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  • Alison Sweeney Bids Adieux to ‘The Biggest Loser’

    Alison Sweeney won’t return as host on The Biggest Loser when the show’s 17th season premieres next month. The network announced the big news on Wednesday in a statement to Entertainment Tonight.

    “After an incredible run together, Alison Sweeney will not be returning as host of The Biggest Loser next season,” the statement from the show’s producers reads.

    Alison Sweeney served as host of The Biggest Loser for eight years–a total of 13 seasons hosting and encouraging contestants to do their best. She took over when the show’s previous host–Caroline Rhea of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch fame–left.

    Alison Sweeney recently gave up her role as Sami Brady on Days of Our Lives as well. Sweeney grew up on the daytime drama–playing the role of Sami for nearly 20 years.

    Pictured with members of her family in a recent Instagram photo, Alison Sweeney doesn’t appear to be mourning the split between her and The Biggest Loser.

    “As always, the #happiestplaceonearth,” she captioned the photo taken at Disneyland.

    A photo posted by Ali Sweeney (@alisweeney) on

    Alison Sweeney is a wife and mother of two children–a son and a daughter. She is an author, too. Her third novel, titled Opportunity Knocks, is due out in April.

    Fans won’t have to worry about no longer seeing Alison Sweeney on TV either. She will appear in her Hallmark Channel Movie, Love On the Air, on September 26. She will also star in the second movie from the Murder She Baked franchise. It premieres on November 15 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

    No reason has yet emerged as to why Alison Sweeney and The Biggest Loser have parted ways. It’s likely that fans will soon learn which of the parties chose to sever ties.

    Are you disappointed to learn that Alison Sweeney won’t host the upcoming season of The Biggest Loser? Who do you expect might take her place?

    The show’s 17th season premieres in September. NBC is expected to announce the name of the new host earlier in the month.

  • Alison Sweeney Not Returning to ‘The Biggest Loser’

    Alison Sweeney won’t return as host on The Biggest Loser. The network announced the change on Wednesday in a statement to Entertainment Tonight.

    “After an incredible run together, Alison Sweeney will not be returning as host of The Biggest Loser next season,” the statement from the show’s producers reads.

    Alison Sweeney served as host of The Biggest Loser for 13 seasons. She recently gave up her role as Sami Brady on Days of Our Lives as well.

    Pictured with members of her family in a recent Instagram photo, Alison Sweeney doesn’t appear to be mourning the split between her and The Biggest Loser.

    “As always, the #happiestplaceonearth,” she captioned the photo taken at Disneyland.

    A photo posted by Ali Sweeney (@alisweeney) on

    Alison Sweeney is a wife and mother of two children–a son and a daughter. She is an author with her third novel, titled Opportunity Knocks, due out in April.

    Fans won’t have to worry about no longer seeing Alison Sweeney on TV either. She will appear in her Hallmark Channel Movie, Love On the Air, on September 26.

    No reason has yet emerged as to why Alison Sweeney and The Biggest Loser have parted ways.

    It’s likely that fans will soon learn which of the parties chose to break ties.

    Are you disappointed to learn that Alison Sweeney won’t host the next season of The Biggest Loser? The show’s 17th season airs starting in September.

    Who do you think might take her place?

  • Karlie Kloss Going Back to College, Wants To Help Girls Learn To Code

    Karlie Kloss has been able to support herself and her family ever since she was in high school. Kloss still remembers moving to New York with her mom while she was still a teen, and the thrill of knowing she made enough money to pay their rent there.

    Karlie Kloss recently told Glamour, “When I moved to New York all I knew about New York was what I learned from Law and Order: SVU. So I was terrified! We moved into an apartment above an Indian restaurant. It was surreal because even though I was young, I knew it was my working that allowed us to rent an apartment and be able to go out for dinner.”

    “I was proud. My only other job had been babysitting, and my going rate was six dollars an hour. Suddenly I was able to take my whole family traveling. That was empowering.”

    So, why is Karlie Kloss going back to school?

    “I don’t want to wait until I’m 30 to continue learning and challenging myself in new ways,” Kloss says. “I’m 23 and had a very busy point in my career, but I hope it’s just the beginning. I want to do it all. Like most kids starting college, my major is still undecided. Next year will be a balancing act-but how exciting! I haven’t written a paper in years.”

