'Biggest Loser' 6 Casting Call Looking For Couples Yet Again To Compete

Wanna be on "The Biggest Loser?" Here's your chance!

People are always asking me about how to become a contestant on NBC's weight loss reality show "The Biggest Loser." Ummm, how the heck am I supposed to know? While I have applied to be on several reality TV shows before--CBS' "Big Brother" twice, "The Weakest Link" game show, and NBC-TV's hit "Deal Or No Deal"--I lost my weight in 2004 when "The Biggest Loser" debuted so I never attempted to be on the show (although I think I would have been quite competitive if given the opportunity to do it).

But I have taken a closer look at "The Biggest Loser" application and asked some of the former contestants to share how they got on the show. Take a look at what Season 2 $100,000 at-home winner Pete Thomas said he did to get on the show (the craziness that he did is detailed in #2 of my interview with him). Season 4 contestant Isabeau Miller said she thought 3 Ball Productions, the casting agency for "The Biggest Loser," is "looking for genuine people who really wanted to lose weight, and of course, had the potential to be even more attractive as slim people." So use that as your guide if you are interested in being on the show.

Remember, just BE YOURSELF and let your personality shine through (of course, you have to HAVE a personality first, ya know?!). Look at Season 4 contestant Jez Luckett, for example. He set up his own web site with cute little graphics and writings that showed the producers he deserved this golden opportunity to show America he has what it takes.

Of course, personality only gets you so far--the casting directors also want competitiveness. Jim Germanakos, also from Season 4 and the $100,000 at-home winner that year, said in my interview with him that both he and his brother Bill (who was the $250,000 grand prize winner of Season 4) have the competitive juices flowing and had a simple philosophy for the show: "First we try to beat each other and then we try to beat everyone else." It's a great template for future contestants to think about.

So do you think you have what it takes to be on Season 6 of "The Biggest Loser" set to begin taping in the early summer 2008 and airing this Fall on NBC? If so, then you must act quickly and find yourself a partner--they're looking for couples yet again!

3 Ball Productions is wanting "outgoing and charismatic TEAMS OF 2 who have personality along with the WANT, DESIRE and COMPETITIVE EDGE to vie for this all-expense-paid chance of a lifetime and compete to win $250,000!" To help facilitate the application process, they are holding open casting calls in Boston, Massachusetts, Dallas, Texas, Chicago, Illinois, Atlanta, GA, Nashville, Tennessee, New York, New York, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Miami, Florida, Columbus, Ohio, Suffolk, Virginia, Mesa, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Los Angeles, California over the next two months.

Here's the schedule coming up in February and March on Saturdays:

FEBRUARY 16TH

BOSTON, MA
FELT
533 Washington St.
Boston, MA 02111
10AM - 6PM

DALLAS, TX
UPTOWN BAR AND GRILL
2523 McKinney Ave.
Dallas, TX 75201
10AM - 6PM

CHICAGO, IL
CHICAGO HOME FITNESS
1555 N Halsted
Chicago, IL 60622
10AM - 6PM

ATLANTA, GA
WILD BILLS
2075 Market St.
Duluth, GA 30096
10AM - 6PM

FEBRUARY 23RD

NASHVILLE, TN
THE WILD HORSE SALOON
120 2nd Ave N
Nashville, TN 37201
10AM - 6PM

NEW YORK CITY, NY
NBC EXPERIENCE STORE
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York City, NY 10112
10 AM- 6PM

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
BRICKTOWN BREWERY
1 N Oklahoma Ave
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
10AM - 6PM

MIAMI, FL
FESTIVAL FLEA MARKET MALL
2900 West Sample Rd.
Pompano Beach, FL 33073
10AM - 5PM

MARCH 1ST

COLUMBUS, OH
BUCKEYE HALL OF FAME CAFÉ
1421 Olentangy River Rd
Columbus, OH 43212
10AM - 6PM

SUFFOLK, VA
SUFFOLK FAMILY YMCA
2769 Godwin Blvd
Suffolk, VA 23434
10AM - 6PM

MARCH 8TH

MESA, AZ
Superstition Springs Mall
6555 E. Southern Ave
Mesa, AZ 85206
10AM - 6PM

LAS VEGAS, NV
Location TBA

LOS ANGELES, CA
Location TBA

If you attend one of these open calls, then please know that only the first 500 people in line will be GUARANTEED a chance to apply. So you need to be there early enough to have a chance to be on "The Biggest Loser" (although they discourage people from showing up more than three hours prior to the opening time of the casting call). You and the other half of your couple should bring a non-returnable photo of both of you for them to keep as they weed through the applicants in the next few months.

