The Biggest Loser: Second Chances is the eighth season of the NBC reality television series The Biggest Loser. This season premiered on NBC on September 15, 2009. Contestants competed to win a $250,000 grand prize, awarded to the individual with the highest percentage of weight loss . The winner of the season was Danny Cahill.
The season's theme meant that each of the candidates had met with heartbreak and tragedy during their lifetime. Among notable stories, Shay Sorrells grew up in foster care while her mother unsuccessfully struggled with heroin addiction, while Abby Rike lost her husband and children in a head-on collision caused by a speeding driver. Amanda Arlauskas became a contestant after winning a public vote against Erinn Egbert (who got at-home special assistant packages and made a cameo appearance in the week 12 episode) held during the Season 7 live finale. Contestant Daniel Wright was a contestant in Season 7 and has returned to "finish what he started".TV Guide
Another change to the format this season is that the two trainers work with all contestants, rather than dividing them into two teams and framing the competition as a rivalry between the trainers. In the fifth week, when teams are changed to blue and black, Jillian leads black while Bob leads blue. In the eighth week, the contestants are competing as individuals and Bob and Jillian are once again training the contestants together.
Contestants The complete sixteen contestant cast list was revealed by NBC on August 20, 2009. ContestantOriginal teamBlue vs. BlackSinglesStatusTotal votesAlexandra White, 20, Harrisburg, PABlack Team Eliminated Week 1 4Antoine Dove, 23, Dudley, NCRed TeamEliminated Week 34Sean Algaier, 29, Tulsa, OKJulio Gomez, 40, Algonquin, ILBlack Team Eliminated Week 4 3Mozziz "Coach Mo" Dewalt, 56, Louisville, KYPurple TeamBlue Team Eliminated Week 5 4Dina Mercado, 28, Commerce, CABlue TeamBlack Team Eliminated Week 6 4Abby Rike, 35, Mabank, TXGreen TeamBlack Team Eliminated Week 7 3Tracey Yukich, 37, Allen, TXPurple TeamBlue TeamPurpleEliminated Week 84† Daniel Wright, 20, Willow Spring, NCOrange TeamBlack TeamOrangeEliminated Week 90Shauntina "Shay" Sorrells, 29, Newport Beach, CABlack Team3Rebecca Meyer, 25, Des Moines, IAPink TeamBlue TeamPinkEliminated Week 102Allen Smith, 44, Columbus, INGreen TeamBlue TeamGreenEliminated Week 112Liz Young , 49, Lewisburg, TNBrown TeamBlue TeamBrownEliminated at FinaleAmerica's Vote VictimAmanda Arlauskas, 20, Butler, NJPink TeamBlack TeamPink2nd Runner-UpRudy Pauls, 31, Brooklyn, CTBlue TeamBlue TeamBlueRunner-UpDanny Cahill, 39, Broken Arrow, OKBrown TeamBlack TeamBrownBiggest Loser
The "Total Votes" column indicates the number of votes cast against the contestant when he/she was eliminated. This contestant fell below the Red Line and was eliminated without any votes. At Home Winner of $100,000
Weigh-ins
Contestants are listed in chronological order of elimination.
ContestantAgeHeightStartingBMIEndingBMIStartingweightWeekSemi-finalFinaleWeightlostPercentagelost1234567891011Danny 395'11"430406394390382372357345333316304288229191 239 55.58%Rudy 316'4"442414400388377369355341332 324 308296253208 234 52.94%Amanda 205'6" 250244240235230224218214207202193186170163 87 34.80%Liz 495'7"267257247243240232228221218 206203198182176 91 34.08%Allen 445'11"325306296 292285278270262253243238230 209 116 35.69%Rebecca255'6"279261255248244237232223219209206 140 139 49.82%Shay305'8"476459443437432416411402393376 304 172 36.13%Daniel 20 5'8"312300293287287276277272261256 201 11135.58%Tracey 375'2"250238228217213206202197194 132 118 47.20%Abby 355'4"247232221 216213208204201 147 100 40.49%Dina 285'5"253245237234229223218 174 79 31.23%Coach Mo566'2"355336327326318312 263 92 25.92%Julio 406'0"407394375368364 227 180 44.23%Antoine 236'0"367349341 330 215 152 41.42%Sean 296'2"444422411405 289 155 34.91%Alexandra 205'8"309296 218 91 29.45% Winners $250,000 Winner (among the finalists) $100,000 Winner (among the eliminated contestants)
Standings Week's Biggest Loser (Team or Individuals) Week's Biggest Loser & Immunity Immunity (Challenge or Weigh-In) Eliminated at the Finale
BMI Underweight (less than 18.5 BMI) Normal (18.5 – 24.9 BMI) Overweight (25 – 29.9 BMI) Obese Class I (30 – 34.9 BMI) Obese Class II (35 – 39.9 BMI) Obese Class III (greater than 40 BMI)
Notes – Tracey was still in the hospital and was weighed in at the hospital in Week 1. However, on the ranch, Coach Mo represented their team with the power of Tracey in his hands.
