Bob Harper adds television host to his already impressive résumé. In a statement issued by NBC, it has been announced that Harper will be the new host of The Biggest Loser succeeding Alison Sweeney.
Bob Harper, 50, has been named the new host of The Biggest Loser and will be replacing Days of Our Lives actress Alison Sweeney, who had been with the reality show since 2007.
It is not really clear why Alison Sweeney is leaving after eight years and 13 seasons, but she has already landed two movies on the Hallmark Channel and has plans to spend quality time with her son, Ben, 10, and daughter, Megan, 6.
Sweeney, who also exited Days of Our Lives after 21 years, explained:
“There were other things I wanted to do and see. I had a bunch of good reasons, and I decided it was finally the right time. I know that this is the right decision for my family.”
Bob Harper, the author of many successful diet books including Jumpstart to Skinny: The Simple 3-Week Plan for Supercharged Weight Loss (Skinny Rules), has been with The Biggest Loser since 2004.
Harper, a personal trainer, yoga teacher and vocal animal lover, has also been featured in several Biggest Loser workout DVDs and briefly moved to Oceania to be in the first three seasons of the Australian version of the reality series. Thrilled to be the new host, Harper issued a statement that read:
“I’m super excited about taking the position of host on The Biggest Loser, says Harper, who will continue to offer his training expertise to contestants at various points throughout the season. I’ve been with the show since Season 1 so I know all of the ins and outs, and let me tell you, the weigh-in room is going to be a completely different ballgame with me at the steering wheel.”
It appears that Harper will be pulling double duty as host and trainer along with Jennifer Widerstrom and Dolvett Quince.
Other significant changes in the hit reality series include longtime trainer Jillian Michaels leaving after countless dramas. Season 17 of The Biggest Loser starts in September.
Here are some of the rules Bob Harper live by to stay in shape:
Rule #3: Eat protein at every meal, making some kind of fish your go-to protein as often as you can. Take your weight and divide it by two—that’s more or less how much protein you should be eating in grams every day.
Rule #15: Eat at least ten meals a week at home (and cook them yourself). Restaurant portions are usually 40 to 50 percent bigger than what you’d serve at home—the more you eat out, the more you overeat. Set yourself up for success by preparing my turkey meatballs, hummus, and roasted vegetables on the weekend so that you will have go-to staples and no excuses!
