Biggest Loser Finale: Rulon's Absence & Deni's Victory Steal the Show

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Discussion Overview

This thread discusses the absence of Rulon at the Biggest Loser finale and the victory of Deni in the at-home challenge. Participants express various opinions about Rulon's situation, the departure of trainer Jillian, and the new trainer Anna's qualifications.

Discussion Character

  • Opinion-based
  • Anecdotal
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions Rulon's absence and wonders if it was acknowledged during the finale.
  • Another participant speculates that Rulon was not invited back due to quitting the show.
  • Several users mention that Rulon's disqualification was likely due to rule violations, including sneaking food and a cell phone.
  • One participant expresses disappointment that Rulon's absence was not addressed during the finale.
  • Participants discuss Jillian's departure and share mixed feelings about her comments regarding pregnancy and body image.
  • Some participants express concern over Anna's qualifications as a trainer, questioning her ability to relate to contestants with significant weight challenges.
  • One participant shares a positive experience with Jillian's training methods, while others express strong negative opinions about her comments and approach.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ regarding Rulon's absence and the reasons behind it. There is no clear consensus on Jillian's comments, with some participants defending her while others find her remarks problematic. Opinions on Anna's qualifications as a trainer also vary.

Contextual Notes

Participants draw from personal experiences and perceptions of the show and its trainers, reflecting a range of emotional responses to the finale and the changes in the cast.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in discussions about trainer dynamics and contestant experiences on reality weight-loss shows may find this thread relevant.

Becca_in_MD
Gold Member
Messages
1,464
Where was Rulon? I couldn't pay 100% attention. I realized it was Justin but no Rulon. Did they say where Rulon was or did they just pretend he was never on the show?

Good for Deni winning the at-home challenge. Wow!
 
I assume because he quit they didn't invite him back. Just my thoughts....
 
Yep..because he quit, he was disqualified from attending the finale...it wouldn't really be fair for him to win the at home prize when he quit the show I guess.
 
I wondered the same thing; but figured it had to be because he quit.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #5
I went to the BL FB page. People mentioned that one of the twins, Dan or Don, quit as well and came back. Most were guessing Rulon wasn't there b/c he quit and thus was eliminated from the at-home challenge, but one or two people think it was b/c he got caught breaking the rules on campus - having food in his room, leaving campus to go eat, sneaking in a disposable cell phone. Someone else posted that he has lost over 100 lbs. and is working toward getting back into competitive wrestling. It would be nice if BL would say something, esp. since he was the "celebrity" on the show.

Oh boy, the people on FB were very negative about Anna K. being the new trainer. I don't understand her credentials.
 
Which trainer is leaving?
 
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  • #7
Jillian is leaving and they're not bringing back Brett and Cara. Jillian is working to adopt a baby from Africa and has a contract to appear on The Doctors. I read one statement from her that really has turned me off of her. I am a huge fan of and proponent for adoption, whatever your reasons for adoption so it's not the fact that she's adopting that appalled me. She said about having a baby naturally "I just can't do that to my body." Um, hello!?! If anyone can bounce back from a pregnancy it's her. This comment combined with the intro I read to one of her diet books about how screwed up she was with her own nutrition during the first couple of seasons of BL makes me think she has really screwing body image issues still. I love Bob. If I was on that show, I would want to train with him.
 
Jillian. I just saw that. jinkies!
 
Becca_in_MD said:
Jillian is leaving and they're not bringing back Brett and Cara. Jillian is working to adopt a baby from Africa and has a contract to appear on The Doctors. I read one statement from her that really has turned me off of her. I am a huge fan of and proponent for adoption, whatever your reasons for adoption so it's not the fact that she's adopting that appalled me. She said about having a baby naturally "I just can't do that to my body." Um, hello!?! If anyone can bounce back from a pregnancy it's her. This comment combined with the intro I read to one of her diet books about how screwed up she was with her own nutrition during the first couple of seasons of BL makes me think she has really screwing body image issues still. I love Bob. If I was on that show, I would want to train with him.

I read that too, and was offended. I wouldn't ever listen to any advice from her after that, because it proves that she has a poor body image...and also that she's most likely a narcissist.
 
Jillian suffers from endometriosis and cannot have children the natural way. It's not an 'ego body' issue at all. As for Rulon, what I've read is that he cheated...and regularly. He would sneak off campus to eat, to make phone calls home and sneak food and a cell phone (track phone) back to his room to make calls home. When he was caught he was told he was disqualified from the competition. He was given the option to quit or be 'outed' on national television. He opted for quitting and forfeiting his chances for any monetary winnings. He will also be facing contractual lawsuits from NBC for violation of his contract for cheating and for disclosing information before airing of episodes. So, yes.. he's in a bit of trouble!That said, I'm SO excited that Olivia won! I was hoping she'd bust out in song, but they took the finale right up to the last second!
 
