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Celebrity Fit Club

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Celebrity Fit Club is a reality television series which follows eight overweight celebrities as they tried to lose weight for charity. Split into two competing teams of four, each week they are given different physical challenges, and weighed to see if they reached their target goal weights. They are monitored and supervised by a team that includes a nutritionist, a psychologist, and a physical trainer, the latter of which is former U.S. Marine Harvey Walden IV. The series originated in Britain on ITV in 2002 [link], and ran until 2006. An American version premeired in 2005 on the VH1 network. Its fourth season is scheduled to air in the second half of 2006. [link]

Contents

The British version

Season one - 2002

The first series aired in 2002 and featured the following celebrities:

Season two - 2004

The second series was aired in 2004 presented by Dale Winton. Hypnotherapist, Marisa Peer, joined the judging panel. The following celebrities took part:

Vanessa's Team (winners)

James's Team (see note) Note: James' Team was known as John's team from weigh-ins 4 to 6 and Freddie's team from weigh-ins 1 to 3.

Season three - 2005

The third series started on 4 January 2005, this time with a former contestant, Ann Widdecombe as a member of the judging panel. The celebrities that took part were;

Aldo's Team (winners) (lost 13.2% of their starting weight) (lost 7 stone, 9 pounds together)

Note: Team known as Julie's team from weigh-in 1 to 6.

Paul's Team (lost 12.3% of their starting weight) (lost 9 stone, 4 pounds together)

Season four - 2006

The fourth British series began on 10 January 2006. In this series, former Fit Club contestants joined the judging panel, with a different ex-contestant appearing each week: so far, they have included Amy Lamé, Aldo Zilli, Jonathan "Jono" Coleman, Paul Ross Alison Hammond, James Whitaker, Lowri Turner, Ann Widdecombe and Kym Mazelle. Also this year the final episode is a 90-minute mini-olympic event in Sheffield, where channel 4's The Games takes place, with past celebrities joining the two teams. The celebrities taking part are:

Jeff's Team (lost 18% of their starting weight) (lost 12 stone 13 pounds together without Anne's weight)

Note: Jeff's team was originally known as Anne's team for the first 4 weigh-ins of the series.

Carole's Team (winners) (lost 19% of their starting weight) (lost 12 stone, 6 pounds together)

The panel for this episode saw US drill instructor Harvey Walden again joined by nutritionist Dr Adam Carey. Each week Harvey and Adam were joined by Fit Club past masters. The first show saw the return of Amy Lamé.

Starting Point:

Anne Diamond who at 14st 9lbs is 4st 5lbs overweight and suffered from high blood pressure, admits to a classic cycle of yo-yo dieting.

Carole Malone, starting at 15st 10lbs, is 2lbs off being morbidly obese.

Mikyla Dodd, at 19st 2lbs is morbidly obese and has a goal weight of 12 stone.

Bobby George, 16st 13lbs admits to having two fridges in his bedroom which he raids every night for chocolate.

Russell Grant, 21st 11lbs admits that from 10:30am to 9pm daily he enjoys a finger fest, constantly eating.

Sharon Marshall, 13st 4lbs admits to a ‘booze’ problem and a lifestyle of parties which is not helping her weight loss.

Mick Quinn, once at the peak of physical fitness as a footballer, now weighs 19st 6lbs, making him medically morbidly obese.

Jeff Rudom weighed in at 32st and 7lbs, making him the heaviest celebrity ever to appear on the show.

The Anne Diamond Saga

Anne Diamond, who was team captain, walked off during a training session in week 4. The British soldiers who replaced Harvey failed to gel with Anne Diamond, who said “I'm not going to have a stupid, spotty, pubescent little youth yelling at me!” As a result of her outburst in training, Anne was relieved of her captaincy by Harvey. The following week she was angry that Jeff was made team captain instead of Mikyla.

The following week, Anne Diamond revealed that she had a gastric band fitted. This caused lots of press attention, making the front pages of the Daily Mail, Express and Mirror. Fellow contestant Carole Malone branded Anne "a cheat", and she was subsequently banned from the team weigh by the other celebrities. Later Carole and her team decided to include her in all aspects of the program regardless of previous disputes, but she chose to quit the show.

The Sheffield Events 2006 and the Final Weigh-in

The English Institute for Sport in Sheffield was the venue for the season's final competition, and the two teams fought head to head for the inaugural Fit Club Champions Trophy, with Aldo, Amy, Coleen and Harvey joining Jeff's team, and Tina, Kym and Lowri joining Carole's team. After the long jump, sprint, shotput and hurdles, the fate of each team rested on the relay race. It was a fast and furious race but Mick emerged victor, making Carole Malone's team the winners.

At the weigh-in, Dale dealt some bad news: as he approached the finish, Mick had thrown the baton before he had crossed the line, thus disqualifying him from the race, and giving the win to the opposing team. Captain Jeff decided that in the interest of competition both teams should share the trophy. Later Mick was made Mr Fit Club 2006, with a reduction of nearly 25%.

The teams took to the giant scales and with a 19% reduction of their total weight Carole's team won the series, just putting them ahead of Jeff’s 18% team effort. The overall result could barely have been closer.

