A new Netflix docuseries, Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser, streaming from August 15, revisits the hit reality show that ran for 18 seasons. Among the revelations is the story of trainer Bob Harper, who suffered a near-fatal heart attack a year after the show's original run ended.
Bob Harper, a celebrity trainer who worked on The Biggest Loser for a decade before becoming its host, had a heart attack in February 2017 at age 52 while working out. He later told NBC News: 'On February 12 2017 I was in the gym, the next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital two days later being told that I had a heart attack and that I immediately went into cardiac arrest.'
Harper was diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia, a hereditary condition causing high LDL cholesterol. The health scare triggered an identity crisis, as he struggled with the loss of his fitness persona. He described going through depression and having to 'rediscover different sides of me'.
The docuseries also touches on Harper's ongoing health battle, which was evident during his appearance on The Traitors US last year. In one challenge, he became winded and emotional, admitting: 'When I had a heart attack, seven years ago, it kicked my a**. I had less than a 20% chance of surviving... realising that I have to redefine who I am, it's just really hard.'
Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser is now streaming on Netflix.
