course. They are such great girls and great friends, I am glad they have another week here. It’s hard to say goodbye to anyone, but I was so sad to see Lynn and Jenny leave. The father/daughter bond they share is obvious, and Lynn clearly made a positive, strong impression on the house. During the elimination, Bernie, Mark and some others really tried to help motivate Lynn to go home and continue his road to health, for his family. They were all really rooting them on.

We’re starting off on another great season of Biggest Loser!

The FINALE – where to begin? First of all, I gotta admit I was pretty nervous to do a LIVE two hour finale. My first real experience hosting live tv. But, as soon as we started talking about the contestants, Jim, Phil, Nicole, B, Amy… seeing their successes, everything else just faded away. It was so thrilling to be up on that stage with everyone – and hearing their families cheering from the audience. And weren’t their transformations just unbelievable?! I was blown away by everyone – how great they looked and how confident and proud they seemed – as well they should! They all clearly learned so much from Bob, Kim and Jillian, and they took it home and have transformed their lives.

Kae looked fabulous and adorable in her sleek little black dress. Amy totally rocked in her fab short hair cut and sassy dress. I could go on and on about everyone and how great they looked – how hot did Phil, Neil, B… how hot were all the boys! Jerry, ripping his shirt off?? That was definitely unexpected! Lol. But man, he worked his butt off, and he deserved a moment to show off. I’m so glad I got the chance to ask Neil about those 17lbs. seriously – how do you tell your family about that? “see, mom, dad… what happened was…” But, Neil is a really great guy, and everyone in the house – even the black team – loves him. That’s when you have to remember it’s a game, too… Honestly, if I didn’t’ have a million things to concentrate on I would have been crying with everyone with pride over all 18 of them.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t sit back and enjoy the show because I was working! Ha! Since the contestants didn’t get a real rehearsal, I was basically in charge of making sure everything went smoothly out on stage. So, I had about a million things on my mind – but when Julie popped through that old photo, in her gorgeous pants and strapless top, she took my breath away. As did Hollie, Isabeau and Bill. The final Four were all dressed to kill and looked ready to take on that scale one last time.

How cool is it that Isabeau is a personal trainer? I loved her ‘pay it forward’ attitude about wanting to share what she’s learned from Jillian. And I hope you all see how sweet, awesome and funny Julie is. I love her attitude towards life, and her quick wit. Nicole and I spoke during a commercial break about how weird it was that some fans thought Julie was being mean about Nicole’s ‘accident’. Nicole definitely dishes it out to everyone, she should practically do stand up, and she can take it too. Julie just has a funny, clever way of commenting on everything that’s happening, and certainly can make fun of herself too, as you saw when she talked about speaking before Congress… I love that you saw Hollie’s emotions when she talked about making it all the way to the final four with her teammates. Bill and Jim doing their ‘dance’?? How insane is it that the TWINS won? So amazing. Everyone deserved all the applause and cheering and love that was in that room – and I was so glad/lucky to be a part of their journey. I am going to miss them SO MUCH!!!

I care about everyone in the house so much, and had such a good time with them for four months, they are all such special people, and I’m so glad you got to get to know them, and see them as I do… And we’re in the middle of shooting season 5, another awesome group of people, so tune in January 1st, to meet them!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!
Happy New Year!!!!

Oh and – the confetti tasted great. Ha ha. Seriously? What can you do? Rehearse it a million times, and there are still some things you just can’t control. lol. That's live tv for you! :)

Okay, so I gotta say, that Trampoline challenge was SO tough. I tried it after we were done, and when they started raising those bags up higher and higher?? It was impossible to get a rhythm going. I was so impressed with how Hollie seemed so comfortable up there – here cheerleading background obviously gave her the edge! And once again, Neil didn’t win the challenge. I mean, he is so jinxed! But that one round, when Bill knocked him out? It was neck and neck the entire time. I was calling out their numbers, so they would know how close they were… that one of them was going to have to step it up to beat the other. And in the end, it was all about the timing of when that bell sounded. A second earlier and it could have been Bill knocked out. Seriously, it was that close. But ultimately, the Black Team girls had that challenge locked up. They were smoking past the guys up there.