Weight losses

The following celebrities have lost the largest amounts of weight in the course of a single week:

The smallest weight loss ever was Andy Fordham with 1/2 pound.

The largest individual weight loss across a whole series to date is Jeff Rudom with 6 stone, 8 pound.

Weight gains

The following celebrities have gained weight between successive weigh-ins:

The American version

Season one - 2005

Harvey Walden remained as the fitness coach and Marisa Peer as the hypnotherapist, with Dr David Katz on the panel. The series was hosted by comedian Ant. The celebrities that took part included:

Eastsiders (lost 98 pounds):

Three Fat Bastards and One Black Beyotch (Winners)(lost 126 pounds): Note: Three Fat Bastards and One Black Beyotch were known as Ralphie's Angels for the first 4 weigh-ins of the season.

The First Weigh-in

On the first season of the American version of the show, 10 overweight celebrities battled it out to see who was the biggest loser. They had a camp the week before so their drill sergeant, therapist and nutritionist would be able to scope them out.

Episode highlights

In episode two, Joe loses eleven pounds and Ralphie loses twelve, we learn of Kim’s crush on Harvey, the Eastsiders win the pool challenge, and The Judge receives harsh criticism from her own team, but they win the week's weigh-in.

In episode three, Joe disappoints his team by gaining twelve pounds, The Judge annoys her team by constantly phoning them, Daniel tempts Kim with chocolate and his team wins the challenge again, but The Judge wins the weigh-in.

In Episode four, a mutiny arises when the celebrities are asked to vote off their weakest member to the opposing team and Judge Mablean is unanimously voted over to Daniel's Eastsiders in exchange for Joe. The team challenge this week involves mental stamina instead of physical ability - with laptop computers as the prize. Ralphie's Angels still do not have an advantage to win their first challenge. Finally, the team member trade off gives Daniel's Eastsiders an advantage, allowing his team to win their first team weigh in.

In episode five, with Judge and Joe traded to the opposition, friendships collapse when fallout from the team trade leads to a confrontation between Judge and Kim. Ralphie's team serves their punishment for losing the team weigh-in the week before, as our panel of experts checks up on them and spends the night as houseguests. Ant and Kim Coles spend the night spooning; meanwhile Dr. Katz and Joe G spend their night re-enacting a scene from the Odd Couple. Mia takes her fighting with Harvey to a whole new level when she tells him what she really thinks of him, then storms off the scales.

Ralphie makes tremendous strides toward his fitness goals when he runs over a mile for the first time in 15 years. But Ralphie gets completely stumped by his numbers at the weigh in.

In episode six, Daniel Baldwin does not show up for the weight in, and the rest of the celebrities are furious at his lack of commitment to Fit Club. His team is penalized for his absence. Later, Ralphie is completely devastated by a 5-pound weight gain. He pops the big question to his girlfriend Lahna and hopes that since he's making an effort to lose weight, she'll finally agree to marry him. Joe Gannascoli gambles his progress on a trip to Las Vegas where he falls off the weight loss wagon. Kim Coles takes stripper lessons to learn how to show off her sexy slimmer body. Biz Markie gets called out by Dr. Katz for cheating by taking colonics to lose weight but denies it. An Elementary Olympics team challenge has the celebrities racing in potato sacks, running with eggs and spoons, hopping through hoops and handing off batons as they argue with each other and fight it out to win prizes.

In episode seven, after missing last week's "Fit Club," Daniel Baldwin decides to show up for this week's weigh in. With the end of "Fit Club" fast approaching, Ralphie's team, the Fat Bastards, decides to get a leg up on their competition by heading off to a Utah spa. They hope their stay will help them pull ahead in their weight loss battle. But the plan goes awry when Ralphie misses his flight and Joe G spends the bulk of his time getting pampered. Later, Tae Bo inventor Billy Blanks pays a visit to Fit Club and puts our celebrities through a vigorous work-out. During the weigh ins, Ralphie comes up big with an 11 pound loss.

The final episode of Celebrity Fit Club begins with a trip to an exclusive Hollywood salon, Prive, courtesy of Star Magazine. The makeover and the new clothes will help show off the celebs' new and improved bodies. Daniel is once again late, and everyone complains. Ant says if Daniel shows up before the final weigh in, his weight loss will count. If not, he'll be disqualified. As the weigh-ins begin and we track their final week, we follow Kim on a blind date timed to celebrate her weight loss. Her blind date turns out to be Harvey. Harvey makes the cast run while carrying weights representing their weight loss to demonstrate how far they've all come. Everyone is also put to the test in a final fitness assessment where they all see a marked improvement from their results before starting Fit Club just three months earlier, and Biz Markie is revealed as the contestant who has lost the most weight. It is revealed that Daniel Baldwin was on pain medication for his back, and began to abuse them. By the end of the show, he was in full-blown addiction, using painkillers and moving on to narcotics. He says that he's a drug addict, but now he's staying at Oasis resort and is 60 days sober and apologizes to everyone on Fit Club.