    Part of Karlie Kloss’ desire to broaden her horizons comes from a class she took last year that launched a major outreach for her.

    “Computer science and programming were not classes offered in my school, but I have always been fascinated by math and science and how the tech industry is changing the world. I even started learning how to code. Coding is the way our world is built. Whether it’s software or the human body, everything is communicated in a code.”

    “Last summer I took a weeklong class at the Flatiron School, and I found tremendous value in having the ability to build code. So I started the Kode With Karlie scholarship because there are many girls in that space. My sister works at a fashion text start up in San Francisco — I think there are very few female engineers at many companies. I was always planning to have a career in science, but the general statistics around women in math and science are not very encouraging, which is why I think it’s so important to get more girls interested.”

    While modeling has been her bread and butter, Karlie Kloss knows that it is not an avenue that all girls can take advantage of.

    “I’m still wrapping my head around being a role model for young girls,” Kloss explains. “I do feel a responsibility to become an example for young women in general. That’s what Kode With Karlie is about: supporting girls to try coding even if they’re not interested in being a programmer. If I can inspire one girl to try it, I’ll be happy.”

  • Alison Sweeney Confirms Sami Brady Will Return to ‘Days of Our Lives’

    Alison Sweeney has confirmed that Sami Brady will return to Days of Our Lives. However lest you jump for joy about Sami Brady once again becoming a permanent fixture in Salem, it sounds like she’s only returning for the show’s 50th anniversary celebration, set to air later in 2015.

    When Sweeney left Days of Our Lives in December, she made it clear she was always open to returning. She didn’t elaborate, however, on whether that return would be for good or simply for a quick visit in Salem.

    While confirmation about Alison Sweeney returning to Days didn’t come in the form of a statement, it did come in the form of an Instagram photo she shared with her followers.

    In that photo, Sweeney–also host of The Biggest Loser–is holding a script. That script is very clearly labeled, “Ali/Sami” at the top.

    “Guess what?! I get to be a part of celebrating #days50 !!! So thrilled!!!” Alison Sweeney captioned the post.

    A photo posted by Ali Sweeney (@alisweeney) on

    What do you expect Sami Brady will do when she returns to Salem and learns that Lucas Horton (just one of her ex-husbands, and her son Will Horton’s father) has taken up with Adrienne Kiriakis (played by Judi Evans) even though Adrienne is still married to Justin?

    Alison Sweeney was a mainstay on Days of Our Lives, and most fans will say the show simply isn’t the same without her.

    Are you a Days of Our Lives fans? Will you now be counting the days until Alison Sweeney (as Sami Brady) makes her return to the daytime drama?

  • Rachel Frederickson, ‘Biggest Loser’ Winner, Addresses Extreme Weight Loss

    Rachel Frederickson came under fire for her incredible weight loss when she won the 15th season of The Biggest Loser and recently opened up about the backlash she experienced following her transformation.

    Frederickson is 5’4″ and weighed in at just 105 pounds to win the NBC reality competition, losing a remarkable 155 pounds.

    The 24-year-old reality star’s extreme weight loss caused a quite a furor. In an attempt to respond to the backlash, Fredrickson wrote a post for Today.

    “I was determined never to give up,” Frederickson said of the competition. “When I stood on stage at the live finale, I had never felt stronger. I had accomplished everything I wanted to do. I was extremely proud of myself. That moment didn’t last long.”

    “Comments during the controversial storm following my weight loss were hurtful. My self-esteem was once again affected by other people’s voices — this time, the kind that live forever in Facebook posts or written in the pages of magazines. People tried to bring me down and (privately) succeeded.”

    “There will always be other voices in life,” she conceded. “The trouble comes when you stop listening to your own. I am committed to trusting my decisions and standing strong behind them. I found strength in this struggle and I am listening to my own voice again!”

    Even Biggest Loser trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper were shocked by Frederickson’s appearance at the finale.

    After Michaels later left the program after 12 seasons in protest of her portrayal on the show, and out of concern for contestants, Harper and Dolvett Quince returned as trainers. Newcomers Jessie Pavelka and Jennifer Widerstrom joined the show for the 16th season.

    The Biggest Loser airs 8 p.m. ET Thursdays on NBC.