Of course, even if you can't attend one of these casting calls, you can always fill out the application (CLICK HERE to download a PDF copy of the application) and mail in your video to 3 Ball Productions directly AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! You both must be at least 18 years old and legal U.S. residents to apply and BOTH you and the other member of your couple team need to be in the video.

Mail your application and video together to:

The Biggest Loser Casting
c/o Central Park West Productions
P.O Box 578
Manhattan Beach, CA 90267-0578

What should be in the video? Tell them in 10 minutes why you and your teammate should be on "The Biggest Loser." Be very personal and don't be afraid to tell stories about why YOU deserve to be on the show more so than others. Tell 'em who you are, where you live, what you do, how you are related to each other, and be demonstrative about why you need to shed the pounds. PERSONALITY PERSONALITY PERSONALITY! And by all means, make it fun or the people watching it won't be having fun. Not good!

Make sure the non-returnable video is in VHS, DVD or MINI DVD format only. Get this along with the application and the non-returnable photo of your team to the casting company no later than March 12, 2008 if you want to be considered for the show. You might want sure to track the package and pay for a signature request so you KNOW they get it in their hands.

If you have any questions about the application process, then you can e-mail them regarding "The Biggest Loser" 6 at thebiggestloser6@yahoo.com. And let us know in the comments section below if you were able to apply or attend one of the open casting calls. GOOD LUCK TO YOU and regardless of what happens I hope you use this as an opportunity to begin doing something about your weight and health NOW rather than later. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Casting Call For New TV Weight Loss Show

Ricochet Television needs television weight loss show contestants

Following in the footsteps of the hit NBC weight loss reality show "The Biggest Loser" comes another brand new major network weight loss television show from the producers of "SUPERNANNY!" The name of the show has not been released yet, but this program is set to air on one of the major networks probably this Fall. WOW, what an opportunity!

If you are at least 21 years old, have 50+ pounds to lose, can take up to 10 consecutive weeks away from your normal life, and think you have what it takes to lose lots of weight on national television with the chance to also win a HUGE cash prize while shedding the pounds, then you need to submit the following ASAP to the producers of this show:

1. Complete this application and write legibly
2. Read this eligibility form
3. Take 2 digital photos of yourself (face and full body) with the date taken
4. E-mail these to newprograms@ricochettelevision.com
5. Record a 5-minute video using these guidelines
6. Label your video with your name, address, and phone number
7. Mail in a securely packaged envelope to:

New Show Casting
Ricochet Television
3800 Barham Blvd., Ste. 210
Los Angeles, CA 90068

(Keep in mind that what you submit to Ricochet becomes their property)

Once you complete this process, it's time to wait and see if you are selected for the next round of the process. Those select few will be flown out to Los Angeles for a series of interviews with the producers. The finalists will be required to fill out release paperwork and undergo medical examinations prior to being allowed to appear on the show.

I can tell you now that they are looking for people who exhibit not just a personality that will make for compelling television, but also a sincere dedication and commitment to SERIOUSLY lose weight for good. It makes them look good if the people who come on the show actually lose weight. Let the REAL YOU come shining through in the video and set yourself apart from the rest.

There is only a small window of opportunity to apply for this show as the application process will be whittled down very quickly among the fairly small pool of potential contestants. My blog is one of only a handful of places they have advertised about this show, so don't let this chance pass you by. In other words, YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT SHOT to be on TV, so make the most of it! Try to have it all done by THIS weekend and you should be good to go!

Other than the video, the application itself (which is VERY similar to the one I highlighted at my blog from "The Biggest Loser") is where you can give the producers a real sense of who you are as a person. Answer every question as openly and honestly as possible so they can get to know you like your friends and family know you. Don't be fake or provide what you think they want to hear. Just be YOU!

As for the show itself, you WILL work your tail off as they require you to "be willing and able to participate in potentially strenuous physical activities." I mean DUH! Those "Biggest Loser" contestants workout for hours on end every single day on that show, so this one will be no different.