It was obviously such a tough night for Nicole at the weigh-in. Usually she is filled with laughter, and always upbeat, but she felt the writing was on the wall as soon as she saw that -1 on the scale. And in some ways, it seemed like an obvious decision for the Black team. To protect their teammate, Julie, and stick to their original alliance, but its never an easy decision for anyone. And Hollie, Isabeau, Bill, Neil and Nicole have all become close – they’ve been friends and living together (and working together, how funny was it to see Neil doing dishes?!) so it’s never easy to vote someone off. It’s also tough because so close to the end of the game, in some ways, it’s less about ‘needing’ BL Campus, and more about the people you are so close to, your new support system, Bob, Jillian, and Kim, as well as the ultimate prize. Nicole and I talked about how hard it is to leave knowing you were one week away from making it to the finales. It’s brutal! And being a competitive person, I totally relate!

I saw Bob tonight and I had to tease him about hilarious he was in the episode last night. Dave and I are major tivo-ers. We often rewind shows to replay funny lines again and again. Especially funny things people say on reality tv. So, for example, Bob was our winner last night! When he called out Neil during the work out "roll your eyes, I don't care. I can see through your @ss." Or words to that affect. classic. and the other was after Nicole and Neil got back from an exhausting day of 'work', and Bob was there to train them. He teased Nicole about her long day "awww, did Nicole have to make pizza today. waaa waa waa." Bob is so awesome. I love him.

I really liked the montage in honor of the Red Team. Kim had a tough season! And I really enjoyed that little trip down memory lane, and it just got me even more excited for the finale in two weeks because I can’t wait to see how Amber, Lezlye, Phil, Cowboy and B look - will Amy sit with the Black team or the Red? I have no idea, I’m looking forward to talking to her about all that too.

The Extra-Long Lasting Challenge had a tiny over-bite. Nicole took on-going teasing about chipping her two front teeth by diving into the shallow end of the pool with a great sense of humor. In fact her jokes were just as good if not better than everyone else on the crews. Have I mentioned that Nicole does a hilarious impression of me? Well, I should clarify that she does an impression of everyone on set, the crew and other competitors. So I am just one of many… and she’s really good, and very funny. So, even though she’s totally making fun of you, you’re totally laughing right along with everyone else.

I found a fellow Harry Potter fan in Hollie. We shot that challenge right when book 7 was released, so I snuck a copy in to Hollie. After that it was impossible for the production team to get us to be quiet because we were whispering back and forth for days about the characters and the story. And what you may not know, is being on a reality show is exhausting – All the players are up and working out with their trainers early, all day every day. So, it took Hollie forever to get through HP, and I was seriously dying for her to have time to read so we could talk about it. As you all know who’ve read it – there is just SO MUCH to discuss… but that is for a different blog. Lol.

Anyway, I was sad to say goodbye to B this week. And the red team. It was a really hard time for Kim as well as B. He has done an amazing job on campus and it was so sweet to hear him talk about how being a part of BL has changed his life.

How AWESOME were the make-overs??? Didn’t you just cry with each reunion?! And how fantastic everyone looks?! I was so excited for everyone! Even though I had to shoot Days at the same time, I was running back and forth to the wardrobe area and I got to see Hollie, Kae and Isabeau trying on their new clothes. They all looked so great – and happy to be out of work-out gear! But Kae surprised me the most, she was all giggly and so excited to be girly – I guess I’m just so used to seeing her so focused, she is ‘Bob’s soldier’ after all!

It was also fun for all my Days’ friends to come over and meet the contestants. Kristian was SO sweet – she brought a necklace from her jewelry line, Hope, Faith Miracles (www.faithmiracles.com) for each of the ladies. They were all so touched! Also, they were excited meeting their first fans! Because I’ve spent so much time talking about them – without giving anything away! – with my castmates, that Martha (Belle), Brandon (Shawn), Julie (Billie) and Jay (Philip) couldn’t wait to go over and meet them because they are such huge fans of Biggest Loser. Talk about world colliding! I was all over the place that day – making introductions, learning lines for both shows, changing wardrobe, sneaking in to watch the ‘loved-one surprise’, not to mention hosting a dinner party!