  • Damien Gurganious of ‘Biggest Loser’ Dead at 38

    Damien Gurganious was just 38 years old when he died on November 24th. He participated in season 7 of The Biggest Loser. His death was caused by a sudden onset of a rare autoimmune disorder called Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), that cause a severe brain bleed.

    According to a report from Us Weekly, Damien celebrated his birthday just about a week before his sudden death.

    “He was a pillar of his family, an amazing son, brother, cousin and uncle,” his family told the publication in an exclusive statement. “He was an incredible husband and father to his two-year old daughter, Giselle. He was an inspiration and a mentor to so many. His love for his family and friends was immense.”

    Damien Gurganious and his fiancee–now wife–Nicole Brewer Gurganious appeared on The Biggest Loser in 2009. Even though they were eliminated during the third week of that season’s competition, both went on to lose weight after the show. They married in August of that year.

    “All of you who knew Damien can attest to his generous and loving spirit, his outgoing and gregarious personality, and his caring and compassionate nature,” his wife wrote in her statement announcing his passing. “Damien always desired to bring out the best in those around him by offering encouragement, support and love, often couched in his own hilarious and sage adages.”

    On the December 11th episode of The Biggest Loser, the show will air an ‘in memoriam’ message about Damien Gurganious at the end of the show.

    In addition to his wife Nicole, Damien Gurganious is survived by their daughter Giselle.

    Condolences are likely going out to both Nicole Gurganious as well as to The Biggest Loser family for this devastating loss.

  • Alison Sweeney Bids ‘Days of Our Lives’ and Sami Brady Goodbye

    Alison Sweeney played the role of Sami Brady on Days of Our Lives for 21 years. This week she bid them both a bittersweet goodbye. As People reports, ‘She was loved, she was loathed, but Sami Brady was never ignored.’

    Whether Sami was conspiring, lying, cheating, or sleeping with someone else’s husband, boyfriend, or fiance–she was always getting the attention of her fans. Some loved to hate her. Some hated to love her–but they did just the same. And now, they are left–along with anyone else who loves Days of Our Lives–with a gaping hole.

    Alison Sweeney posted a poignant farewell to her fans via Facebook.

    Post by Alison Sweeney.

    It was back in January that Alison Sweeney announced–much to the chagrin of Days fans–that she would be leaving the show toward the end of 2014. Since Sweeney also serves as host for The Biggest Loser, she hadn’t had more than a two-week break since all the way back in 1993.

    “For seven years I’ve done both shows,” she said when she announced her impending departure. “I’m really just excited to be with my kids and be with my husband and, I don’t know, have fun. And I write. My second book’s coming out. I love directing and just, you know, finding things to do.”

    Extra reports that Alison Sweeney will be flexing her director’s muscles, too, for some episodes of General Hospital.

    Sweeney told HollywoodLife that she’s pleased with how Days of Our Lives ended Sami Brady’s reign.

    “Can’t make promises about it, I don’t know how other people will feel, but yes, I’m happy with it. Given the circumstances of how everything got to that point, yeah,” she said.

    Lots of Days of Our Lives actors bid adieu to Alison and Sami this week.

    Did you see Alison Sweeney’s last days on Days this week? Are you among those who are saddened at Sami Brady’s departure from Salem?

    At least fans can still tune in to The Biggest Loser for their Alison Sweeney fix. Things won’t be the same in Salem, however–not for a very long time.

  • Jillian Michaels’ Loser Exit Due To Scandal

    Jillian Michaels’ Loser Exit Due To Scandal

    Jillian Michaels is leaving the popular show The Biggest Loser for the third time, though if she’ll be back again is unknown.

    “After helping hundreds of contestants transform their lives and inspiring millions of viewers at home, The Biggest Loser and Jillian Michaels have decided to part ways and she will not be returning for season 16 when it airs in the fall,” NBC said in a statement.

    The departure is not that big of a surprise to Jillian Michaels fans or her close circle of friends.

    Trouble was obviously on its way when back in February, contestant Rachel Frederickson won the contest with a shocking 155 pound weight loss and appeared extremely thin and unhealthy.

