Fresh on the heels of John Rhode‘s amazing win in season 12 of the Biggest Loser, the show has announced details about season 13, which begins airing January 3.
When season 13 kicks off, contestants arrive at the Biggest Loser Ranch and receive some pretty shocking news: while they get there in teams of two, which includes a mother/daughter, father/son, brother/sister and husband/wife combination, they will be split from their loved ones and will have to compete against them!
Dubbed the season of “No Excuses,” the competitors are taken out of their comfort zone to face both physical and mental challenges like they never have before in their lives. Not to mention, one team won’t even make it on the ranch.
Eighteen of the 20 contestants come to the ranch with loved ones, but two are teamed up as strangers. The groups, as usual, will be divided into teams with trainers Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince.
The Biggest Loser season 13 will feature new contestants with interesting life stories. For instance, Nancy Rajala has 13 children and 55 grandchildren and didn’t start to gain weight until she was widowed at 52.
Here is a complete list of the new contestants who will compete for the $250,000 grand prize:
Parent and Child Teams:
- Gail Lee (Realtor), 57, and her 26-year-old daughter, Lauren Lee (exercise physiologist), 26, from Poolesville, Maryland.
- Mark Cornelison (youth pastor), 43, and his 19-year-old son, Isaac “Chism” Cornelison (student), of Magnolia, Texas.
- Kim Stone a 48-year-old registered nurse and her 21-year-old daughter, Megan Stone, a student and support staff for an organization that helps disabled adults. They are from Dittmer, Missouri.
Grandparent and Grandchild Team:
- Nancy Rajala (retired), 63, and her 25-year-old granddaughter, Cassandra Sturos, an in-home senior caregiver from Fowlerville, Michigan.
Siblings:
- Conda Britt, a nutrition health services tech, 24, and her 22-year-old brother, Jeremy Britt, a banker from Rockford, Michigan.
- Music producer and community activist Adrian Dortch, 34, and his 37-year-old sister, Daphne Dortch, a paralegal/kids activity team member from Evanston, Illinois.
- Truck driver Joe Messina, 38, of Auburn, New York, and his 41-year-old brother, Mike Messina, a cook from Oakland, California.
- Pastor Allen “Buddy” Shuh, 42, of Wayne, Michigan and his 34-year-old brother, Ben Shuh, a retail store manager from Howell, Michigan.
Spouses:
- Christine Pickler (self-employed), 42, and her husband, Roy Pickler (self-employed/Santa Claus), 63, from Middlebury, Indiana.
Strangers:
- Teacher Emily Joy, 29, of Huntersville, North Carolina, and 38-year-old former professional wrestler Kim Nielsen of Roswell, Georgia.