Weigh-in figures history ContestantWeekSemi-finalFinale 1234567891011Danny −24−12−4−8−10−15−12−12−17−12−16−59−38Rudy −28−14−12−11−8−14−14−9−8−16−12−43−45Amanda −6−4−5−5−6−6−4−7−5−9−7−16−7Liz −10−10−4−3−8−4−7−3−12−3−5−16-6Allen −19−10−4−7−7−8−8−9−10−5−8-21Rebecca −18−6−7−4−7−5−9−4−10−3-66Shay −17−16−6−5−16−5−9−9−17-72Daniel −12−7−60−11+1−5−11−5-55Tracey −12−10−11−4−7−4−5−3-62Abby −15−11−5−3−5−4−3-54Dina −8−8−3−5−6−5-44Coach Mo −19−9−1−8−6-49Julio −13−19−7−4-137Antoine −18−8−11 -115Sean −22−11−6 -116Alexandra −13 -78
Weigh-in percentages history ContestantWeekSemi-finalFinaleDanny −5.58% −2.96% −1.02% −2.05% −2.62% −4.03% −3.36% −3.48% −5.11% −3.80% −5.26% −20.49% −16.59%Rudy −6.33% −3.38% −3.00% −2.84% −2.12% −3.79% −3.94% −2.64% −2.41% −4.94% −3.90% −14.53% −17.79%Amanda −2.40% −1.64% −2.08% −2.13% −2.61% −2.68% −1.83% −3.27% −2.42% −4.46% −3.63% −8.60% −4.12%Liz −3.75% −3.89% −1.62% −1.23% −3.33% −1.72% −3.07% −1.36% −5.50% −1.46% −2.46% −8.08%-3.30%Allen −5.85% −3.27% −1.35% −2.40% −2.46% −2.88% −2.96% −3.44% −3.95%* −2.06% −3.36%-9.13%Rebecca −6.45% −2.30% −2.75% −1.61% −2.87% −2.11% −3.88% −1.79% −4.57% −1.44%-32.04%Shay −3.57% −3.49% −1.35% −1.14% −3.70% −1.20% −2.19% −2.24% −4.33%-19.15%Daniel −3.85% −2.33% −2.05% 0.00% −3.83% +0.36% −1.81% −4.04% −1.92%-21.48%Tracey −4.80% −4.20% −4.82% −1.84% −3.29% −1.94% −2.48% −1.52%-31.96%Abby −6.07% −4.74% −2.26% −1.39% −2.35% −1.92% −1.47%-26.87%Dina −3.16% −3.27% −1.27% −2.14% −2.62% −2.24%-20.18%Coach Mo −5.35% −2.68% −0.31% −2.45% −1.89%-15.71%Julio −3.19% −4.82% −1.87% −1.09%-37.64%Antoine −4.90% −2.29% −3.23%-34.85%Sean −4.95% −2.61% −1.46%-28.64%Alexandra −4.21%-26.35%
* Allen had a one-pound advantage in Week 9. So his percentage of weight loss counted as 4.35%.