    Her appearance sparked major controversy on the show and had critics of the show asking if perhaps the show and its trainers, including Jillian Michaels (who was not Frederickson’s trainer), were focusing too much on body size and weight and not putting enough focus on health.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrTah_CXO9Q

    After the scandal broke, Jillian Michaels was rumored to want off of the show.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFPCdZkpVm4

    “She wasn’t happy with how last season went. The shocking weight loss of Rachel [Frederickson] doesn’t do the brand any favors and she wants to distance her name from it.”, said a source that is reportedly close to Jillian Michaels.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6sLrhpbksI

    Michaels was, by all appearances, just as shocked as anyone else at the contestants’ big reveal. She began to question the ethics of The Biggest Loser herself.

    “We are allowed to speak with our contestants after they go home…but no one had told me, ‘Hey, Rachel is very, very thin.’ Bob [Harper] and I had no idea. Nobody had told us, nobody had said anything to us, so yes, I was stunned,” JIllian Michaels said. “Obviously, I thought she had lost too much weight and I was immediately concerned and wondering how this happened, how no one had said something to me and how the checks and balances that have been put into place, in my opinion, this had fallen through those checks and balances.”

    Therefore, her departure is understandable, but will the show be the same without Jillian Michaels? We shall see.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jillian Michaels Leaving The Biggest Loser

    Jillian Michaels will not be a trainer for The Biggest Loser‘s upcoming 16th season. NBC and the show’s production company said on Wednesday that they are parting ways with Jillian Michaels for the time being.

    This is the third time that Michaels has left the show. In 2012, Jillian Michaels returned for the shows 14th season after an absence she took to focus on the adoption of her daughter, Lukensia.

    Whether or not she will return later was not announced and neither was her replacement.

    Jillian Michaels’ story of growing up as an overweight and unhappy girl who went on to turn the fitness world upside down as a super fit drill sergeant mega-trainer has inspired many to shed their extra weight and be healthy. Jillian Michaels has sold millions and millions of workout DVD’s because people look up to her and some need that tough love.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC0aY7bl2n8

    What many want to know is whether or not this split is due to the controversy that shadowed The Biggest Loser back in February when contestant Rachel Frederickson won after a huge weight drop that took her (rather quickly) from 260 to 105 pounds. She shocked the nation with her boney appearance and had many questioning if the show or the trainers, including Jillian Michaels, had gone too far.

    Whether or not that was the cause, critics of the show started wondering, after the Frederickson fiasco, if the show focused too much on body size. They say that perhaps the show should focus more on health.

    As The Biggest Loser returns for season 16 without Jillian Michaels in the fall, will we see some changes to the way they present true health? Either way, The Biggest Loser has always been an inspiration to the millions who watch and are struggling with their own weight and health. No doubt it will continue to be so without Jillian.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jillian Michaels Quits ‘The Biggest Loser’; She Wasn’t Happy With Way Last Season Ended

    Exercise buff Jillian Michaels will be leaving ‘The Biggest Loser’ again. NBC made the announcement through a statement. They said, “After helping hundreds of contestants transform their lives and inspiring millions of viewers at home, The Biggest Loser and Jillian Michaels have decided to part ways and she will not be returning for season 16 when it airs this fall.”

    Michaels was present when the reality series started in 2004. She left the show in 2006, and returned in 2007. In 2011, she left the show again only to come back two seasons after.

    Rachel Frederickson, last season’s winner, made headlines for losing 155 pounds. Michaels said she wanted to quit the series, as she was not happy with how the last season ended.

    After the season finale aired, Michaels shared her views on Frederickson’s weight loss. “We are allowed to speak with our contestants after they go home… but no one had told me, ‘Hey, Rachel is very, very thin.’ Bob and I had no idea. Nobody had told us, nobody had said anything to us, so yes, I was stunned,” she said.

    An insider said that Michaels is “turned off by the mean-spirited story lines and poor care of the contestants.”

    Michaels is also seen as one of the toughest and most successful trainers on The Biggest Loser. The source also said that the show portrays Michaels as the bad guy. “Anyone who knows Jillian knows she’s not the bad guy at all. She’s a loving mother of two kids. She’s not the negative person they portray her as,” the source continued.

    There is still no word as to who will be replacing Michaels on the next season of The Biggest Loser, but more details will be revealed at a later time. The reality show will be returning for its 16th season on September 11 on NBC.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jillian Michaels Not Returning To Biggest Loser

    The hit weight loss competition show Biggest Loser will be back this fall, however it will be short one series staple.

