5 Reasons to Watch Season 16 of The Biggest Loser

Here’s are the contestants of The Biggest Loser Season 16! Credit: Trae Patton/NBC

We know Jillian Michaels has left The Biggest Loser and we loved her spitfire attitude, but turn that frown upside down BL fans — there are plenty of reasons to tune into the season 16 premiere on Thursday, Sept. 11 (yep, it’s on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT now).

5 Reasons to Watch the Season 16 Biggest Loser Premiere

New trainers Jessie Pavelka and Jennifer Widerstrom. Credit: Chris Haston/NBC

1. New trainers. Bob Harper (who has hung in there since season 1) and Dolvett Quince are back, but there are a couple new faces at the Biggest Loser campus — Jessie Pavelka and Jennifer Widerstrom. Pavelka, whose cousin Jake Pavelka was an ABC Bachelor, is not new to TV — he was the trainer on the Lifetime show DietTribe and also has appeared on British TV as a weight-loss specialist. But he’s excited to make the Biggest Loser team.

“Making it as a trainer — this is about the biggest thing you can get,” Pavelka said in a video interview on NBC’s Biggest Loser page.

Widerstrom was featured on the NBC show American Gladiators and has been a life coach for MSN and a fitness expert for Fitbie.com. She has also traveled the world, going on Goodwill Military Tours for troops and volunteering at orphanages and schools in Africa. Jessie, Jen and Dolvett will be working with the contestants on the ranch. But what about our beloved Bob?

*Happy sigh.* Credit: Chris Haston/NBC

2. Bob Harper’s secret new role. This is pretty cool: Bob will be in his secret lair (bwaa, ha, ha), nicknamed “Comeback Canyon.” Every week, the eliminated contestant will slink away, thinking their shot at the grand prize is over. But! The person will be transported to Comeback Canyon, where they and the other eliminees will be trained by Bob. They’ll compete in a separate weekly weigh-in for the chance to return to the competition and a shot at The Biggest Loser title.

Zina Garrison works out with new trainer Jessie Pavelka. Credit: Trae Patton/NBC

3. Something for the sports fans. In the past, Biggest Loser has featured a smattering of former college and pro football players, Olympic wrestlers and weightlifters. But this season’s theme is “Glory Days,” and it’s not because the producers are big Springsteen fans. This is an all-athlete lineup of contestants, including tennis star Zina Garrison, WNBA star Vanessa Hayden, Olympic gold medal softball player Lori Harrigan-Mack, and former NFL players Scott Mitchell and Super Bowl champ and ESPN analyst Damien Woody.

4. The producers are really excited about season 16. Executive producer David Broome is psyched for viewers to get to know the new contestants.

“I’m so genuinely excited about it because, just even watching the challenge yesterday that we shot, the very first one, they just don’t give up,” he said in an interview on The Biggest Loser page. “You’re talking about athletes at the highest level that they can possibly be. And yet, to see those people fall so low — we know that’s as relatable as it gets for our audience.”

5. Apparently, no puking! Since the contestants all have an athletic background, they’re all comfortable in the gym and, alas, we won’t have to be subjected to the dreaded week 1 “puke bucket” or watch someone fall off a treadmill.

Are you looking forward to the season 16 Biggest Loser premiere, too? —Gail