Season two - 2005

The second series of the American version also took place in 2005, with Wendy Kaufman returning for a second season. On this season, Linda Papadopoulos and Dr Ian Smith join Harvey on the panel.

Sizzlin' Soul and White Ice (Winners):

The Winners: Note: The Winners were known as Crunchamatics for the first 3 weigh-ins of the season.

Season three - 2006

The third incarnation of the series began January 1, 2006.

Contestants:

Kelly's Bellies (Winners) (lost 96 pounds and earned a 10 pound credit):

Note: Kelly's Bellies were known as Greased Lightning for the first 3 weigh-ins of the season.

Ebony Flame (lost 90 pounds and the show):

Jeff's Exit

In a flashback, Jeff Conaway shows up at Fit Camp on Day 15 in a bad condition. Dr. Ian Smith shows up to check on Jeff's condition in the hopes that he's well enough to compete. Jeff can't talk straight. Jeff can't walk straight. He can't even walk on his heels, which he blames on flat feet. Ian asks why Jeff's like this. Jeff blames it on the two Benadryl he took. Ian tells Jeff that two Benadryl alone would not produce his stupor. Back at the weigh-in, Jeff apologizes half-heartedly for taking two Benadryl and for being Jeff Conaway. Ian asks about Jeff's medications, recalling Jeff's supposed Benadryl blitz. Jeff says he also takes muscle relaxers. He claims to have been clean and sober for fifteen of the last twenty years.

On another episode, Jeff melts down, saying "You can take your fuckin' show and shove it up your fuckin' ass." He later apologizes again, this time to Kelly. He once again blames the Benadryl for his loopiness. Chastity comes out and tells Jeff that the group thinks he's on drugs. Jeff says he's only on prescriptions. Chas lets Jeff know that she was taking only prescriptions when she became addicted to them. She was in constant pain, too, but she came out of it, and encourages Jeff to do the same.

After his temper tantrum in the last episode, Dr. Linda Papadopoulis scheduled a one-on-one with Jeff the following evening. However, he never showed up. Instead, he was rushed to the ER after a near-fatal night of painkillers and alcohol. After his release, Jeff explains that it was his birthday and he celebrated by taking too many benzoids while he was drunk. He remembers waking up surrounded by paramedics. Later that day, he makes a visit to addiction specialist and Loveline co-host Dr. Drew Pinsky. Dr. Drew learns that Jeff is on one to three Norco, which is equivalent to six Vicodin, and six two-mg Xanax a day. As Dr. Drew says, he needs to stay in a hospital to detox from that much Xanax.

Conaway's replacement

After his departure, Conaway is replaced by Gunnar Nelson, half of the early '90s rock group Nelson. Gunnar, who, according to Dr. Ian Smith, is already pretty close to an okay weight for his height, explains, "For me it is getting ripped and cut. For me, I am thinking about 160 or 165 pounds, but with a lot of muscle exchange for the fat."

Jeff Conaway Returns To Fit Club

73 days after his dramatic meltdown and visit to drug rehab, Jeff Conaway makes a tearful return to Fit Club. Jeff starts out by apologizing for his wild behavior, and breaks down in tears when he tells a story of praying to God about being worthy.

Dr. Linda admires his bravery for coming to speak up and advises Jeff to stay in counseling. Jeff turns to his former cast mates and tells them they all look great. He thanks them for all the support they gave him even after the meltdown and motivates them to keep up their fitness.

Chastity Bono is the most upset at what appears to be Jeff's sense of denial. She says Jeff looks a lot better now and she's proud. Ant admits he looked right at Chas when Jeff challenged the panel over the Benadryl. Chas confesses to nodding out to drugs before, so she knows what Jeff must be going through. Ant asks the cast to wish Jeff the best of luck in his journey, and sends Chas to the scale.

The Finale

The Celebrity Fit Club 3 US winners were Kelly’s Bellies. The winners were actually decided by a two-step process. At the weigh-in on the giant scales, Ebony Flame had a combined weight loss of 90 pounds, and Kelly’s Bellies had a combined weight loss of 96 pounds. However, the second step to the process involved adding in a 10 pound credit for the team that showed the biggest improvement in a final fit camp competition.

Ebony Flame improved 36% over the first fit camp, but Kelly’s Bellies improved 40% over the first fit camp. Kelly’s Bellies received the 10 pound credit and won the competition by a total of 16 pounds. Kelly’s Bellies won a grand prize of various sponsor prizes valued at over two hundred thousand dollars.

On the individual level, Young MC was the biggest weight loser of Celebrity Fit Club 3. Young MC lost 38 pounds and won the individual prize of a weekend trip to Vegas and a Celebrity Fit Club 3 collector’s necklace.

Season four - In Production

On April 26 2006, Carnie Wilson appeared on The View and mentioned that she would be on the upcoming season of Celebrity Fit Club to lose the 30 pounds she gained during her pregnancy. She also mentioned that the rest of the cast had already been picked and that none of them had gastric bypass surgery. Wilson would be the second contestant on the show to have had a gastric bypass (the first was Ralphie May) which she said most of the cast was in support of. She also stated that filming would begin in summer 2006. [link]

The celebrities set to appear are:

External links

 

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