The Biggest Loser: Challenge America is the fourteenth season of the NBC reality television series entitled The Biggest Loser. The contestants will compete to win a $250,000 prize, which will be awarded to Danni Allen, the contestant with the highest percentage of weight lost. It premiered on January 6, 2013. Alongside veteran trainer Bob Harper and returning trainer Dolvett Quince, Jillian Michaels returned for the first time since season 11. While the contestants have been split into three teams, White (Jillian), Blue (Bob), and Red (Dolvett), the contestants may train with any of the three trainers. In addition, three younger contestants (ages 13–16) are participating, but not subject to elimination. This was the first time since season 11 that America decided who made it to the live finale.
Contestants A total of fifteen contestants are competing in the season, divided into three teams: Red, Blue and White. Three teenagers are also participating, but are not subject to elimination.
NameTeamSinglesStatusTotal votes TeenagersNoah "Biingo" Gray, 13, New Windsor, MD Blue TeamBlue Not on Ranch Lindsay Bravo, 13, Fillmore, CA Red TeamRed Not on Ranch Sanjana "Sunny" Chandrasekar, 16, Rochester, NY White TeamWhite Not on Ranch AdultsNicole "Nikki" Davis, 26, Chatsworth, CA White Team Quit Week 1 Thomas "TC" Pool, 31, Albany, OR White Team Eliminated Week 1 Nathan Montgomery, 25, Colorado Springs, CO White Team Eliminated Week 2 Cate Laughlan, 27, Ransomville, NY Red Team Eliminated Week 3 3Pamela "Pam" Geil, 43, New York, NY White Team Eliminated Week 4 Lisa Rambo, 37, Hudson, WI Red Team Eliminated Week 5 3David Jones, 51, Kiefer, OK Blue Team Eliminated Week 6 3Michael Dorsey, 34, Baltimore, MD Blue Team Grey Eliminated Week 7 3Francelina Morillo, 25, Albany, NY Red Team Orange Eliminated Week 8 Alexandra "Alex" Reid, 24, Carrollton, TX Blue TeamGreen Eliminated Week 9 2Gina McDonald, 47, Hoover, AL Blue TeamPurple Eliminated Week 11 Joe Ostaszewski, 43, Williston, FL Red TeamMaroon America's Vote VictimJackson Carter, 21, Layton, UT Red Team Yellow 2nd Runner-UpJeff Nichols, 24, Monroe, MI Blue Team Aqua Runner-Up Dannielle "Danni" Allen, 26, Wheeling, IL White TeamPinkBiggest Loser
The "Total Votes" column indicates the number of votes cast against the contestant when he/she was eliminated. This contestant quit the competition. This contestant fell below the Red Line, and was eliminated without any votes. This contestant lost a weigh-in and was eliminated without any votes, due to having the lower percentage of weight loss on a team with just two remaining contestants.
Weigh-ins Contestants are listed in reverse chronological order of elimination.
ContestantAge HeightStartingBMICurrentBMIStartingweightWeekSemi-finalFinaleWeightlostPercentagelost12345678910 Danni 26 5'6" 258239234228222213207201194184174 163 137 121 46.90% Jeff 24 5'11" 388359359348342329323312308295276 265 207 181 46.65% Jackson 21 5'6" 328306302300288280279 266261250235 230 190 138 42.07% Joe 43 6'2" 364338326317310299291279273261244239 217 147 40.38% Gina 47 5'1" 245230223215206197193184180173163 161 132 113 46.12% Alex 24 5'4" 240231225221217207204198195187 156 84 35.00% Francelina 25 5'6" 267248242237231224217213211 172 95 35.58% Michael 34 6'1" 444423409396384371363353 308 136 30.63% David 51 5'9" 307287278272263253250 205 102 33.22% Lisa 37 5'7" 246230225223214209 138 108 43.90% Pam 43 5'6" 237227219210207 166 71 29.96% Cate 27 5'3" 237225220218 173 64 27.00% Nathan 25 6'3" 359339334 260 99 27.58% TC 31 6'0" 376361 266 110 29.26% Nikki 26 5'11" X280WD Did not weigh in
Standings Week's Biggest Loser (Team or Individuals) Week's Biggest Loser and Immunity Immunity (Challenge or Weigh-in) Results from At-Home Players Contestant Withdraws before Weigh-In
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)