It would've been nice if they didn't just blow pass Rulon. I do understand that he wouldn't win and all that, but an update would've been nice. Is it just me, or did they not do a marathon this year???!

Has Anna ever been a personal trainer? As a professional athelete she has alot of knowledge, but teaching and guiding someone else is a different kind of challenge.
 
Chef Kearns said:
It would've been nice if they didn't just blow pass Rulon. I do understand that he wouldn't win and all that, but an update would've been nice. Is it just me, or did they not do a marathon this year???!

Has Anna ever been a personal trainer? As a professional athelete she has alot of knowledge, but teaching and guiding someone else is a different kind of challenge.

And I would think having some understanding of where they are coming from too! For me, having someone who probably never had an ounce of fat on them (a professional athlete as long as she has been, hardly likely), will have much experience to understand things from the perspective of someone 400 lbs, or severely overweight. We shall see. Bob has always been my favorite though.
 
ChefBeckyD said:
I read that too, and was offended. I wouldn't ever listen to any advice from her after that, because it proves that she has a poor body image...and also that she's most likely a narcissist.


I disagree that her comment is narcissistic. People choose to birth children or not for many reasons and if I had that rockin' body that I worked so hard for, and I was not someone that "HAD" to have a baby naturally, I would prob feel the same and I am by no mean a narcissist in fact, I refuse to let anyone take my picture for YEARS because of poor body image. To me, it simply means that her body, not just looks, is of top priority to her and she can achieve the same results by adopting. Best of both worlds. I have had the same thoughts and I do not have anywhere near her figure, I am two of her, BUT I too have severe PCOS and going off of Birth Control wrecks havoc on my system and poses several other health and body issues. Did she infer that "body" meant "looks"? It will take a lot of convincing for me to EVER come off of Birth Control before menopause just because of the side effects and what I have to live with to. Therefore that means I will prob choose not to have children birthing them myself by choice of "not doing that to my body".

I do think she prob doesn't want to risk changing her figure but to each their own. If ya got it, flaunt it! She prob doesnt even know what a stretch mark is! I personally would never choose her as my trainer as I always have loved Bob and cannot stand people who scream at others (as she does) BUT my best friend is a die hard fan of hers and by following her book and DVDs she has lost 120lbs, kept it off for 2 yrs and is running a marathon in the fall. Diff strokes for diff folks!

I think the show is going to go down hill without her though....it was not a good show (IMO) the year they had Kim Lyons.
 
Melissa78 said:
I disagree that her comment is narcissistic. People choose to birth children or not for many reasons and if I had that rockin' body that I worked so hard for, and I was not someone that "HAD" to have a baby naturally, I would prob feel the same and I am by no mean a narcissist ....

...I do think she prob doesn't want to risk changing her figure but to each their own. If ya got it, flaunt it! She prob doesnt even know what a stretch mark is!

World English Dictionary
narcissism or narcism (ˈnɑːsɪˌsɪzəm, ˈnɑːˌsɪzəm)

— n
1. an exceptional interest in or admiration for oneself, esp one's physical appearance


I would think that not wanting to have a baby because it might ruin your figure would fit this description.
 
ChefBeckyD said:
World English Dictionary
narcissism or narcism (ˈnɑːsɪˌsɪzəm, ˈnɑːˌsɪzəm)

— n
1. an exceptional interest in or admiration for oneself, esp one's physical appearance


I would think that not wanting to have a baby because it might ruin your figure would fit this description.

Assuming that was the reasoning though.

And yes, I think the year that Jillian was gone wasn't so hot. I didn't like Kim either, and obviously many didn't, since they brought her back (or did she just take a break?) Anyway. I didn't watch it much this season either..wasn't crazy about the other two new trainers. But it will be Bob and Anna now?

I must say, Olivia and Hanna looked amazing! Can't say their dresses were anything so nice to look at though. ;)
 
  • Thread starter
  • #16
If Jillian has endo or any other infertility issue, then that's different than it just being a body image issue. I don't need to know her personal business. But the statement that was quoted did not make any reference to natural birth not being an option for her. If she meant she couldn't put her body through hormone treatments, IVF, etc., then that's understandable. The way she was quoted had it come across as sort of flippant, implying she didn't want to gain any weight, deal with stretch marks, big boobs, etc. I've been down the infertility road and don't question anyone's decisions on which way to go. That's part of why I think adoption is so great.

Isn't it great that we're debating her method of having a child rather than the fact that - scandal, scandal - a single professional woman with more than enough means to support a child wants to have a child by herself?

