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The Biggest Confuser

Just two episodes in, and incomplete storylines are raising too many questions about TEN's reality show.

The Biggest Loser is fast turning into the Biggest Confuser.

Just two episodes in, and its incomplete storylines are raising too many questions.

Yes, we know the show had to tackle a massive re-edit after finding out one of its contestants was facing child pornography charges. That’s not something any casting agent or production company could have ever forseen.

So on Sunday night we were fastracked to the first weigh-in within 60 minutes of the show’s launch. By Monday night, one couple -Allan and Romi- were cut already. By the end of the episode we were already at weigh-in number two. As Hayley Lewis told us, another week had already passed. Wow. If only we could lose weight that fast.

But they were not the only problems.

A challenge that saw contestants digging in the sand for a boat had to proceed minus two contestants “for health reasons.” Wait a minute. Isn’t the whole idea of the show to exercise? If they’re not up to the physical requirements -and I don’t for a minute doubt they aren’t- then why were they cast on the show?

Does this get back to why Michelle Bridges recently told a newspaper she feared producers were going too far?

Then at the final weigh-in one contestant was absent having been hospitalised. But why?

All these loose threads make for an unsatisfying start to the new season. Hayley Lewis, meanwhile, is already slipping into Ajay-speak too. Why is she telling us what we already know?

43 Responses

  1. There’s no real excuse for this level of incompetent editing. They’ve had two weeks to repackage two hours.

    Every single minute detail of these people’s lives are filmed and they do daily interviews with all the contestants to get multiple takes on every tiny incident.

    Even if the eliminated contestant was in the shot when the sick contestant collapsed and was taken to the hospital, they could have pieced together an explanation of the incident from the one-on-one interviews. Or gotten Michelle or Shannan who haven’t obviously lost weight to do another interview now and explain more about what happened.

    We’ve barely seen either of the trainers. They weren’t introduced at the beginning. They weren’t at the challenge (usually they’re there to make sure no one quits). No training sessions, bare-bones last chance training…

    I feel really sorry for people who haven’t seen previous seasons. It must seem completely incomprehensible.

    Feels like editing the show was delegated to an intern because the producers didn’t want to come back from their holidays.

  2. Everyone is blaming the editors, but I think you’d find that final editorial decisions are made by layers of producers, the editors are just the poor buggers that have no doubt been working around the clock trying to make the best of an impossible situation. Having said that, the show is total crap and I can’t bear to watch the crybabies any longer.

  3. I don’t understand why at the very least they can’t be honest with the audience. Before these two episodes they should have had an announcement (as someone has mentioned) saying that due to court proceedings the first two weeks have been edited down and that things will return to normal after that. Then at least the audience would not be completely lost and confused.

  4. I think Hayley is fabulous – last night when she was talking to the lady who was scared of public speaking she seemed genuinely concerned and wanted to help. AJ could not have done that in a million trillion years.

    @ moog – I think you are being absolutely ridiculous, Hayley looks slim and healthy and just because you don’t own a full length mirror is not some big trigger for an eating disorder!

  5. David, did you not think that perhaps the ‘removed couple’ were a big part of those segments, therefore they couldn’t elaborate?

    They’ve done a bloody good job of editing out the ‘removed couple’, but unfortunately, as can be expected, it hasn’t done the continuity or stories within the show any favours.

    Let’s all just wait for tonights episode that is touted to be free of the ‘removed couple’.

  6. Try as I might, I cannot for the life of me see any entertainment value in watching morbidly obese people exercise and lose weight. Whilst I don’t argue with the past ratings success of this show, it puzzles me as to why it is so successful. I have only ever watched a couple of episodes of it, and it was truly, diabolically, awful. It is barrel scraping in the extreme.

  7. It was a bit confusing, but overall I cant really see it hurting the series too much. I caught a bit of it last night, but generally dont watch much tv and its usually midseason before I see enough of Loser to get hooked enough to come back each night.
    Agree with the comments about Hayley. She looks as though she’s got loads of personality but has been told to read the script. Still early days for her too though.

  8. Great article David!

    Couldn’t agree with you more, the editing has been beyond confusing. I don’t really know anything about any of the contestants and therefore cannot feel for any of them. No doubt once all the tampering has stopped the show will get better, but often it’s those first few weeks that are crucial for getting to know the characters. Yes, I understand it’s not easy removing two constestants from the show, but they could have at least not treated the viewers like dummies and let them know that the first two weeks have been streamlined.

  9. Whilst I understand the short notice editing would have been an utter nightmare, I can’t help but feel that 10/Fremantle took the easy way out. I think they should have delayed the show’s launch for a week with a disclaimer of “Due to technical difficulties, The Biggest Loser will not be seen tonight” whilst the crew could do some more fancy editing behind the scenes as opposed to the butchered version we have been presented with. Another week of “The SImpsons” and “Malcolm In The Middle” wouldn’t have killed us if it resulted in a better version of the show we really want. That’s my opinion.

    As for the contestants who can’t participate in challenges, I bet the medical reasons that prevented them were not found until during the first week. But we didn’t see that.

  10. The couple that have been edit out got evicted in the 2 week, being last nights show. (editig was really noticable when Haley announced that there was not going to be and eviction) so hopefully it will be back to normal.

  11. There have been a few contestants from past seasons go to hospital. Remember Amanda from last year and her leg problems? Also I seem to remember someone with a heart problem also having to leave the show for good last year?

    I am sure all these people are put through some sort of medical before they go on the show but come on these people are severely obese and they will always have health problems when starting to exercise again.

  12. If you listen to what the contestants have been saying it’s clear that what would have been the first two weeks of the show have been condensed into the first two episodes.

    The contestant in question was eliminated early so things should get back on track and back to normal by mid this week.

  13. Is it just me or is Hayley looking dangerously unhealthy? After reading something in the Sunday papers about her not owning a full-length mirror, I believe she’s an unsuitable role model for those looking to lose weight.

  14. I think Ch 10 should not have edited it as much as they have, they could have showed minimal amounts of the couple but blurred out their faces at times so the show flowed better (like they did when they showed Underbelly in Melbourne). They way the editing has been done has really spoilt the show.

    Viewers have no idea what is going on and to tell you the truth it has really put me off this season.

  15. this years show will turn into a joke. some of these contetstants aren’t even massively over weight. that bloke that is is over 200 killos. he should be soem where else other than on tv. this is rubbish tv and it’s typical of 10

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