If you have any questions about the application process, then please don't hesitate to e-mail the Casting Associate Jen Harding for assistance. GOOD LUCK everyone and let me know if you applied and get cast for the show. How neat would that be? Remember us "little" people when you become famous. :D

214-Pound Weight Loss For 'Biggest Loser' 3 Champion Erik Chopin

Chopin wins "The Biggest Loser" 3 shedding over half his weight

Erik Chopin must be wondering exactly what kind of mysterious magic or blessing that has been bestowed upon his Long Island, New York deli shop. Before his high-profile appearance and eventual success on Season 3 of the hit NBC reality television series "The Biggest Loser," one of his employees won a $1 million prize in the New York State Lottery--TWICE!

When his fortuitous employee at Emma's Deli and Catering returned to work the next day after winning the lottery for the second time in four years in early 2006, Chopin exclaimed prophetically that "good things happen to good people."

Indeed they do because now REALLY good things are in store for Chopin, 36 from West Islip, New York, after Wednesday night's dramatic conclusion to the junior season of "The Biggest Loser." This special third season of the show featured contestants from all 50 states vying to lose the most weight as a percentage of their starting weight to become the next "Biggest Loser."


50 "Biggest Loser"contestants--over 14,000 pounds when they began!

When he began his journey on the famous ranch weighing in at an all-too-familiar 407 pounds (I was 410 when I started my low-carb weight loss journey in 2004), Chopin went on to lose a record-breaking 124 pounds on the show itself.

But although he was the "biggest loser" with the cameras on him, that did not mean he would necessarily lose the most weight when he went home and it came time to return for the live season finale because he had some rather stiff competition to face.

There were supposed to be four finalists out of the fifty contestants, but one of them got an unexpected surprise--A BABY! Heather, 36 from West Bountiful, Utah, actually became pregnant when she returned home from the ranch. The producers at "The Biggest Loser" decided to shower her with a complimentary nursery for her second child because she had gotten so far in the game. CONGRATULATIONS, Heather! That baby's gonna have a very healthy and fit mommy now. :)

So the real competition for Chopin came down to the other two contestants.

Kai, 27 from Eagle River, Alaska, looked absolutely fantastic after starting off on "The Biggest Loser" weighing 262 pounds. She lost 77 pounds on the show and dropped another 41 pounds to lose an astounding 118 pounds becoming the gretaest "biggest loser" female in the show's history. Her petite 144-pound body was so gorgeous to see as she showed off her 45.04 percent weight loss. She won $50,000 for coming in second place.

Next up was the charismatic Wylie, 40 from South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, who was disgusted that his starting weight was 307 pounds. His goal was to be able to walk on the beach without his shirt on. Through his hard work on the ranch, Wylie lost 90 pounds before going home and losing an additional 39 pounds for a total weight loss of 129 pounds. When he stepped on the scale (shirtless of course!) and it read 178 pounds, that represented an amazing 42.02 percent weight loss for Wylie. He won $25,000 for coming in third place.

So how about the eventual champion of "The Biggest Loser" 3?

Erik started at over 400 pounds and lost nearly one-third of that while on the show. But it is what happened when he returned home to lose weight on his own that will have people talking until Season 4! Although he looked far better when he walked away from the ranch at 283 pounds than when he started, imagine the surprise on everyone's face when they saw him in the season finale. The man looked like a stick he had gotten so thin!


Erik Chopin saved his life by going on "The Biggest Loser"

When he stepped on that gigantic scale for the final time and the numbers click, click, clicked into place with a big 1-9-3, you knew this was the latest winner of "The Biggest Loser!" Another 90 pounds lost for a grand total of 214 pounds that are gone forever--a mind-boggling 52.58 percent weight loss in about nine months. WOW!!! Simply incredible, Erik! YOU GO BOY! He earned $250,000 for being crowned "The Biggest Loser" of Season 3.

Of the 34 contestants who were sent home during the early elimination phase of the show, nine of them were able to experience triple-digit weight losses. Outstanding! Plus, the collective goal of all 50 contestants was to lose over 4,000 pounds by the end of the show. When they all stepped on the scale during the season finale, the total weight loss added up to 4,281 pounds--that's 85.6 pounds lost per person! WOO HOO!

Life is about to get hectic for Chopin who will have to decide what he is going to do with his newfound fame. Perhaps he can ask his double-the-luck, lottery-winning employee about what to do. Incidentally, that employee decided to stick around at the deli to help out the business until her boss was finished with his experience on "The Biggest Loser" this month. Well, that could be awhile now that Erik will be doing the media tour thing, but I bet she won't mind. :)



I'm happy to see the success of "The Biggest Loser" has continued with new products designed to help people in their battle against obesity. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with Season 3 and did not watch it as often as I did in the first two seasons. I don't know if it had anything to do with the absence of trainer Jillian Michaels or what, but I just couldn't get into it like I did when Ryan Benson and Matt Hoover won in Seasons 1 and 2 respectively. Nothing against Bob Harper or Kim Lyons, but it just didn't excite me this time.