I believe Jillian did have a weight problem earlier in her life. One season she even had her mom come on b/c she's a therapist. That's where Jillian gets her "into the head" stuff and has an understanding of what it's like to be overweight. Anna K. was never a top-notch tennis player, despite the promo to the contrary when they announced her. Contestants are going to be bending over backwards to get to be with Bob. I think the show is going to lose a lot of viewers with her on board. The year Kim was on was yucky. I remember Kim not liking the game play at all. Not surprised she didn't last. I have workout DVDs from that season with her on them. I bet Brett and Cara were on a trial run to replace Jillian. Some people have commented that it looked like Cara had a pooch on the finale so they think she's PG.
 
I'm surprised they haven't tried bringing back one of the former contestants who are still successful. So many of them seem to have become personal trainers. They are just as much celebrities as anyone else they bring on (if not more so)- if that's a job requirement anyway. ;)
 
ChefBeckyD said:
World English Dictionary
narcissism or narcism (ˈnɑːsɪˌsɪzəm, ˈnɑːˌsɪzəm)

— n
1. an exceptional interest in or admiration for oneself, esp one's physical appearance


I would think that not wanting to have a baby because it might ruin your figure would fit this description.

Thanks for the 5th grade vocabulary lesson just in case I forgot the definition of the word. I didn't, but thanks anyhow! :D No point in debating something we both feel so polar opposite about. :yuck:

I'll remember to remind myself of how narcissistic I must be with my not-so-hot body when I think to myself that I too "wouldn't want to do that to my body" when I think of birthing a child they measure in inches and pounds out a hole measured in 'centimeters'. :rolleyes:
 
esavvymom said:
I'm surprised they haven't tried bringing back one of the former contestants who are still successful. So many of them seem to have become personal trainers. They are just as much celebrities as anyone else they bring on (if not more so)- if that's a job requirement anyway. ;)

Now, that's a great idea Bobbi!! The former constestants are like rock stars to the new ones (and almost eveyone else). They learned from Jillian and are being successful at keeping it off. I would like to see that happen, too.
 
Actually, Jillian's comment was taken out of context and she (either on her website or her facebook page) corrected and explained what she said. She said that for her personally she didn't feel that she could do that to her body after everything she has had to go through to get into the shape she is in. She specifically said that she didn't have any problem with women who chose to become pregnant but that for her, it wasn't a choice she was comfortable with. As for her health, she did say that she had trouble with the nutritional aspect of her training at the beginning because her hormones were completely screwed up. The point of her saying that was to let anyone reading her book know that she is speaking from experience.

I am going to miss having Jillian on there and I actually liked both of the new trainers they had this season as well.

As for the twin that quit - did he actually quit or did he gain weight so he could be voted off? I don't think he actually quit. I think there was only one person who went that route this year.
 
I saw Jillian on The Doctors. She said that comment was out of context. The issues she has have nothing to do with how her body looks, but with the toll it might take on her health if she were even able to get pregnant.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #22
Melissa78 said:
I'll remember to remind myself of how narcissistic I must be with my not-so-hot body when I think to myself that I too "wouldn't want to do that to my body" when I think of birthing a child they measure in inches and pounds out a hole measured in 'centimeters'. :rolleyes:
That is too funny!!! Nothing selfish about not wanting to go through that or other people who do not want to have children at all. I'm the one who almost passed out in birthing class when they showed the video of a head crowning. Seriously, head between my knees about to faint. Sorry you're having to deal with PCOS. I thought I had that but it was something else wrong with my ovary, which had to be removed. Ain't no fun dealing with the unpredictable nature of your life when all systems are not working according to manufacturer's instructions.Thanks to everyone for clearing up how Jillian was misquoted.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Rulon absent from the Biggest Loser Finale?

Rulon Gardner's absence from the Biggest Loser Finale was due to personal reasons that he chose not to disclose publicly. His decision to skip the event surprised many fans, as he was a prominent contestant throughout the season.

What did Deni do to secure her victory at the finale?

Deni secured her victory at the finale by showcasing a remarkable transformation, both physically and mentally. Her dedication to the program and hard work throughout the season paid off, earning her the title and a cash prize.

How did the audience react to Deni's win?

The audience reacted positively to Deni's win, celebrating her journey and transformation. Many viewers expressed their admiration for her determination and resilience, making her victory a highlight of the finale.

Were there any emotional moments during the finale?

Yes, the finale featured several emotional moments, including heartfelt speeches from contestants reflecting on their journeys. Deni's win, in particular, was met with tears of joy from her fellow contestants and family members, highlighting the supportive atmosphere of the show.

What impact did Rulon's absence have on the finale's overall narrative?

Rulon's absence shifted the focus of the finale towards the other contestants, particularly Deni. While some fans missed his presence, the show successfully highlighted the achievements of the remaining participants, ultimately making Deni's victory even more significant in the narrative.

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