It was really rewarding for me to get to meet each contestants loved-one. Nicole’s mom was so nice, and I got to tease her about how funny Nicole is… Neil’s gorgeous girlfriend, I shared with B’s wife how lucky we all were to hear B sing for us in Jamaica, and everyone… I felt that much closer to the gang, meeting the people they care about so much.

The whole day was exhausting for all the contestants – they had a photo shoot to do, the emotions of seeing their families and friends… it was so exciting and draining for them… and of course, they have to go back to campus and work out!

Not to mention a brutal challenge. Climbing those ropes seemed so daunting... Kae really stole the day doing such an amazing job – she almost made it look easy! Everyone seemed so excited for her winning the shopping spree. Her body has completely changed from day one, so she’s going to need all new clothes! And she certainly earned the reward! It was sad to say goodbye to Kae because she has been such an inspirational opponent, setting insanely high standards for herself, and never being satisfied... always ready to work harder. When I spoke to her after the elimination, she was definitely sad to be leaving, but she seemed ready to face the challenge of going home, and I know she’s going to be hard to beat of the at-home contestants. She is going to be at that finale looking fantastic, and she was so happy to go home to her sweet husband.

Finally, a challenge close to home! First of all, I work out at 24 Hour, so that was familiar, but then it was weird showing up to a gym, and then getting my hair and make-up done in a locker room, to look nice, rather than getting all sweaty and gross. The other nice thing about shooting locally, is I was finally able to invite my friends and family to come watch. My mom and dad came with my brother and his new wife (they were married last Christmas) and Dave came for a little bit. As well as Bryan (Dattilo, Days) and Kyle (Brandt) stopped by later in the evening.

We didn’t start shooting until after 9pm, which definitely made for a late night. I think we wrapped around 3am the next morning. A long day – given that I had been shooting at Days since 6:45am that morning. But never mind my schedule – I can only imagine how brutal it was for everyone competing in a triathlon until 2am. But, man did Hollie kick butt in that swimming pool or what?

Lol – luckily it was Friday night, so I was very psyched to hand Dave the early shift with Ben and sleep in. In fact, when I heard Ben wake up at 7am, I woke up a little feeling like I’d been drugged… it was still the middle of the night for me!

Those donuts. What to say? I was actually kinda surprised that everyone (except Kae) participated in the temptation. But, it took for ever to set up that night, and it actually looked really fun… the way B had his toes in the jam, and everyone was just throwing donuts all over the place. And there was a mini-food fight at the end when Bill won. Again. He has a Biggest Loser Bowflex at-home gym, a Ford Escape Hybrid, and now $5,000, and then he caps off this episode by making it to 100lbs. What an amazing accomplishment. Neil mentioned it briefly on the show – but these two did have a bit of a rivalry going on campus. There would be stories about each trying to beat the other to the gym in the morning, or stay later at night. They seemed to be great motivation for each other. Frankly, I was glad Bill got the focus of those donuts – because Kae and I were kinda afraid we were going to be the targets! So we were able to stay clean!!

Back to the challenge. Nicole, Julie, all the girls, really, loved meeting Bryan and Kyle. For the obvious purely superficial reasons but I did hear them trying to get dirt on me too. My family loved seeing all the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into making the show. All the cameras, the monitors and the fantastic crew that works non-stop to make everything look so great. But I was so nervous with all of them watching! Like my first day again.

And… Amy was eliminated. (She looks fantastic now doesn’t she??!! And her daughters are so adorable!) As I commented in the elimination room, there were some strong words spoken by several players. It seemed to come down to strategy vs merit for some of the voters. Several talked about how hard B worked every day, and that he was 100% committed to being on campus, and Amy’s home-sickness made people question her commitment. It’s so much easier to watch the show at home and say ‘oh you should have done this’ or “why didn’t she say that?” but when you’re living it like they are, its so much more difficult to remove yourself from what you’re going through to figure out what to do. And in the end, who’s to say which way is right?

This was such a great idea. Ever since my character on Days had a “Green Wedding” I have been even more aware of all the little things we can do to help the environment. I now incorporate some of the things I learned during that storyline when I’m throwing parties or just in everyday life. So, I was really excited that Biggest Loser was doing something for the environment too! And happy to see how everyone embraced the theme this week. A little grumbling from Bill (justifiably afraid of going back into the desert with Jillian) aside, they all were enthusiastic about learning ways they can be more eco-friendly.