    According to the NBC network and Shine America, the production company behind the series, trainer Jillian Michaels will not be back for the upcoming season.

    The statement confirming Michaels’s exit from the show was released on Wednesday. When questioned about the possibility of a comeback sometime in the future, a spokesman for Shine America said only that the company was focused on the latest season.

    Though Biggest Loser will be without Michaels in its sixteenth season, the show has had to make due without the tough fitness coach in the past. This is the third time that Michaels has left the series.

    The question now is whether or not someone will be taking her place when the show returns. Since there’s been no immediate announcement of a replacement trainer, fans of the show can only speculate about who could fill in for Michaels.

    Michaels likely connected to the Biggest Loser series emotionally as a result of her own past struggles with weight. She had described herself as being very overweight at a point in her life.

    Her current fitness is attributed to her study of martial arts. which eventually lead her to become a fitness trainer. Michaels now helps others work hard to overcome their weight problems and live healthier lifestyles.

    Fans of the series remember Michaels’s shocked expression when in February Biggest Loser winner Rachel Frederickson won following her stunning (and highly controversial) 155 lb. weight loss.

    Many critics of the series feel that the show promotes unhealthy weight loss habits. It’s also believed that the means of weight loss seen on the show are virtually impossible to maintain over a long period of time.

    Love it or hate it, Biggest Loser is expected to return to NBC in September.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jillian Michaels Covers ‘Shape’ Mag, Poses Nude

    Jillian Michaels covers the July/August 2014 issue of Shape magazine and appears nude within its pages. The Biggest Loser coach, who is 40, says she feels better about herself at this age than she did in her 20s and 30s.

    “When I think back on my 20s and 30s, I look better now than I ever have. Yes, I’m older but I’m also wiser and that’s a more intrinsic type of beauty,” she told the magazine.

    Even though Michaels goes to the gym regularly to stay in shape she says staying strong is even more important.

    “It’s important for women to have overall strength, because when you feel physically powerful, it transcends into every facet of your life,” she said.

    Jillian Michaels claims there are still parts of her body that haven’t reached perfection–even though she looks pretty darn perfect to the naked (no pun intended) eye. She even tweets about her photos in Shape, saying she has made progress with the ‘ass man.’

    “Do I want to have a better butt? Sure, but I’m healthy and can wear my skinny jeans,” Michaels said, “And that’s good enough!”

    The trainer needs ample energy in order to chase after daughter Lukensia, who is 4, and son Phoenix, who is 2. She and partner Heidi Rhoades no doubt have their hands full with two little ones at home. Staying in good shape provides the energy needed to be very active parents.

    Don’t fret if you haven’t yet found the issue of Shape in which Jillian Michaels poses nude. It hasn’t hit news stands yet–but it will soon. Look for the July/August issue to go on sale on June 25th. Will you be checking it out to see exactly how good The Biggest Loser coach looks sans her clothes?

    How do you suppose Jillian’s fellow Biggest Loser coaches will react to the full view of her body?

    Image via YouTube

  • “Biggest Loser” Winner Gains 20 Pounds

    “The Biggest Loser” caught a lot of heat earlier this year when last season’s winner, Rachel Frederickson, appeared on the finale looking shockingly thin. Frederickson herself took a lot of backlash from both viewers and the media, but now that she’s spent some time at home, she says she’s gained 20 pounds and is right where she wants to be.

    “I think I’m at my perfect weight!” she said. “I work out an hour, six days a week. I love classes like SoulCycle. I also loosely count calories, but sometimes I might eat an Oreo. It’s not the end of the world.”

    The 24-year old initially lost 150 pounds–nearly 60% of her total body weight–and shocked even the trainers when she came out from backstage on the show’s finale. According to National Institute of Health, Frederickson was considered underweight at the time for her height. And while many cried “anorexia” after seeing her surprisingly slim frame, she says she simply found the athlete inside her once again.

    “My journey was about finding that confident girl and little by little, challenge by challenge that athlete came out and it sparked inside that feeling that I can do anything,” she said of her record-breaking weight loss. “I used to be a swimmer and I was in a relationship and I stopped swimming for a relationship. And I lost the self-confidence and self-worth…I feel so alive and energetic. You don’t ever have to hide that light, just let it shine.”

    The backlash her appearance caused might not have been welcome at the time, but ultimately, Frederickson says, it was a good thing.