Total overall percentage of weight loss (Biggest Loser on Campus)
Bold denotes whom has the overall highest percentage of weight loss as of that week
ContestantWeekSemi-finalDanny −5.58% −8.37% −9.30% −11.16% −13.49% −16.98% −19.77% −22.56% −26.51% −29.30% −33.02% -46.74%Rudy −6.33% −9.50% −12.22% −14.71% −16.52% -19.68% -22.85% -24.89% -26.70% -30.32% -33.03% −42.76%Amanda −2.40% −4.00% −6.00% −8.00% −10.40% −12.80% −14.40% −17.20% −19.20% −22.80% −25.60% −32.00%Liz −3.75% −7.49% −8.99% −10.11% −13.11% −14.61% −17.23% −18.35% −22.85% −23.97% −25.84% −31.84%Allen −5.85% −8.92% −10.15% −12.31% −14.46% −16.92% −19.38% −22.15% −25.23% −26.77% −29.23%Rebecca -6.45% −8.60% −11.11% −12.54% −15.05% −16.85% −20.07% −21.51% −25.09% −26.16%Shay −3.57% −6.93% −8.19% −9.24% −12.61% −13.66% −15.55% −17.44% −21.01%Daniel −3.85% −6.09% −8.01% −8.01% −11.54% −11.22% −12.82% −16.35% −17.95%Tracey −4.80% −8.80% -13.20% -14.80% -17.60% −19.20% −21.20% −22.40%Abby −6.07% -10.53% −12.55% −13.77% −15.79% −17.41% −18.62%Dina −3.16% −6.32% −7.51% −9.49% −11.86% −13.83%Coach Mo −5.35% −7.89% −8.17% −10.42% −12.11%Julio −3.19% −7.86% −9.58% −10.57%Antoine −4.90% −7.08% −10.08%Sean −4.95% −7.43% −8.78%Alexandra −4.21%
Elimination voting history
Contestant Week 1 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Finale Eliminated AlexandraNone*JulioDinaAbbyTracey RebeccaAllenLizDannyAlexandraX?X X DanielDanielTraceyAmandaRebeccaAllenBiggest LoserRudyAlexandraX? Coach MoX X ?ShayRebeccaLizXAmandaJulioXAntoine & Sean? X DinaAbby Tracey X LizAllen XLizAlexandraX?X Coach Mo X XXAmanda X X Eliminated at FinaleAllenAlexandraXAntoine & SeanJulio ? X X ? Shay ? X RebeccaJulioXAntoine & Sean?Coach Mo X XTraceyShay X ShayJulioXXJulio X DinaAbbyLiz X Eliminated Week 9DanielJulioXXJulio X DinaAbbyTracey XEliminated Week 9TraceyXXAntoine & SeanJulioCoach MoX X X Eliminated Week 8AbbyAlexandraXAntoine & SeanJulio X Dina Amanda Eliminated Week 7DinaAlexandraX? X DanielEliminated Week 6Coach MoAlexandraXAntoine & SeanJulio ? Eliminated Week 5JulioXXAntoine & SeanXEliminated Week 4AntoineJulioXXEliminated Week 3SeanJulioXXEliminated Week 3AlexandraXEliminated Week 1 Immunity Immunity, vote not revealed No elimination due to total immunity Below yellow line, unable to vote Not in elimination, unable to vote Vote not revealed Eliminated or not in house Below red line, automatically eliminated Valid vote cast Below yellow line, America Votes Last person eliminated before the finale (by America voting) $250,000 winner (among the finalists)
Notes
In week 2, the contestants completed a weight-loss challenge that allowed them to avoid elimination. In week 9, Daniel fell below the red line, and as a result, was automatically eliminated.
Episode summaries
Week 1 First aired September 15, 2009 Before arriving on the Biggest Loser Ranch, the contestants are given a challenge: a footrace along the last mile of the Biggest Loser Marathon from Season 7. The winner would receive immunity for themselves and the person they would choose as his or her partner. Daniel Wright is brought to the race separate from the other contestants and introduced as a surprise to them. Daniel wins the race, Allen came in 2nd, Amanda came in 3rd, Rebecca 4th, Dina and Rudy both came in 5/6th, Abby came in 7th, Antoine 8th, Liz 9th Alexandra in 10th, Júlio 11th, Danny 12th, Sean 13th, Shay came in 14th, Coach MO 15th and Tracey came in 16th even though she would have been fourth or third but she ran out of energy so she collapsed. And Tracey and Mozziz ("Coach Mo") are hospitalized following the challenge. Tracey does not return until the second week, but Coach Mo returns midway through the first. Back at the ranch, the contestants share their stories before picking teams. Daniel, winning the race, has first choice of teammates and chooses Shay as his partner, granting her immunity as well for the first week. The other contestants pick teammates in the order of finish; Tracey and Coach Mo are paired up because they were not chosen by another player.
The contestants then weigh in for the first time (with the exception of Coach Mo and Tracey). The weights are a shock to many, including trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper. The initial weigh-in featured three Biggest Loser records: the greatest number of contestants having initial weights exceeding 400 pounds (five, four males and one female) and the heaviest female and heaviest contestant overall (Shay, weighing in at 476 pounds). The contestants visit several doctors, including Dr. Huizenga, who talks to them about their health, explaining their health problems in grim terms. He informs 29-year-old Sean that he has type II diabetes. The contestants then go through two workouts, with both Bob and Jillian working with all contestants, rather than dividing the gym.
At the second weigh-in, Coach Mo represents the Purple Team by himself and is the contestant with the second largest percentage of weight lost. The Black Team (Alexandra and Julio) fall below the yellow line; after the usual deliberations, the other teams choose to send Alexandra home from the ranch.
By the time this episode aired, Alexandra has lost 60 pounds. She plans to weigh 180 pounds at the finale. She also reveals that she had a crush on someone at the ranch, but will not tell who until the finale. It was revealed later (in Week 3) that she is dating fellow contestant Antoine.
Week 2 First aired September 22, 2009