Now, at this point in the season, you may be asking me… do I have a favorite? The truth is, yes! I want them all to win! Seriously, they are all fantastic people, and I really admire the effort they are putting into this game/life-change. By nature, I am a root-for-the-under-dog type person. For example, I will root for the LA Clippers vs the LA Lakers every time. Every sport I watch in fact, I almost always find myself cheering for the losing team. Nothing is more exciting than a come-back! So in each situation here at the Biggest Loser Campus, each challenge, each weigh-in, I am cheering them all on! And nothing is more difficult for me in this job than looking someone in the eye and saying “you are not the Biggest Loser”. It seriously kills me.

We talk a lot afterwards about what their plans are when they get home. How they are going to stick to their diet/exercise plan going once they’re home. We do have a big advantage in Los Angeles, having health-food stores everywhere, as well as Jillian, Kim and Bob always ready to help motivate you. I travel frequently to different towns throughout the US, and sometimes it can be very difficult to find health-conscious food, especially in restaurants. But having the knowledge, is a big step in the right direction. Knowing what ‘healthy’ is, vs falling for the “low-fat” label on a package of cookies, can make all the difference.

I am really looking forward to seeing everyone again at the finale. I wonder how Phil is doing, Jerry, Patty, Jez… I think about all the contestants who have already gone home and I hope they are still working hard on their new lifestyles. I can’t wait to see them all!!

This has been the craziest week. There has been a lot of drama with the contestants...talk about game play! All the strategy and the different emotions has wreaked havoc on everyone.

When everyone started this game, it was much easier for them to vote out their teammates, knowing the first few really had changed their lives. Jerry, Phil, there is very little doubt in anyone’s minds that they will continue to lose weight at home, and have really committed themselves to a healthier life. But, now as we are down to 10, the decision have become more difficult. Add in the alliances, the team colors, and wow – nothing but drama and heartache.

But in that elimination room this week, there seemed to be a different vibe. Everyone seemed like they had re-focused on the game, and playing it fairly. And to prove it, they all seemed in agreement to vote out the strongest competitor, the ‘biggest threat’, which in this case was Cowboy. Side note – Cowboy is the nickname all the contestants gave David from Day 1 practically. When I asked him about it he laughed, always a good sport, but explained that he lives on a farm, has horses hence the nickname ‘Cowboy’. And true to his nature, when it was revealed that he had been voted off, he took it in stride, and encouraged his teammates to keep playing a good, clean, fair game. To keep working hard, and ‘stay above the yellow line’. It was a difficult goodbye, but I am confident that David will continue to stay focused on his path.

And I will always remember my first work out with the contestants – about 2 or 3 weeks in…I stayed after shooting one night to get a workout in at the 24 Hour Fitness Gym we have on Campus. Phil and Cowboy roped me into doing a ‘spin class’ with them. With Phil as ‘teacher’. And they literally wore me out!!! I could barely walk out of the gym afterwards. Twice during the workout, Cowboy asked me if I was okay, if they should pull back – and of course, I said “no way!’ deep breath, deep breath, “I’m fine!” ha! I was desperately trying to keep up with them. And I walked (stumbled) back to my car with a new respect for them. Believe me – everyone on campus is committed, and they may be still be in the process of losing weight, but they could still put most people I know to shame in the gym!!!

This week I had to do a photo shoot with the trainers. Ben came along with me to hang out while we took the pictures. He ran around on the grass and kicked a ball that I brought with us.

After we took pictures, Ben and I sat in the kitchen with the contestants and hung out for a bit. As Kim said, it was a bit of “kid therapy”. Ben did his part to entertain his audience! He smiled, laughed, gave out high-fives and generally had a good time. Julie and Nicole asked him questions about his morning – there just happened to be a dog show taking place nearby and Ben told them all about the dogs ‘jumping high’ and going “up, up, up! And down, down, down!”

While Ben had a good time running around the kitchen, playing with Neil and Hollie, Nicole, Julie and Amy and I talked about Days. They were all asking questions about ‘Colleen’, the second character I’ve been playing on Days this summer. Isabeau was funny – she revealed that she used to watch Days when she was a teen and that she HATED Sami. Lol. When she found out I was hosting the show, her mom teased her about what she would say to me!! Luckily, for both of us (!!), I am not at all like my character.

