reality tv

It’s nearly impossible to hear Abby Rike’s story and not be overwhelmed by sadness. The good news these days though, is that Abby is not. She is positively beaming, even saying there’s more laughter and joy wherever she goes.

Two years ago Abby’s husband, who she calls her “favorite person on the planet,” her young daughter and newborn son were tragically killed in a car accident. In our interview she explains how prior to going to the Biggest Loser ranch her heart wasn’t in life and felt as though she didn’t have anything left to give. She also tells us how she no longer lets one person fulfill her the way her husband did, and feels blessed to have a wide range of supporters.

Today, Abby’s finding joy in the small things. And in our interview with her she laughed, a lot! She says going to the Biggest Loser ranch served as a catalyst for finding the light in her eyes again.

Tune in, this Tuesday, October 27 to watch Yankees great Derek Jeter and popular chef Curtis Stone lend some extra encouragement to the remaining cast members of The Biggest Loser.

Jeter will share his baseball prowess with the contestants during a game of action-packed baseball. He’ll also talk about the importance of teamwork and relate it to the Biggest Loser challenge.

Once the bats and balls have been put away, Chef Stone comes in and cooks a delicious and healthy Mediterranean Turkey Burger for the winners of the baseball competition.

We’re just about three weeks into DietTribe’s season two. DietsInReview.com had a chance to chat with one of the tribe members, Mary Lasnier, a working-turned-stay-at-home-mom who saw the weight creep on (and never creep off) after giving birth to her second child.

Motivated to accomplish her goal of losing 50 pounds, Mary dished with us about her reasons for joining the weight loss reality show and how she will keep up the momentum of her newly-discovered healthy habits once the show wraps up.

What led you to being on DietTribe?

The idea was brought to me by my dear friend, LaNessa, another DietTribe member. I, fortunately or unfortunately, fell into that category of someone who needed to lose weight. I never had an issue with food or my weight until I had my second child and the pregnancy weight never came off.

So, first things first. Coach Mo is gone, Tracey stayed in the game. The contestants were shocked. After they get a hold of themselves, it’s straight into a challenge. This challenge had the teams digging up crates to get a prize that the ever-so-clever Alison Sweeney kept a secret. The blue team ends up being the better archaeologists, or moles, or whatever else that digs, and wins. The prize is a week’s trip home. For either team. The blue team makes the smart decision and sends the black team home, hoping for some massive stumbles.

If you’ve ever dreamed of having even just a day or a week with Jillian Michaels, your chance has come. NBC has just announced that it will premiere a new health and weight loss show, starring Jillian Michaels, in the summer 2010, immediately following the Biggest Loser 9 season.

“Yes, NBC has finally lost their minds and decided to give me my own show,” posted the trainer on her Facebook page.

We spoke with Jillian, and executive producers Mark Koops and Ellen Rakieten, to learn more about her thoughts on the new show and what viewers can expect. Listen now as she tells us why she’s excited about “Losing It,” what we will see as she works with children, and how Curtis Stone came to be a part of the show.

Jillian says the show will allow us to see more facets of who she is and learn more about the methodology of the Jillian Michaels approach, things she says we miss on Biggest Loser. “I’m passionate about showing more of what we do,” she says.