Steve “Commando” Willis has defended the methods used on The Biggest Loser Australia, saying the program was “above board” and operated with medical oversight, amid renewed scrutiny after a Netflix documentary examined the controversial U.S. franchise.
The Netflix series Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser features former U.S. contestants recounting dangerous practices and lasting health consequences, including former contestant Tracey Yukich describing a hospitalization after a challenge. Speaking to 10News+, Willis, who joined the Australian series in 2009, said similar incidents were unlikely on the Australian production because medical staff were present and restrictions were imposed within health guidelines.
"I don't feel it was ever a risk," Willis said. "From the time that I spent with the contestants and the challenges that we did and all those things, we always had medical staff on standby." The Netflix documentary also alleges that U.S. trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper restricted contestants to as few as 800 calories per day against medical advice; Willis acknowledged calorie restriction took place on the Australian show but said it occurred with warnings and under conditions he considered safe.
"Yes, we restricted their calorie intake as such that was suitable to weight loss, but not detrimental to their health," he told 10News+. He added that trainers on the Australian series prescribed individualized nutritional plans and provided contestants with training methods they could continue after filming to support longer-term maintenance of weight loss.
Willis said that if The Biggest Loser were to return to television, the production would need to give greater attention to the mental-health aspects of obesity and weight loss. "We also know, though, from when we first did The Biggest Loser to today, (about) the difference with mental health. The issues and the struggles, and they're more real," he said, noting that trauma and conditions such as PTSD can shape participants' relationships with food and exercise.
The comments come amid renewed criticism of the franchise following the Netflix documentary and a series of public recollections from former Australian participants and staff. Former host Ajay Rochester told Sydney radio hosts Kyle and Jackie O that filming sometimes felt like the "Wild West," and she raised concerns about extreme outcomes, saying, "It was always just like, when is someone going to die?" Rochester also claimed that several contestants underwent medical procedures after rapid weight loss.
Rochester said she did not believe producers intentionally endangered participants but described filming conditions as intensely pressured. The Australian edition drew U.S. trainers Michaels and Harper for a stint in 2008. Willis joined the cast in 2009 alongside Michelle Bridges and Shannan Ponton; he left the series in 2015. The show, which premiered on Channel 10 in 2006 and ran for 11 seasons, was taken off air in 2017 amid falling ratings.
The Netflix documentary rekindled debate about reality-weight-loss programming and its responsibilities to participants. Fit for TV highlights accounts from former contestants who detailed extreme dieting, intense training regimens and long-term health and psychological effects. The U.S. series' former contestants told the documentary they faced dangerous practices while competing for the show's cash prize, reported at $250,000 for some seasons.
Willis emphasized that the Australian approach prioritized participant safety and education about sustainable change. "It was very much around, yes, the weight loss. But each of the trainers on the show prescribed their own nutritional plan," he said. "We went about training our contestants in the methods that we felt best suited [them] and we would also give the contestants extra training that they needed to do when we weren't there."
Whether The Biggest Loser format will return to Australian screens remains uncertain. Willis suggested a reboot would need to foreground mental-health support and trauma-informed care, reflecting increased awareness about the psychological dimensions of obesity since the series first aired.
The renewed scrutiny adds to ongoing industry and public conversations about the ethics of competitive weight-loss television and the duty of production teams to protect participants' physical and mental well-being.