Fiona Falkiner: ‘My fight with a trainer on the Biggest Loser’

When Fiona Falkiner began hosting the hit reality TV show The Biggest Loser, she never expected an enemy to come from within.

Fiona Falkiner is no stranger to the concept of transformation. In 2006, Falkiner applied successfully to be a contestant on The Biggest Loser, and she was hoping losing the weight would make her happy. But following major success on the show, she found herself spiralling into a deep depression. Here, she talks about life before, during and after living the reality TV juggernaut.

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While I was in New York I got an email from my Aussie agent asking if I’d like to do a modelling gig back in Melbourne.

I had been in New York for about 4 months but decided I’d do it and use it as an excuse to head back home and see family and friends.

Just as I was boarding my flight I got a text from an old friend who was a producer on my series of Loser.

She asked me if I would be interested in coming in for a screen test to host the show. My jaw nearly hit the floor. Me, host the show? What? No!

I stumbled my way to my seat, took a deep breath and re-read the text. My heart was pounding, so many thoughts were running through my mind. I don’t know how to host a show, do I want to go back on TV, back in the public eye etc … so much negativity was swirling around inside my head. I suddenly stopped and realised what I was doing — I was letting the old me take hold, the one that is full of self doubt and negativity.

RELATED: Column One: ‘My life after appearing on a reality TV show’

RELATED: Column Two: ‘What happens inside and outside the Biggest Loser house’

RELATED: Column Three: Fiona Falkiner on the scene that haunts her to this day

In that very moment I turned my thoughts around, what if I gave the screen test a go? I may not get the job but if I give it my best shot who knows what might happen? What was there to lose?

If I got the role it would be such an amazing accomplishment, it would also give me a huge opportunity to help other women accept themselves, as it would give me more of a platform to promote positive body image.

Part of me also really wanted to try change the direction of TV in a way. I wanted to be a successful host not just for myself, but also to show the TV world you don’t have to be a size eight and “perfect” looking to be successful on the screen.

Anyway, 24 hours of travel later I landed in Melbourne and replied to my friend’s message agreeing to do the test.

Well … to say I was nervous is an understatement.

I was asked to read a bunch of scripts to camera in a tiny airless room. I was sweating in places you shouldn’t sweat … and wouldn’t be surprised if I left a puddle behind me … but somehow I got the job.

I flew back to New York to pack up my things, I was absolutely buzzing. I could not believe I was going to be hosting a TV show … me? It was crazy, but I was so excited for this next chapter of my life.

Here I am with The Biggest Loser trainers Shannon, Michelle, Tiffany and the Commando. I had a run-in with one of these guys that really upset me. Picture: Nigel Wright

We started filming for pre-production and it was crazy. I had a stylist bring me racks and racks of clothes for me to try on — I had to pinch myself! I had gone from wishing I could wear those fancy brands to having them thrown at me in all shapes and sizes.

The first day of filming was extremely daunting.

My call time was 4am and we were shooting out at a speedway. The producers wanted me to walk down the track like it was a runway towards the contestants. I made it through hair, makeup and wardrobe without too much drama but when I got my microphones strapped on it all became so real. I started to feel sick with fear but luckily there wasn’t a lot of time to get it done, I got put in a car and sent down the raceway to where I would start walking.

I stepped out of the car and started the long walk to the end of the track where the contestants were waiting for me. With each step my thoughts changed from fear to elation. I couldn’t believe I was actually hosting a show. I was so excited that as I got closer to the contestants I actually started waving and they were waving back, what a hoot. The cameras were rolling, it was all happening.

I won’t ever say I was a brilliant host, but I gave it everything I had and I loved every minute of it!

There I am.

It wasn’t all fun though. The days were long, I would spend anywhere from 10 to 14 hours in high heels. The only way to explain how painful it was is imagine how sore your feet are after a day at the races … and then imagine that every day for 4 months.

Towards the end of the show they brought all the contestants back who had been eliminated and had them weigh in. One of the contestants mentioned how she had really struggled being back home. She had gone back to weighing herself every day and eating badly every time the number on the scales wasn’t what she wanted to see and had even spiralled into anxiety eating. It all sounded very familiar.

Her trainer told her to throw out the scales and go back to training and eating the way they had planned, stop putting pressure on herself with big expectations and just focus on how good she feels when she does those things because soon enough the weight would fall off.

I told the contestant how I could relate to her and told her how I regained all the weight post show and that it wasn’t until I threw out my scales and started training and eating to feel happy and healthy that my weight started coming off.

One of the other trainers pulled me up on camera and said this is a weight loss show and weighing yourself is necessary. I stood my ground and responded by saying that I didn’t feel he understood the psychological effects that scales and “weighing in” can have on females. That trainer got pretty angry for questioning him and threw it back in my face by saying “this coming from a girl who regained all the weight”.

The contestants and crew (who saw this conversation unfold) could see I was upset. It took some time for me to compose myself but I did and we got back to filming. Post our little run in we had a discussion and later agreed to disagree, because there was no way I was backing down on what I believed and neither would he.

I do wish I could have spent more time with the contestants, but unfortunately I didn’t get an opportunity between filming everything. I only really got to have a chat to them at the finale, so I gave them as much advice as I could squeeze into that time so they wouldn’t fall straight off the wagon like I did.

People often ask if it was hard to see the contestants do those horrible challenges, and my answer was no — I mean I had to do those challenges in my own experience as a contestant.

I knew how tough it was but I also knew that pushing myself to those extremes was actually beneficial in the long run because it helped me change my mindset and gave me belief that I could do things I never thought I could have done.

If I had not done the show I wouldn’t have done half the things I have done now.

I would never have had the guts to move to London or New York, or do the screen test to host the show.

I guess as my Dad would say, those horrible challenges really were “character building”.

Fiona Falkiner is a model, presenter and former Biggest Loser contestant. Follow her journey on Instagram @fionafalkiner. You can read last week’s column here.