Winners $250,000 Winner (among the finalists) $100,000 Winner (among the eliminated contestants)
Weigh-In Difference History ContestantWeek 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Finale Danni −19 −5 −6 −6 −9 −6 −6 −7 −10 −10 −11 −26 Jeff −29 0 −11 −6 −13 −6 −11 −4 −13 −19 −11 −58 Jackson −22 −4 −2 −12 −8 −1 −13 −5 −11 −15 −5 −40 Joe −26 −12 −9 −7 −11 −8 −12 −6 −12 −17 −5 −22 Gina −15 −7 −8 −9 −9 −4 −9 −4 −7 −10 −2 -29 Alex −9 −6 −4 −4 −10 −3 −6 −3 −8 -31 Francelina −19 −6 −5 −6 −7 −7 −4 −2 -39 Michael −21 −14 −13 −12 −13 −8 −10 -45 David −20 −9 −6 −9 −10 −3 -45 Lisa −16 −5 −2 −9 −5 -71 Pam −10 −8 −9 −3 -44 Cate −12 −5 −2 -45 Nathan −20 −5 -74 TC −15 -95 Nikki X X
Weigh-In Percentage History ContestantWeek 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Finale Danni −7.36% −2.09% −2.56% −2.63% −4.05% −2.82% −2.90% −3.48% −5.15% −5.43% −6.32% −27.60% Jeff −7.47% 0.00% −3.06% −1.72% −3.80% −1.82% −3.41% −1.28% −4.22% −6.44% −3.99% −21.89% Jackson −6.71% −1.31% −0.66% −4.00% −2.78% −0.36% −4.66% −1.88% −4.21% −6.00% −2.13% −17.39% Joe −7.14% −3.55% −2.76% −2.21% −3.55% −2.68% −4.12% −2.15% −4.40% −6.51% −2.05% -9.02% Gina −6.12% −3.04% −3.59% −4.19% −4.37% −2.03% −4.66% −2.17% −3.89% −5.78% −1.23% -31.67% Alex −3.75% −2.60% −1.78% −1.81% −4.61% −1.45% −2.94% −1.52% −4.10% -16.57% Francelina −7.12% −2.42% −2.07% −2.53% −3.03% −3.13% −2.76% −0.94% -18.48% Michael −4.73% −3.31% −3.18% −3.03% −3.39% −2.16% −2.75% -39.94% David −6.51% −3.14% −2.16% −3.31% −3.80% −1.19% -18.00% Lisa −6.50% −2.17% −0.89% −4.04% −2.34% -33.97% Pam −4.22% −3.52% −4.11% −1.43% -37.19% Cate −5.06% −2.22% −0.91% -20.64% Nathan −5.57% −1.47% -40.71% TC −3.99% -25.23% Nikki X X
Total overall percentage of weight loss (Biggest Loser on Campus)
Bold denotes who has the overall highest percentage of weight loss as of that week
ContestantWeek 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Danni −7.36% −9.30% −11.63% −13.95% −17.44% −19.77% −22.09% −24.81% −28.68% −32.56% -36.82% Jeff -7.47% −7.47% −10.31% −11.86% −15.21% −16.75% −19.59% −20.62% −23.97% −28.87% −31.70% Jackson −6.71% −7.93% −8.54% −12.20% −14.63% −14.94% −18.90% −20.43% −23.78% −28.35% −29.88% Joe −7.14% -10.44% -12.91% −14.84% −17.86% −20.05% −23.35% −25.00% −28.30% −32.97% −34.34% Gina −6.12% −8.98% −12.24% -15.92% -19.59% -21.22% -24.90% -26.53% -29.39% -33.47% −34.29% Alex −3.75% −6.25% −7.92% −9.58% −13.75% −15.00% −17.50% −18.75% −22.08% Francelina −7.12% −9.36% −11.24% −13.48% −16.10% −18.73% −20.22% −20.97% Michael −4.73% −7.88% −10.81% −13.51% −16.44% −18.24% −20.50% David −6.51% −9.45% −11.40% −14.33% −17.59% −18.57% Lisa −6.50% −8.54% −9.35% −13.01% −15.04% Pam −4.22% −7.59% −11.39% −12.66% Cate −5.06% −7.17% −8.02% Nathan −5.57% −6.96% TC −3.99% Nikki X
Voting History ContestantWeek1234567891011FinaleEliminated Nikki TC Nathan Cate Pam Lisa David Michael Francelina Alex None Gina Joe Danni X X X X X X Michael XAlex XXBiggest Loser Jeff X X X X X David Michael X? XXRunner-up Jackson X X Lisa X Lisa X ? X X XX X Joe X X Cate X Lisa X ? X Alex XX Eliminated Gina X X X X X David Michael X? X X Eliminated Week 11 Alex X X X X X ? Francelina X X Eliminated Week 9 Francelina X X Cate X Lisa X X X Eliminated Week 8 Michael X X X X X David X Eliminated Week 7 David X X X X X Jeff Eliminated Week 6 Lisa X X Cate X Jackson Eliminated Week 5 Pam X X X X Eliminated Week 4 Cate X X Jackson Eliminated Week 3 Nathan X X Eliminated Week 2 TC X Eliminated Week 1 Nikki WD Withdrew Week 1
Immunity Immunity, vote not revealed Immunity, unable to vote Below yellow line, unable to vote Below red line, only player left on the losing team, or player on the losing team (of only 2 remaining contestants) with the lower percentage of weight loss, automatically eliminated On the losing team, escaped the red line Not in elimination, unable to vote Eliminated or not in house Last person eliminated (at the finale) via public voting Contestant quit the competition Valid vote cast Vote not revealed or unknown Below yellow line, America's vote $250,000 winner (among the finalists)
