The Biggest Loser crowned Dannielle "Danni" Allen its fourteenth-season champion during Monday night's live finale of the NBC reality weight-loss competition.

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Danni, a 26-year-old advertising account coordinator from Wheeling, IL, began the competition at 258 pounds and weighed-in at 137 pounds during the finale -- giving her a 121-pound weight-loss that won her the show's $250,000 grand prize.

"From Day 1, no, I did not know this was in me. I was a scared, self-conscious person. I did not know I could be here. I did not know I could get past the first workout. I didn't know that my dreams were possible and I finally feel like my dream's come true... I feel amazing. I know that no one can take this away from me and that's how I feel. I feel great and that's a tall order, but I worked so hard. And at the end of the day, look at me!" Danni said prior to weighing in.

Jeff Nichols, a 24-year-old pharmaceutical representative from Monroe, MI, started the competition weighing 388 pounds and currently weighs 207 pounds, finishing as the runner-up. He shed 181 pounds and posted a 46.65% weight-loss percentage.

"I am proud for the first time in a long time; I'm proud [of myself]. I always used to just hide behind the jokes, hide behind the laughter and pretend I was proud. So to be able to say here in front of all of my friends, family, my new family, you [Alison Sweeney], and America -- and to be able to mean it -- it's unbelievable," Jeff said before he stepped on The Biggest Loser scale for the last time.  

Jackson Carter, a 21-year-old volunteer coordinator for LGBT resource center and movie theater assistant manager from Layton, UT, began the competition weighing 328 pounds, and he finished in third place after dropping down to 190 pounds. He lost 138 pounds and posted a 42.07% weight-loss percentage. Jackson became the third finalist after winning America's vote that was cast last week.

"It's been an incredible experience, not just for me but everyone I've been involved with. It's easy to forget what we're doing while we're doing it. When I bent over a puke bucket and this one's yelling at me and that one's like, 'Oh no, not again!' It's easy to forget that camera's there, but people started watching it. And not only were they watching me throw up, they felt like they were throwing up and they felt like my struggles were their struggles!" Jackson said proudly of his fans.

Gina McDonald, a 47-year-old attorney and law firm owner from Hoover, AL, won the weigh-in of The Biggest Loser's previously eliminated fourteenth-season contestants by a large margin and therefore claimed the $100,000 at-home consolation prize.

Gina started off the competition weighing 245 pounds. She lost a total of 113 pounds and weighed-in at only 132 pounds, posting a 46.12% total weight-loss percentage.

"I haven't seen that number in a long, long time, but more important than that, it's how I feel on the inside and how healthy I am now. That's the most important thing... I didn't know [this was my future] but [Bob Harper] knew it. He saw it in me and now I see it in me," Gina said before learning she had won the money.

The start and finish weights and final weight-loss percentages of the other previously eliminated contestants -- who hoped but failed to win the consolation prize -- are as follows.

Pamela Geil, a 43-year-old executive assistant from New York, NY, whose starting weight was 237 pounds, shed 71 pounds. She dropped to 166 pounds, posting a 29.95% weight-loss percentage.

Nathan Montgomery, a 25-year-old financial advisor from Colorado Springs, CO, who started his The Biggest Loser journey weighing 359 pounds, slimmed down to 260, losing 99 pounds for a 27.58% weight-loss percentage. Alexandra "Alex" Reid, a 24-year-old legal assistant from Carrolton, TX, whose starting weight was 240 pounds, shed 94 pounds, dropping to 156 pounds and posting a 35.00% weight-loss percentage.

Francelina Morillo, a 25-year-old student and store manager from Albany, NY, whose starting weight was 267 pounds, lost 95 pounds and slimmed down to a weight of 172 for a 35.58% weight-loss percentage.

Thomas "TC" Pool, a 31-year-old purchasing manager from Albany, OR, started off the competition weighing 376 pounds. She fell to 266 after losing 110 pounds, posting a 29.26% weight-loss percentage. Michael Dorsey, a 34-year-old college professor and communications consultant from Baltimore, MD, shed 136 pounds and posted a 30.68% weight-loss percentage. He started out the show weighing 444 pounds and dropped to 308 pounds.

Cate Laughlin, a 28-year-old student from Ransomville, NY, whose starting weight was 237 pounds, fell to 173 pounds and shed 64 pounds for a 27.00% weight-loss percentage. 

Lisa Rambo, a 37-year-old high school special education assistant from Houlton, WI, started off the competition weighing 246 pounds, lost 108 pounds and dropped to 138 pounds for a 43.90% weight-loss percentage. She came in second place for the $100,000 behind Gina, the consolation prize winner.

David Jones, a 51-year-old police officer from Kiefer, OK, fell from 307 to 205 pounds after losing 102 pounds over the course of the season and posted a 33.22% weight-loss percentage as a result. Joe Ostaszewski, a 43-year-old senior sales executive from Williston, FL, dropped from 364 pounds to 217 pounds, losing 147 pounds. He posted a 40.38% weight-loss percentage.

In addition, Monday night's broadcast featured how far the season's three teen participants have come in The Biggest Loser's attempt to tackle childhood obesity. Sanjana "Sunny" Chandrasekar, a 16-year-old eleventh-grader from Rochester, NY, lost 51 pounds throughout her journey on the show and sported her idea of the perfect prom dress onstage.

Noah "Biingo" Gray, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from New Windsor, MD, grew two inches and shed 43 pounds since the season began. The coach of the Maryland Cardinals also gave Biingo his new baseball uniform, sharing the news he had a successful tryout and made the team. Lindsay Bravo, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Fillmore, CA, lost 47 pounds and performed a routine onstage with her cheerleading squad.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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