    “It started a discussion about body image,” she said. “That’s huge.”

    Image via YouTube

  • “Biggest Loser” Winner Responds To Uproar

    “The Biggest Loser” has become a reality show phenomenon; a competition that viewers can not only follow, but might be inspired by to begin their own weight loss journey. In recent years, the show has seen its share of drama, not just between the contestants but with the coaches as well. Late last year, celebrity contestant Ruben Studdard was brought back after being kicked off because of a misstep by coach Jillian Michaels.

    But the show has never seen anything quite like the finale that aired on Tuesday night, when 24-year old Rachel Frederickson stepped out onto the stage to reveal a dramatic 155-pound weight loss. After losing almost 60% of her body weight–going from 260 lbs. to 105–Frederickson shocked the audience and the trainers, who couldn’t contain their expressions when they saw her thin frame. According to the National Institute of Health, Frederickson is now considered to be underweight due to her petite stature.

    After the show aired, an immediate backlash began on the web regarding Frederickson’s extreme weight loss, with some calling her “anorexic” and urging her to get help. But when she appeared on “Access Hollywood Live” later, she explained that she feels she’s right where she needs to be.

    “My journey was about finding that confident girl and little by little, challenge by challenge that athlete came out and it sparked inside that feeling that I can do anything,” she said of her record-breaking weight loss.

    Frederickson says she lost herself because of a relationship, and now that she’s regained her athleticism, she doesn’t want to look back. After not going out on a date for six years, the time had come for a dramatic change.

    “I used to be a swimmer and I was in a relationship and I stopped swimming for a relationship,” she said. “And I lost the self-confidence and self-worth…I feel so alive and energetic. You don’t ever have to hide that light, just let it shine.”

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Biggest Loser’ Winner Size 20 to 0/2

    ‘Biggest Loser’ Winner Size 20 to 0/2

    24-year-old Rachel Frederickson started out on Season 15 of The Biggest Loser weighing in at 260 pounds. Now that the show has come to an end, she’s left with the title of “Biggest Loser,” 59.62 percent of her body weight and a hefty $250,000 added to her bank account.

    The young contestant went from a size 20 to a size 0/2.

    The amazing transformation resulted in utter shock from the trainers. Trainer, Dolvett Quince said, “You’re a fighter and I saw it from you on day 1 and I brought it out, but you did it. You accomplished it. You fought, you fought and here’s your life back. You fought for it.”

    Right before Frederickson stepped on the scare for the very last time she told host Allison Sweeney, ” just choosing to own my past and move forward in this life, and knowing that I can take control and do anything that I want … it’s been amazing.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8ITyy2U2Z4

    Frederickson decided to go on the show after a devastating breakup that left her feeling hopeless. “I truly came on The Biggest Loser to gain my life and get that second chance to take control and to be that confident girl again,” she said.

    The runner-up for this season was 43-year-old David Brown with a total of 222 pounds lost. Brown is a project manager but because of his recent makeover, many are saying he’ll have a new career path in modeling. Brown decided to come on the show after he lost his wife to cancer and promised her that he’d be there to take care of their children. Worried he wouldn’t be able to fully commit to his promise because of his health, Brown decided to make a change-and boy has he committed.

    Congrats to the biggest winners!

    Image Via YouTube

  • Days Of Our Lives Will Miss Alison Sweeney

    After 21 years of playing Sami Brady on Days of Our Lives, Alison Sweeney will be saying goodbye to the soap opera that made her a household name.

    During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, that aired on Tuesday, Sweeney revealed that she will be leaving the cast at the end of the current season.

    Sweeney joined the soap opera in 1993 and later won a special fan award from the Daytime Emmys in 2002. Not only has she been busy with the soap, she also took on the role as the host of The Biggest Loser in 2007, and has written two novels All the Days of My Life (So Far) and The Star Attraction. Sweeney told DeGeneres that, since she took the job on The Biggest Loser, she has never had more than a two-week vacation.

    The good news is that Sweeney is not leaving on bad terms. There are no hard feelings, she just wants to be able to spend more time with her family. “I’m celebrating my 21st year … and I decided that it’s going to be my last year with the show,” she said. “I have worked so much, and my daughter just turned 5 and my son is 9, and I just want to be with them.”

    “My passion for working at DAYS has kept me there, obviously, for 21 years,” she told Soap Opera Digest. “I love Sami and I love Salem and I love the people I work with, so it was a really, really hard decision to walk away.”

    Although Sweeney knows that she will be leaving the show, she doesn’t know for sure how her character will be written off. While she says it would be nice for Sammy to have a happy ending, she said she “probably deserves some sort of very twisted, like Breaking Bad ending.” “She’s caused a lot of people a lot of problems.” Sweeney explained. “The writers have amazing imaginations and Sami has certainly caused her fair share of drama over the last 21 years. It will be 22, and I don’t even know what happens next. I’m so, like, flustered.”

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    So, what will Sweeney be doing with all of her spare time? “I’m really just excited to be with my kids and be with my husband and … have fun. And I write, my second book’s coming out and I love directing,” she explained to DeGeneres.

    Image via Twitter

  • ‘Days of Our Lives’ Actor Alison Sweeney to Leave

    Days of Our Lives star Alison Sweeney has played the role of Sami Brady for 21 years, however she just announced on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday that this year will be her last. How will the fictitious city of Salem survive without Samantha Brady pulling a stunt, sleeping with someone else’s husband or wreaking havoc in someone’s life?

    “I’m celebrating my 21st year, and I decided that it’s going to be my last year with the show,” she told Ellen and her audience.

    Alison Sweeney is also the host on The Biggest Loser, and she decided since her daughter Megan just turned five and her son Benjamin is nine that she wants to spend more time at home with them and with her husband. Doing just one show instead of two will allow far more time to spend with her family.

    “I’ve been doing both shows for seven years, and I have never had more than a two-week vacation in that whole time,” she said.

    As Sami Brady, Sweeney has been part of some rather silly schemes, and has long been one of those characters that people love to hate. She has been married several times, had four children with several different fathers and destroyed more relationships–both married and unmarried, her own and those of others–than the average person could unravel in a lifetime.

    This was what Alison looked like as Sami Brady when she made her debut on Days of Our Lives back in January of 1993.

    And here’s a clip of today’s Sami Brady.

    What a difference 21 years make!

    Alison Sweeney told Ellen DeGeneres a few important tidbits regarding her announcement about leaving Days of Our Lives after playing Sami Brady for more than half of her lifetime. She will finish out the better part of 2014. She doesn’t know how she will exit the show. And she doesn’t know what is in store for Sami Brady between now and then.

    If Sami’s character remains true to form, she could probably get married at least twice between now and then, give birth to a couple of children and watch at least one of them graduate from high school before she leaves Days.

    Everyone knows time on soap operas isn’t the same as time in real life–right?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jillian Michaels Ramps Up Own Fitness Routine

    As Jillian Michaels of The Biggest Loser approaches her 40th birthday, she is ramping up her own fitness routine. Obviously she has seen up close and personal many cases of what happens when people become apathetic with their own healthy eating and exercise routines. She is determined that won’t happen to her.

    “I‘m trying to get into the best shape of my life for 40,” she says, as she doggedly fights rather than embraces turning the big 4-0.

    Michaels recently unveiled a new workout plan for Curves fitness studios, as talked about in the video clip above. It’s just one more way she is staying involved in the health field–for her own good as well as for others, too. A big believer that variety is in fact the spice of life, she acknowledges her love of many different kinds of exercise helps prevent her from getting stuck in a workout rut.

    “I don’t lock into one type of exercise,” she says, adding that the many workouts she creates focus on several things, including flexibility, balance, core stabilization, power, speed and agility. “I change the workout every month, so you never adapt and never plateau.”

    So what exactly does she do for her own workouts to keep from becoming bored?

    “Usually I’ll do one boxing session, one yoga session, two resistance sessions a week,” she says. “I’ll also work out with friends and then once a week I’ll go for a jog.”

    Jillian Michaels is about to go on tour throughout the U.S. touting the merits of her own program, Maximize Your Life.

    It’s hard to believe when seeing Jillian Michaels–whether on The Biggest Loser or on a TV talk show–that she is about to turn 40 or that she is in need of ramping up her own fitness routine. But that’s part of what keeps the fitness trainer looking the way she does. She’s a hard act to follow, but definitely one that lots of people should.

    Image via Facebook

  • Ruben Studdard Shows Off Dramatic Weight Loss

    Ruben Studdard has now been eliminated twice from “The Biggest Loser”, but he’s not letting that stop him from working towards his goal weight.