Ben also had a very cute reunion with his ol’ friend, Bob. Or “Ob” as Ben says. They definitely have a connection and – Jillian and Kim both witnessed Ben squirming out of my arms, and taking off at a run towards Bob to give him a hug. Finally, it was time to go...Ben’s big on passing out air-kisses and hugs, saying goodbye to everyone we passed. Ben made a lot of friends at mommy’s work!

My dad came by the set to watch them shoot the challenge this week on Venice beach. It was so fun getting to introduce him to everyone. I was standing near Phil, David and B when he walked up…they asked me who that new guy was, I said “That’s my dad!” My dad got a kick out of watching production, and seeing the challenge. He was pretty impressed by everyone – and certainly at how Phil managed to win for the Red Team.

But my dad did find the opportunity to tell embarrassing stories about me in front of Bill, Jim, B and Amy. Yup – parents can always squeeze in the chance to embarrass their kids, right?! But overall, I loved having him see where I work and sharing that with him.

It was a very difficult elimination. I was so upset to see the Red Team lose the weigh-in again. It was clearly an incredibly difficult decision for them all. I just hope they are able to pull through and stay focused after saying goodbye to Phil.

Jamaica has been such an amazing experience. You really get to know people when you travel together! We stayed at this amazing resort, the Grand Lido, in Negril. It was so cool to go down to breakfast and run into the blue team coming from a work out or watch the black team working out on the beach.

Also, because the Black Team got to enjoy massages thanks to winning the reward, Jillian had time to train me. When Jillian offered, I jumped at the chance. They are such smart trainers, I couldn’t miss my chance. But then, all morning, I was definitely nervous! I mean, come on… I’ve seen how she trains. She’s hard core. And I am definitely not the type to give up easily. And she said right from the beginning that she was going to push me to my limits. And she did.

After all we got all the work (and working out) out of the way, the evenings here are so much fun. Even though it was still super muggy – you just never stop sweating here – we all had fun activities planned. Corina, my Make-up Artist, brought her husband, so Dave and I went out with them to a local fish ‘shack’ and had delicious local cuisine. And on the last night, Dave and I ate at the Japanese restaurant on the grounds of the Grand Lido. We found Jez at the Sushi bar (eating Sashimi), and shortly after that Nicole, Kae and Neil ate with Bob and Kim helped Phil, David, Amy pick out some yummy, healthy things from the menu.

After dinner we all headed out, looking to join the cast/crew having a farewell to “Paradise” evening… We found a few fun places to hang out. There was a cool nightclub where B, David, Amy, Dave and I danced for a while. Kim encouraged our mini dance-class from one of the local performers knowing how many calories we were burning without even knowing it!

After we were exhausted from dancing, Dave and I decided to call it a night. We stepped outside the club, only to stumble upon Bill and Jim in a heated ping pong match. Dave and I accepted the offer of a doubles match I played with Jim and Dave and Bill were on the other team. It was a hilarious game, with a debatable outcome – Jim and I claim that we won. LOL.

I was so lucky to be able to have Dave and Ben join me on this work trip. It turned into a perfect mini-vacation. Ben is like the mayor here – everyone knows him and says ‘hi Ben” as we walk by. It’s so cute… he remembers so many names too. And he loves Bob. It was SO cute watching them play together in the pool. Ben would swim after Bob saying “Bob! Wait for me, Bob!!!” Bob got such a kick out of Ben, too. So even though I was so sore for days after my work out with Jillian, it was a super relaxing and incredibly fun vacation.

This week we surprised the teams with something a little different. A new kind of temptation – meant for their trainers! The looks on their faces said it all. They were shocked! From where I sat, the trainers seemed a little tempted at first to eat those cupcakes (you should have seen the way the crew was drooling over them!!! :) ) But on principle, Bob, Jillian and Kim all decided to stick together and ‘just say no’.

I also explained to the trainers and their teams that this was “Trainer Week’. Not only was the temptation meant for them, but they would participate in the challenge this week as well. They all seemed very excited at the prospect of joining their teams in a little friendly competition.

