Explaining Jillian Michaels’ Absence from Netflix’s The Biggest Loser Documentary
Netflix’s revealing docuseries on The Biggest Loser included interviews with past contestants, trainer Bob Harper, and various individuals linked to the show — but did Jillian Michaels take part?
In the third installment of Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, which premiered on Friday, August 15, it was noted, “Jillian Michaels declined to participate in this documentary.” (Michaels, 51, was referenced in all three parts, with archival footage of her and Harper utilized in the series.)
The nutritionist served as a trainer on The Biggest Loser since its debut in 2004. She was on the show for two seasons before being succeeded by Kim Lyons. Michaels made a comeback in 2007 and also acted as a trainer for the Australian edition of the show from 2006 to 2008.
Michaels left The Biggest Loser in 2011, returning for season 14. Although her final season aired in 2013, she did not return before the show concluded its original run in 2016.
The Biggest Loser showcased a group of individuals categorized as overweight, competing in a 30-week challenge to lose the most weight and be crowned “the biggest loser.” The NBC program quickly became a cultural sensation but later faced backlash for allegedly pressuring contestants to lose weight through rigorous exercise and restrictive diets.
Michaels faced accusations during the series for allowing her team to use caffeine pills without medical approval. “I stand by my opinion,” she stated in a 2013 episode. “A caffeine supplement is significantly healthier than unlimited amounts of coffee.”
Recently, Michaels reflected on what she believed should have been altered in the show. She mentioned to Today Health in 2021 that The Biggest Loser “needed a mental health professional” for better support of the participants.
“I think there was some random guy they could talk to if they needed, but these people needed deep work,” she elaborated. “When you have someone that weighs 400 lbs., that’s not just an individual who likes pizza. There’s a whole lot going on there emotionally.”
Michaels also expressed her discontent with the competitive aspect. “Nobody should have been eliminated. That was my No. 1 issue with the show,” she continued. “But the producers gamified weight loss. It was weight loss on a ticking clock.”
Shocking, indeed! Some celebs resort to extreme measures for weight loss, while others achieve transformation through healthier methods. From Rosie O’Donnell’s and Jordin Sparks’ respective 50-pound losses to Biggest Loser winner Rachel Frederickson’s astonishing 155-pound drop, view before and after photos of celebrities’ weight loss journeys.
Despite some regrets, Michaels wouldn’t change her approach as a trainer on the show.
“The ones I yelled at are the ones that kept it off,” she stated at the time. “You need them to feel the pain of the way they’ve been living. You need them to have a rock bottom moment where they’re like, ‘I can’t take one more moment.’”
Michaels concluded: “The diet worked amazing. You eat less, you move more, and there you go. The contestants who were unsuccessful when they returned home had unresolved issues with food.”
While Michaels wasn’t featured in Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser, she remained a prominent topic. Fellow trainer Harper, 59, was asked about their friendship, especially after his 2017 heart attack.
“How do I put this? People were always like, ‘You and Jillian have been so close.’ I was like, ‘Well we were close on TV,’” Harper mentioned to producers in Friday’s docuseries. “After I had my heart attack, she’s the one person I never heard from. That to me spoke volumes.”
Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
