The moment of reckoning finally came when 30 contestants arrived, not knowing what to expect. The 30 had been chosen from thousands who had auditioned across Asia, keen to take part in this life changing opportunity known as Asia’s first Biggest Loser competition.
A complete lifestyle change, turning their health around, and one hundred thousand US dollars was at stake. Host Sarimah Ibrahim welcomed the contestants, and quickly introduced them to their future trainers: Kristy Kurtis leading the way for the red team, & Dave Nuku representing the blue team.
Eager to finally start the journey of their lives, these 30 contestants did not expect Sarimah to throw them a twist right off the bat. Soon it was revealed they must endure a gruelling physical challenge to be selected as one of only sixteen Blue or Red team members. That meant for 14 people, their dreams would be shattered even quicker than it began. Once the contestants were over the shock of this, they were asked to quickly choose a partner, required for one part of the upcoming challenge. They were each ready to give it their all, and hold nothing back. However, once they arrived at the challenge location, observing the task at hand, the contestants immediately felt intimidated. Sarimah explained the rules and details of the 3 stations for the challenge. From lunges, squats, shadow boxing, skipping rope & jumping hurdles with a 30 kilogram rice bag, this was not going to be a walk in the park. Many struggled, but at the end of it all, one thing was obvious – there were no quitters in the group. They each gave it their all and put their blood, sweat, and tears into each minute of the challenge. This made the trainers’ job that much harder in deciding whom they would pick on their respective red and blue teams. With 30 incredibly motivated individuals, it was hard for them to select only 16. But those were the rules of the game. Eventually, 14 were sent home heartbroken, and 16 continued the journey of a lifetime. Once the 16 lucky contestants were settled into their team villas, they knew this was only the beginning.
The newly formed Red & Blue teams were eager to start their first session of training with Kristy & Dave, their respective trainers. However, nobody expected the very first day of training would eventually become one of the most dramatic of the competition. The Red Team was certainly not expecting Kristy’s aggressive, “drill sergeant” approach. Not one to start things off on a soft note, from the get go, Kristy drove her team into the ground. Shocked at their lack of stamina, Kristy decided to cut short their training and restricted the first session to just a warm up. Dave on the other hand, led the Blue team with a caring hand and kind words. The Blue team seemed to be blossoming under his direction, but just as their session got more intense, the Blue team suddenly developed a major setback. Damietta suffered an ankle injury and had to be taken to the hospital. The team was left shocked and looked to Dave for comfort and reassurance. As Damietta’s fate remained unknown, the Blue team came together and decided to look ahead, despite the bad luck of having lost a teammate on the very first day of training.
The next day, the blue team’s luck appeared to be turning around as Damietta returned from the hospital, without a serious diagnosis. Things quickly moved forward.
After suffering Kristy’s rigorous first session, the Red team was feeling a bit intimidated and uncertain. However, they were determined to push themselves and fight on. One contestant on the other hand, showed signs of doubt. Not entirely sure how to proceed, Desmond decided to pull Kristy aside to have a chat. Buckling under the pressure of the competition he had just embarked on, Desmond shared his thoughts of going home. Unable to get an entirely clear picture, a shocked Kristy managed to convince Desmond to think long and hard before making such a huge mistake. Upon calling his partner back at home for advice, Desmond was still not entirely sure what he would do. No one was.
Soon it was time for Sarimah to introduce the contestants to their world-class training facilities. The Blue & Red teams were in awe of what was revealed. Surrounded by the state of the art exercise equipment, the contestants knew that their training would not get easier. The introduction to the almighty weighing scale ensued. This quickly intimidated the contestants, as they knew the scale would ultimately decide their fate. Sarimah then set the bar for the competition by checking the starting weight of each contestant. Taking their shirts off in front of Asia before standing on the scale, was not an easy task. No one was comfortable or confident baring skin, but each understood this was just part of the competition. As each contestant was weighed in for the first time, everyone realised they’ve got a lot of work to do. As the Weigh-In progressed, no one had any idea as to what was coming. Desmond was the last person to be weighed in. He stood on the scales, and just after his starting weight was revealed, he made a shocking announcement – he was quitting the competition. Everyone was left speechless, especially, the red team. To lose a team member in the first week of the competition was certainly not on their agenda. A shocked Sarimah gave Desmond a moment to change his mind, as this had never happened in the show’s history. But Desmond was firm with his decision, he was turning his back on the red team, and going home.
At last, Asia’s first Biggest Loser competition had begun. The episode began with 30 contestants, and ended with half already gone home. 15 contestants remain. Who will be crowned Asia’s first Biggest Loser? Tune in next week to discover who will be one step closer.
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