The morning of our Challenge shoot dawned with major weather problems. My call time was 7am on location in the mountains behind Malibu. When we arrived, you couldn’t even see across the parking lot. And the whole premise of the challenge that day involved seeing the “flags” several hundred yards away. The fog didn’t let up for HOURS! It was definitely not your typical, idyllic image of Malibu, I can tell you that.

Luckily, the overcast layer burned off enough that after an early crew lunch, the director decided we’d be able to shoot the challenge.

It was quite a hike up to the actual location where we were shooting – in clear weather, you’d be able to see the ocean from where we were. As it was – we were lucky the teams could make out the flags enough to complete the challenge.

Hollie took quite a spill when the Black Team’s attempt, but she sucked it up, and pulled through to complete the challenge. Her leg was definitely torn up – quite a “war wound”! That girl’s got guts!

Once again, the Red Team with Powerhouse Phil leading the way, notched another victory on the belts. 4 challenges in a row… what will it take to beat them?
The weigh-in proved just how valuable the reward for winning the challenge was. The Blue Team clearly regretted letting the Red Team make that run. And they ended up losing the weigh-in because of that mistake.

Yikes! This was such a busy week!!! First the temptation started the week off with some major drama. After explaining to everyone that they would have to spend time alone in a room with all that food, with one person winning a 3 lb pass at the next weigh-in, they were also told there was no strategizing amongst teammates. As people came out from the room, there was a lot of trash talk – some people saying they didn’t eat anything and others claiming the crew will have to restock the room before the next person goes.

Meanwhile, the contestants who hadn’t gone yet, weren’t supposed to be strategizing, they were only allowed to talk to me! Ha – so we talked about movies (one of my favorite go-to conversations), we quoted our favorite lines from movies, and Nicole told me that she was a long time Days fan. She asked me about the show, and what was happening right now. I gave her a brief synopsis and soon everyone was in on it – even Ryan and Neil had questions about the show and how it works etc. It was really my first chance to sit and get to know everyone better.

The challenge was SO fun --– are you faster than a 3rd grader??? The kids they got to run against our teams were so cute, and FAST!! When I found out what the challenge would be, I had no idea how it would turn out. The crew and I were trying to guess, figure out what they best strategy would be, and which kid was the fastest. They were all like rockets! B and Jim and some of the others exchanged some cute light-hearted trash talk with Jack.

The weigh-in was a huge relief to the Red Team - not just did they avoid elimination, but they WON the weigh-in. It was definitely a boost for them. But the Blue team was completely caught off guard and unhappy about their first elimination.

I was so sad to say ‘good-bye’ to Jerry. He has such a great, outgoing personality. And I think everyone on Campus was motivated by how hard he worked to lose weight. The Blue team commented that they all felt he had the strength, mentally and physically to continue on his own at home, which was what made their decision. But it was still hard to see him leave.

Knowing the big twist that was going to hit the teams in Week 2, I was definitely nervous and anxious to get going. But first, the challenge. The Blue and Red teams both wanted this win, but the Blue team I think was determined to beat the Red team after their loss at last weeks challenge. And for a while it looked like it was going to happen. Blue held on to a clear lead almost all the way through, but when Phil squared off against Jerry as the final two to run the stairs, it was clear that Phil wasn’t going to give up. I totally got caught up in the moment as Jerry and Phil disappeared behind the walls and we couldn’t see them until they came around the corner towards the finish line.

It was such a close race! It was hard to see the Blue team be disappointed again, but the Red team is shaping up to be a powerhouse in these challenges. Unfortunately, they couldn’t translate that strength into a win at the weigh-in.

Standing there with the Black Team, watching the Blue and Red teams faces when they caught sight of their new competitors, I was so nervous. The Black team didn’t know what to expect, what the teams reactions would be. There were a lot of mixed feelings about being left behind, in the desert, but also excitement to rejoin the game.

I have to say - it was so hard to say ‘goodbye’ to the Black team out there, in the desert. And let them think they were leaving the game. I felt terrible as I saw Jez lean up against the gas pump, Bill & Jim trying to shake off the disappointment, and Julie and Hollie consoling each other. But I knew it was going to be awesome having them back, having them return to the game to face off against the other two teams. And it was – they weighed in, and showed their strength by winning the weigh-in! I think Jillian was nervous to make a good first impression with her teams results. You can definitely tell that this more than just a game to Jillian, Kim & Bob. They all are so invested in their team – and for that matter all the contestants.

