In a candid new interview with The Guardian, ahead of the August 15, 2025 Netflix premiere of Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser, Harper opened up about his years on the show, his shocking 2017 heart attack, and the friendships — and silences — that followed.
“We weren’t besties, but we were partners on a television show for a very long time,” Harper shared. “Her silence spoke volumes.”
While Harper says many Biggest Loser alumni reached out during his recovery, Jillian Michaels was not one of them. “I would not expect Jillian Michaels to do anything other than what she wants to do,” he added.
The Netflix Documentary Everyone’s Talking About
Fit for TV dives deep into the legacy — and controversy — of The Biggest Loser, featuring exclusive interviews with Harper, former contestants, producers, and the show’s doctor, Robert Huizenga.
Season 11 sisters Olivia Ward and Hannah Young call it “the best thing that ever happened to us” in the trailer, while others like Suzanne Mendonca from Season 2 paint a much darker picture:
“Why didn’t anyone let me know that I could have just ruined my life?” Mendonca says in one emotional clip.
Executive producer David Broome defends the show’s legacy, saying:
“You tell me one show that’s actually changed people’s lives the way The Biggest Loser has, I’d love to hear it.”
Jillian Michaels’ Criticism of the Show
Since leaving the trainer role in 2013, Michaels has publicly criticized The Biggest Loser for its elimination format and lack of mental health support.
“Nobody should have been eliminated. That was my No. 1 issue,” Michaels told Today in 2021. “The producers gamified weight loss. It was weight loss on a ticking clock.”
She also highlighted the absence of professional mental health care for contestants dealing with deep emotional challenges:
“When you have someone that weighs 400 lbs., that’s not just someone who likes pizza. There’s a whole lot going on there emotionally.”
Why This Story Hits Hard in 2025
The Harper–Michaels fallout taps into larger conversations about reality TV ethics, contestant welfare, and how public figures handle personal crises. The documentary’s release is expected to spark major social media debates, with fans revisiting one of the most controversial reality competitions in U.S. television history.