Nevertheless, the fact that a show about weight loss can be commercially successful is a positive sign in a culture that can't seem to figure out why they are so fat. Whether people like the show or not, "The Biggest Loser" is making a difference because it proves an undeniable truth about humans--success at anything is indeed possible when you put them in the right circumstances and provide them with the proper tools and guidance to acheive. Adro Sarnelli, who won the inaugural season earlier this year of "The Biggest Loser" in Australia alluded to that in my exclusive interview with him. There's no reason why ANYONE with a weight problem can't be as succesful as these contestants on "The Biggest Loser" have been.

So, do you think you have what it takes to be on this amazing show? Get a taste of my review of the official application for "The Biggest Loser" and then go download the application to be on "The Biggest Loser" 4! If you are obese and have the will and drive to turn your life around, then give it your best shot! You could be the next Erik Chopin! GO FOR IT!

12-15-06 UPDATE: Wanna read more about Erik Chopin's unbelievable weight loss? Are you interested in finding out how he and the previous winners of "The Biggest Loser" did it? And you'll NEVER believe what he was willing to do to lose weight just before "The Biggest Loser" called him to be a part of the show. CLICK HERE to find out more about the latest "Biggest Loser!"

Official 'Biggest Loser' Application Exposed

NBC's "The Biggest Loser" show returns this Fall for Season Three

It's no secret to anyone who reads my blog that I'm a HUGE fan of the hit NBC reality show "The Biggest Loser." I started watching this show from the very beginning when it debuted in 2004 while I was still in the midst of becoming a "big loser" myself and have continued to keep up with the progress of the contestants from Season One. Of course, when Season Two rolled around in 2005, my infatuation with the contestants and their amazing before and after pictures did not wane and I am so proud of what these contestants have been able to accomplish.

The incredible transformation they have made has been an enormous inspiration to so many as they attempt to duplicate these efforts for themselves. The impact has been so far-reaching that it inspired an Australian version of "The Biggest Loser" that is currently being aired in that country to an enthusiastic Aussie viewership! Sweet (I only wish we could see it in America)!

Although I have shared my concerns that "The Biggest Loser" is likely creating an unreasonably high expectation level for weight loss among the viewers at home, I still see the show having redeeming value as a powerful motivator in the battle against the bulge.




Now that the application process for Season Three came to a close last Friday, I thought it would be fun to take a closer look at the official application for "The Biggest Loser" to see what the show's producers are looking for in terms of contestants.

Before I get into the application itself, I have to share with you a humorous story that still makes me laugh every time I think of it. A couple of months ago, I received an e-mail from someone who had read one of my articles about "The Biggest Loser" and she must have made some assumptions about who I was. The reason I say this is because she wrote the following:

"Can you tell me how you got on 'The Biggest Loser' show as a contestant? I thought you were great on the show and I'd love to know the secret to being selected to be on there. Thanks a lot!"



Um, how do you answer an e-mail like THAT one? For the record, I was NOT on the show "The Biggest Loser" and had already lost over 100 pounds before the show was even on the air in Season One. Don't get me wrong, I would have LOVED to have been considered for the show, but my success on the low-carb lifestyle has made me my own "biggest loser." :) Now, even Season One "Biggest Loser" winner Ryan Benson keeps his weight off by livin' la vida low-carb! Maybe she thought I was Ryan or something. Who knows?! :-~

Anyway, although I was not a contestant on the show myself, this e-mailer poses an interesting question. How DO you get on the show and what exactly are those producers with "The Biggest Loser" looking for in contestants for their show?

While I'm not even gonna pretend to think I know precisely what a bunch of television producers looking for high rating want, I think the show's official application reveals quite a bit about what they are looking for.

The 9-page application I got from "The Biggest Loser" web site before the deadline passed on February 17, 2006 has all the usual requests for info and disclaimers that come with applying to be on television, including your contact information, education, birthday, acting experience, criminal background, etc.

But what sets the contestants who make it from the ones who don't make it are the answers to questions like these:

What would motivate you to lose weight?
What's the hardest thing about being overweight?
How competitive are you?
What was the last unusual, exciting or spontaneous thing you instigated?
What do you think would be the best thing about being thin?

I can tell you now, they don't want the same old answers that EVERYONE gives to questions like these. The producers are looking for people with personality, charisma, and people who have a grip on who they are and what they want to become. The only thing "wrong" with the people who apply for shows like "The Biggest Loser" is their failure to get their obesity problem under control. That's all.

Or at least that's all the producers want to be "wrong" with them. Believe me, they don't want to have to deal with any mental cases or psychos who snap right in the middle of the taping process!

For the most part, the contestants who end up on the show are just like everyone else. It's sad that weight issues too often cover up the unbelievable talents and gifts that people have to share if people would only notice them. But fat gets in the way of that and the silent discrimination against the overweight population continues. It's an unspoken discrimination, but it does exist. Nobody can deny it!

Looking around the rest of "The Biggest Loser" application, the producers want to know who the people applying are, including their best and worst qualities, what their dieting history has been like (obviously it will be dismal if they are trying to be on "The Biggest Loser"), what annoys the heck out of them (to see how tolerable they will be with other contestants, no doubt), as well as what the contestants think about food, eating, exercise, and their weight.

These are all extremely important to the producers as they want to find contestants who will be interesting and provide a good storyline for their show. The appeal of "The Biggest Loser" is that these are real people with a very real problem trying to overcome that problem once and for all. Deep heartfelt emotions are usually involved when you talk about these kinds of issues and the contestants who are willing to open up in their application will undoubtedly do the same once they are on camera all for the benefit of the viewers who watch and make the ratings soar for the show.

Case in point: I can remember very early on this past year when eventual Season Two "Biggest Loser" winner Matt Hoover broke down on camera in the second or third episode and started crying in the arms of Jillian Michaels when he talked about how he used to be an athletic wrestler in high school and now had allowed himself to become an overweight and unhealthy man.

It was a powerful image of a man who just a few months later would be crowned the champion of the show's biggest prize and, more importantly, reach the goal that he had set for himself during that emotional outburst on the show itself. THAT is why we keep watching, right? I know it was a compelling reason for me to keep watching to root him on to victory.

Other questions on the application that the producers want the contestants to consider include:

Describe your most embarrassing moment or experience.
Do you have any bad habits you wish you could change?
What are you like in a room full of strangers?
How important is money to you?
Describe a major issue that has affected your life?

With questions like these, the producers are getting into the nitty gritty of the thought processes of their potential contestants to see what they are made of. Are they just wanting to be on the show for fame and possible fortune or are they committed to putting forth their best effort to work hard at losing weight to make the show look good and successful and to sincerely do something permanent about their weight?

"The Biggest Loser" must have contestants who continue to keep their weight off long after television viewers forget their names in order to have credibility as a genuine weight loss show that is changing people's lives. When I saw Drea and Gary from Season One in "The Biggest Loser Workout DVD," I was convinced that they made "The Biggest Loser" principles work for them and stuck with it.

But not all of the show's contestants have necessarily made that mental switch. When one of the Season Two contestants chose not to participate in the final weigh-in, it was proof that not everyone who goes through this experience loses a lot of weight. That doesn't mean the show failed, it simply means the weight loss message either did not work for them specifically or they didn't commit themselves fully to making it work for them. In the end, it is all about the individual making it happen.

The producers with "The Biggest Loser" want people with passion, vigor, energy, and a deep desire to change -- FOREVER! It makes them look good as well as the show itself. That's the magic behind making a show like "The Biggest Loser" work. There needs to be the exact chemistry of plot, personality, and proven success for it to continue to be successful as a public image on television and in other subsidary products such as their bestselling book.

These final set of questions on the application can make or break a potential contestant:

How competitive are you?
How athletic are you?
Do you smoke?
Do you drink?
How much weight do you want to lose?

If the answers to questions like this are weak and wimpy, then don't expect that applicant to go very far in the application process. But the people you will end up seeing in the Fall 2006 on Season Three of "The Biggest Loser" will exhibit all the qualities I have described in this post. They will have exactly what the producers of the show are looking for and will become household names because of it.

Ryan had it, Matt had it, Drea had it, Suzy had it, as have most of the other contestants who have been on the show. Look for a new set of contestants to "have it," too coming to NBC in a few months! Even now, the producers are mulling through hundreds of thousands of potential contestants to narrow it down to a handful. We may not know WHO they will choose at this point. But one thing is for certain, they will have the qualities and characteristics I have described for you here.

And that is the official "Biggest Loser" application exposed! Don't you feel so enlightened now?! :)