After the weigh-in, Red team had a major blow – they had to vote off another member, two weeks in a row. It was so brutal to see them again at the elimination. They were not ready to lose anyone and Lezlye was a strong member of their team. I was so impressed with how she handled herself after the votes. She understood the decision of her teammates, even though she definitely wanted to stay, she wished them the best, and said she knows that one of them is going to win the whole thing.

I didn’t get a chance to know Lezlye well, but I really admire her strength and courage. And she made me laugh with some pretty clever come-backs while we were hanging out during shooting. After she said goodbye, I reminded the Red Team that they only have 4 team members facing two other teams, 6 strong. They have an uphill battle, but I had better not see them in the elimination next week!

I had several jam-packed days in New York City this week. It was fun, exciting and crazy.
It was hard to say goodbye to Ben and Dave on Sunday morning, but one of my close friends lives in NYC, and I was looking forward to having a fun dinner with her when I arrived too. We caught up on tons of gossip – and she insisted since she won’t be with me to celebrate my birthday next week, that we should start celebrating it early! Who could say ‘no’ to that? I have a friend who extends her birthday to last the whole month! She knows how to milk it, man, no kidding. So, I figured I am entitled to a birthday ‘week’, right??!! Monday started off with a ‘satellite media tour’. Which means you sit in front of a camera, and they direct link you to local networks around the country in 10 minute increments. But we did this at the NBC Experience store in Rockefeller center, with people shopping and taking the nbc tour passing by me. Lol… I felt like an exhibit ‘warning – do not tease the actor!’ But it all worked out, and it turned out great. After that I did a signing at quick signing at the store. It was fun meeting the Days and BL fans – some Second Chance fans came with a message, so: “HI, back!” 
We walked away from the nbc store with an umbrella in hand – being from LA, I don’t really carry an umbrella, well, ever. So this was sort of a new experience for me. And it was one of the big umbrellas, you know, like Mary Poppins style. And it wasn’t raining. Which started to make me feel kind of goofy. Carrying this major water guard around with me, into important meetings and having to find a place to stow my completely dry umbrella. I like the word ‘umbrella’. It’s fun to say. Why is that? how weird. So, finally I ditched my work (read uncomfortable) clothes in my hotel room, and met up with some friends for a few drinks and a late dinner.
Tuesday, I had to get up super early to get ready for the Today Show. Umbrella in hand, we headed over to Studio 1a. There was no rain so again, I was left dealing with this bulky thing in the make-up room and in the green room as I was getting ready to go on. I was on around 8:30am I think. Jodi Foster was on at the top of the hour, she was so poised and gave the most beautiful interview. I can’t wait to see her new movie. And Jodi just seemed like such an amazing person. I love her! Anyway, I spoke to Meredith about the Biggest Loser for a few minutes, she showed some good clips of the show – Jillian working the black team out in the desert is FIERCE, right??!!! And then we were off to the offices of Prevention Magazine. As we were walking down the streets of Manhattan it starts to rain. I look around and where is the damn umbrella??? Right – back in the dressing room at the Today Show. Now it is really coming down and I have no way to protect my hair, face, dress, from the rain because I left my stupid monster of an umbrella behind. Argh!!! Luckily they were very understanding and compassionate about my condition upon arriving! They are very involved with the Biggest Loser, and active on the website and the Biggestloserclub.com. I did some interviews for their site and magazine, etc and then back out into the rain. Wet again. But this time I didn’t care so much because I had a couple hours of down time (nap!) to get ready to go down to Rachel Ray.

to be cont...

Wow. My first week with Biggest Loser has been so overwhelming, fun, exciting and definitely inspiring. Having watched plenty of ‘reality’ tv over the years, I thought I knew what to expect, but being a part of a show like BL is way more intense than I expected. And I feel I have already bonded with the Contestants and the Trainers.