    Formerly the heaviest contestant on the show, Studdard proved he was taking the challenge seriously from day one; however, a weak showing from his teammates got him eliminated early on.

    “I worked really, really hard this week,” he said on the show. “I swam extra. I walked extra….This experience is one of the toughest things I’ve been through. I’ve been through two-a-day football practices; I’ve been through the ‘American Idol’ experience; I’ve been through a lot of mentally and physically challenging experiences in my life. And this, you know, ranks right up there at the top.”

    Later, after trainer Jillian Michaels was accused of “cheating” and allowing her team to take a caffeine supplement, Studdard was brought back in an upset that also gave the Blue Team back their immunity.

    “I stand by my opinion: a caffeine supplement is significantly healthier than unlimited amounts of coffee,” she said. “My only regret is that my team … they’re the ones suffering the consequences of my professional opinion.”

    The reprieve didn’t last long, however, as Studdard was kicked off a second time. But he says that his total weight loss is 112 pounds, which puts him around 350. By the finale, he wants to be down to 300.

    “The biggest thing that I gained from ‘The Biggest Loser’ was the opportunity to get my life back and that was for me was the biggest second chance they could’ve ever given me,” Ruben said.


  • Bob Harper Comes Out of Closet on Biggest Loser

    Bob Harper of The Biggest Loser came out of that proverbial closet on this week’s episode of the show. His confession came as he encouraged contestant Bobby Saleem to come out to his father. Saleem’s dad was visiting the ranch at the time.

    “I haven’t talked about my sexuality on this show ever,” Harper said during Tuesday’s episode of The Biggest Loser. “I really do believe this is the right time.”

    Saleem’s biggest issue with coming out was his Catholic background.

    “I come from a very strict Catholic background,” Saleem said. He had admitted previously on the show that he is gay. “Homosexuality, in a sense, was wrong, so I kind of hid it. It’s just something I’ve kind of kept from my parents, or at least my dad. I always felt like there was something wrong with me.”

    Bob Harper explained to Bobby Saleem that he came out when he was just 17 years old.

    “When I came out … I realized that there was going to be so many obstacles,” he told the contestant. “But being gay doesn’t mean being weak.”

    Harper thanked his fans for all their support via Twitter.

    Bobby Saleem followed suit–but thanked Bob Harper instead.

    While it doesn’t seem like many people were surprised by Harper’s revelation, it does appear that most are supportive of both him and Bobby Saleem. A fellow Biggest Loser contestants chimed in via Twitter, too.

    Kudos to Bob Harper for publicly acknowledging his own sexuality in order to help a contestant acknowledge his. Hopefully others were helped by his candid conversation with Bobby Saleem.

    Image via Wikimedia

  • Bob Harper Comes Out As Gay On “The Biggest Loser”

    Bob Harper has helped countless numbers of people of the hit reality television show, The Biggest Loser. He has helped people overcome self-esteem and weight issues for years, but he has just now opened up about being gay on the show. During Tuesday night’s episode, Harper came out as gay in hopes of encouraging contestant, Bobby Saleem.

    Saleem came out on the show as gay, but was having a hard time coming out to his father. Harper hoped that by sharing his story, that he could positively influence him. “I haven’t talked about my sexuality on this show ever,” Harper said. “I really do believe this is the right time. I want to show Bobby that he doesn’t have to live in shame.”

    Saleem said that because of his “strict Catholic background” he has had a hard time accepting that he was gay and he had an even harder time coming out. “I come from a very strict Catholic background,” said Saleem, who confessed that he was gay while on the show. “Homosexuality, in a sense, was wrong, so I kind of hid it. It’s just something I’ve kind of kept from my parents, or at least my dad. I always felt like there was something wrong with me.”

    Harper could see that Saleem was struggling, so he decided to sit down with him and share his own story. “I’m gay. I knew I very long time ago that I was gay,” Harper said. “When I came out — when I was 17 years old — it was one of those things where I realized that there was going to be so many obstacles, but being gay doesn’t mean being weak. And being gay doesn’t mean that you are less than anybody else. It’s just who you are.”

    Once the show was over, Harper received hundreds of tweets from supportive fans, including Saleem.

    [Image via Twitter]