Weekly summary
Week 1: "We're Back... And So Is Jillian" First aired January 6, 2013
Thousands of hopeful contestants gathered at a theater to find out which fifteen contestants will participate in the new season. Alison Sweeney first introduced the three teenage ambassadors who will compete in the game as the face of childhood obesity: Bingo, Lindsay and Sunny. These contestants will lose weight alongside all the contestants and support their team color throughout the entire season. Afterwards, the trainers Bob, Dolvett and returnee Jillian face the crowd and re-introduce themselves to the new outreach of the show. Alison then called up the fifteen official contestants one by one. Among them are 34-year-old Michael, a father who wants to reach out for his only son; 21-year-old Jackson, the show's first openly gay contestant who wants to stand up for his bullying and sexuality; and 31-year-old TC, a father of three that vowed to lose weight after a car crash affected his older son's capabilities.
The fifteen arrive at the Ranch to find out their assigned teams and get straight into the gym for their first workout. While the adults worked out in the gym, Dolvett worked with the teens outside with activity-based exercises. The next day, the contestants competed in their first competition of the season. Teams had to spell out the word "The Biggest Loser" by scavenging for letters in a ball pit. The teens directed the adults from bungee in the air. It was a close three team battle, but the White Team successfully spelled it first, winning the team a five-pound advantage in the first weigh-in. For the last-chance workout, the contestants still showed extreme struggle in the gym, especially for White Team's Nikki. When Jillian worked with Nikki one-on-one, she still lacked motivation and concentration. A frustrated Jillian gave her two options: keep on exercising or walk out. Nikki's emotional toll proved to be too much, and decided to walk out of the ranch for good.
At the first weigh-in of the season, contestants received the surprising news of the Red Line, meaning the losing team's last placer would automatically be eliminated by the end of the night. With the White Team's five pound advantage, the four player team lost a total of 69 pounds. The Red Team had to lose more than 80 pounds to stay alive, and succeeded with 95 pounds. Lastly, the Blue Team had to lose 91 pounds to beat White. Despite Alex's shocking weight loss of only nine pounds, the team was spared with 94 pounds. With 3.99% of weight loss, TC lost the least between Danni, Nathan and Pam, and was therefore eliminated. At the end of the episode, it was revealed that TC currently weighed at 320 pounds, losing 56 pounds since his weight loss journey.
Week 2: "Keep Moving" First aired January 7, 2013
Another week begins at the ranch with Alison's news that another red line elimination will occur for the second straight week. Teams trained in specially built outdoor gyms by their trainers for the entire week. The White Team's motivation wasn't enough for Jillian, continuing with her "tough love" training method. At one point, Danni, one of Jillian's trainees, even received an ice bucket shower on her head. Because of their lack of working harder for the week, Jillian takes her team inside to personally improve and rejuvenate their skills. For Week 2's challenge, Bingo, Lindsay and Sunny returned with their teams alongside NFL player Antonio Gates. Teams competed against each other in football obstacle courses to test their speed, strength and agility. With a three for three, the White Team pulled another surprising win. The White Team won Sunny's school a $5,000 grant and a visit with a fellow NFL football player.