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)
NBC Press Release
New Season Full of "Firsts" For Popular Series
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 fiancée 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.