The Biggest Loser has netted a new celebrity trainer: Tennis star Anna Kournikova will join NBC’s popular weight-loss competition next season, a network spokesperson confirmed today. The 29-year-old Russian is filling the slot that is being vacated by Jillian Michaels — who announced her impending departure back in December — though the Biggest Loser team is not viewing Kournikova as a substitute. “We intentionally tried to not replace Jillian,” executive producer Todd Lubin told Vulture, which first reported the news about Kournikova, who appeared on an episode during Biggest Loser’s tenth season.
The direction of the show will be “getting slightly away from just the tape measure, and getting into overall well-being and health,” added Lubin. “That’s where Loser needs to go.” UPDATE: An NBC spokesperson also confirmed to EW that current Biggest Loser trainers Brett Hoebel and Cara Castronuova, who joined the series this year, will not return for season 12. The season 11 finale airs tonight.
Via http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/05/24/biggest-loser-hires-anna-kournikova/