Right from the beginning, the producers are determined to keep us all on our toes this season. The Contestants and I found ourselves in the middle of the desert. It was hot and sunny… everyone was sweating!!! And we were all in for a very exciting morning. Standing closest to me was Jerry, Kae and Lezlye. Being a competitive person myself, I was surprised to see that whenever anyone expressed concern about the challenge facing them someone else would immediately jump in to motivate them. As I said, I realized right away how affecting this experience was going to be. Every single person is so motivated and determined to be here. I can see already how hard it is going to be to say good bye to people as they get eliminated.

Just talking to Bob and Kim motivated me to work out and of course, I had tons of questions about how they train – Bob knows one of my trainers. It’s such a small world. And he also invited me to come take his spin class which I am definitely going to do. (Juggling both jobs, I’m not sure how much free time I’ll have, but especially being a part of this show I know I’ll be MAKING time to work out!) It’s a good kick in the you-know-what to see Bob and Kim every week… and it keeps me away from the sweets table too!

At the end of their first challenge – racing to Bob and Kim – it was so awesome to see everyone helping each other make it to the finish line. After Jerry and Phil claimed Team Captain status, they kept going back out into the desert to encourage their future teammates. That sincerity and commitment is what this show is really about. One of the first twists in the game appeared as I explained that winning the Team Captain role meant they got to choose their teammates. What an incredibly difficult task – to pick teams, only having known each other for 2 hours! And on top of that – everyone thought that the people who weren’t picked would be going home… and out of the game.

It was so hard for me to watch Phil and Jerry struggle with such a difficult situation, because all the responsibility for this decision was on their shoulders. And as we were standing outside the Last Chance Diner, and people’s names were being called, and the number of spots left were dwindling, I think we were all recalling what it feels like to be picked last for the kickball team in grade school. And as the Red and Blue teams headed off in their bus, it felt so horrible to leave the 6 remaining contestants standing there. As a fan of reality tv, I knew it would be awesome to watch on tv when Jillian comes in to their rescue – and we can all agree now, it WAS so incredible to watch – but seeing them deal with their disappointment of not being selected was so tough.

Day 2 was the Contestants initial weigh-in. It was clear how nervous everyone was to see that number on the scale. B. (Bryan) shared with us that he hadn’t taken his shirt off in front of other people in years. He avoids swimming, any situation where he might have to show his body in front of other people. But he pulled that shirt right off when it was his turn to get on the Biggest Loser Scale. All of them showed equal bravery facing up to their fears during that first weigh in. Patty, Lezlye and Nicole all talked about how long it’s been since they even stepped on a scale. But as painful and difficult as it was for all of them, they all got through it showing the inner strength and courage that will see them through this game.

Both teams handled the challenge well – it was amazing the way the Red team dragged the plane down that tarmac. Phil really stood out as Red Team Captain, and was the anchor that really helped them to victory. Seriously, if you can pull a 21 ton jet, you can do anything, right?!?!

Even after a weeks worth of work-outs, eating healthy and focusing so intently on these new healthy life-styles, it was still difficult to take both teams through their first weigh-in. I saw equal portions of hopefulness and dread at finding out how much weight they’d lost over the course of one week. This is the first season that the trainers participate in the weigh-ins with their teams. It was impossible to tell who was more nervous, Bob & Kim or the players!! As David (aka Cowboy) pointed out, up till now, they’d been operating on blind faith, counting on Kim and Bob to know how best to help them. Everyone put up really amazing numbers. It was really remarkable to see how much weight they were able to lose… though all the contestants were shocked to see how many pounds Jerry lost!!! Jerry has broken all kinds of Biggest Loser records! And he helped keep the Blue team out of the elimination room.

But unfortunately, there is a downside – someone has to go home. The Red Team and I went through our first elimination together. It was really tough for them to send a teammate home, even though it was clear in the end that Amber really wanted to go. I spoke a little with Phil about his thoughts about Amber leaving, since he chose this team. Phil stayed positive, wishing Amber the best, but it seemed also, that they all felt her struggle adjusting to Campus Life, was a distraction for the Red Team.

It’s been such a hectic and enlightening first week, everyone getting to know each other and learn the game. I am excited and nervous for both teams next week. I want the Red Team to come back from losing a member to really prove they are a united team. And I want the Blue Team to not get thrown by all that weight they lost right off the bat – they will need to really stay in high-gear to keep those numbers high two weeks in a row. Yes, I’m rooting for all of them… I can’t play favorites!!! ☺