Jillian Michaels leaves 'The Biggest Loser' for third time

Jillian Michaels won't be back to NBC's 'The Biggest Loser." This is the third time that Jillian Michaels, known for her tough, drill-sergeant approach to working with contestants, has left the series.

Jillian Michaels is exiting "The Biggest Loser," NBC and the producer of the weight-loss competition series said Wednesday.

In a statement, the network and production company Shine America said they and trainer Michaels have decided to part ways, and she won't be back on "Biggest Loser" this fall.

This is the third time that Michaels, known for her tough, drill-sergeant approach to working with contestants as they shed pounds, has left the series.

Asked if she might return again, a production company spokesman said the focus was on the upcoming season, No. 16.

There was no immediate response Wednesday from Michaels' representative to an email request.

Michaels' replacement on "The Biggest Loser" was not announced.

The well-muscled Michaels has described herself as a formerly overweight, unhappy youngster who found a path to fitness through martial arts, eventually becoming a trainer, physical therapy aide and then sports-medicine professional.

In 2012, Michaels returned for the show's 14th edition after taking a break to pursue adoption of a daughter. She and her partner also have a son.

"The Biggest Loser" provoked a debate in February when contestant Rachel Frederickson won after a huge weight drop that took her from 260 to 105 pounds. Criticism arose on social media about whether she'd lost too much, while experts questioned the focus on body size rather than overall health.

People Magazine reported that In April, a source said Michaels, 40, was "deeply concerned about the direction the show has been taking" after winner Rachel Frederickson's appearance in the finale sparked backlash over her thin frame.

The series is scheduled to return to NBC in September.

Jillian Michaels recently joined an anti-carriage rally on the steps of New York City Hal. The rally was sponsored by the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Michaels said she feels that it's inhumane to make the animals work in Central Park and on Manhattan's streets.

Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to ban the carriages and replace them with vintage-looking electric cars. But he may not have enough votes in the City Council to pass a law.  Other celebrities, including Alec Baldwin, Pink and Lea Michele also support the ban.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

QR Code to Jillian Michaels leaves 'The Biggest Loser' for third time
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Latest-News-Wires/2014/0626/Jillian-Michaels-leaves-The-Biggest-Loser-for-third-time
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe