First Jillian Michaels, now Caroline Rhea. NBC has announced that The Biggest Loser will have a new host for its fourth season, with Days of Our Lives actress Alison Sweeney replacing Rhea as the host of the reality weight loss competition show.
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"Alison is an incredible talent and will bring not only a great fresh face to the show but a huge, loyal fan base," The Biggest Loser executive producer Ben Silverman stated. "We are thrilled and look forward to another strong season."
The Biggest Loser is scheduled to begin production of its fourth season this spring. According to NBC, Sweeney will continue to star on Days of Our Lives.
Sweeney is best known for her portrayal of Samantha "Sami" Brady, a Days of Our Lives role the 30-year-old has been portraying since January 1993. Sweeney struggled with her weight throughout the 1990s and in 2004 she published "All the Days of My Life (So Far)," a book that documented the anguish she felt about her weight and the attention it received in the tabloids.
Sweeney is also no stranger to reality television. In 2002, she appeared on a celebrity episode of NBC's Fear Factor.
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Rhea, a stand-up comedian and former talk-show host who has also publicly discussed her own weight-loss struggles, had been with The Biggest Loser since it first premiered in October 2004. An NBC spokesperson told Daily Variety that Rhea is leaving "to pursue other interests."
Rhea's departure marks The Biggest Loser's second major casting change for in less than a year. Last May, NBC announced that Kim Lyons would replace Michaels and serve as The Biggest Loser's third season Red Team trainer.
Similar to Rhea, NBC cited a desire "to pursue other opportunities" as the reason for Michaels' departure, however despite her exit from NBC's The Biggest Loser editions, Michaels is still currently appearing alongside fellow Blue Team trainer Bob Harper in the second season of The Biggest Loser's Australian edition.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio