NASCAR DRIVER CLINT BOWYER GUEST STARS ON NBC’S HIT SERIES “THE BIGGEST LOSER: COUPLES” IN EPISODE THAT ALSO CHALLENGES EACH CONTESTANT TO PULL A TWO-TON CAR ON TUESDAY, MARCH 24 (9-11 P.M. ET)

Plus, One Contestant Breaks A “Biggest Loser” Record At Weigh-In!

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer will visit “Biggest Loser” contestants when they face one of their toughest challenges yet – each pulling a two-ton car – in an episode of NBC’s hit series “The Biggest Loser: Couples” airing Tuesday, March 24 from 9-11 p.m. ET. The episode will start an hour later than usual due to a Presidential address on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

This week’s episode kicks off with host Alison Sweeney telling the contestants that they are no longer on teams – they will now compete as singles, so she gives each of them back their original team color “Biggest Loser” shirts. And with the switch to singles comes the news that each contestant will get to decide which trainer they want to train them for the remainder of their time at the ranch.

Once each contestant chooses between trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, they begin part one of this week’s two-part challenge. They are each given their weight lost to date, and get to distribute it to other players for part two of the challenge – leading to an emotional breakdown for one player who feels the rest of the contestants are ganging up on her.

Then it’s on to part two of the challenge as the group heads to a raceway and meets NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer, winner of the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers championship. He gives an inspirational pep talk to the contestants before they face one of their hardest challenges yet. They’ll each pull a two-ton car – plus the weight added on from part one of the challenge – for half a mile!

Later, one contestant breaks a “Biggest Loser” record at a weigh-in that finds several players hitting big milestones before an elimination round sends another player home.

Last week at the weigh-in, Tara and Kristin were close to losing 100 pounds for the season, which would represent the first time a woman has lost that amount while at the ranch. Though close, neither broke that mark; Tara lost 2 pounds while Kristin gained 1 pound. Tara was particularly upset, given that she lost nothing the previous week. Jillian explained that Tara was overdoing it, and needed to listen to Jillian’s advice to sleep and rest more. Mike was happy when it was revealed that his father, Ron, had lost 10 pounds, which put his total loss at 103 pounds. Ultimately, the Black Team won the weigh-in, and Ron had immunity. The Blue Team had to decide between voting for Aubrey, Cathy, or Kristin. Cathy volunteered to be eliminated and the other team members follow her decision; she was sent home.

The teams competing for the $250,000 grand prize are:

BEST FRIENDS:
Carla Triplett (Assistant bank manager), 36, and her best friend Joelle Gwynn (Non-profit founder), 41, Southfield, Michigan (Both eliminated week five)

Daniel Wright (Student), 19, Willow Spring, North Carolina (Eliminated in week eight) and his best friend, David Lee (Student), 23, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina (Both eliminated week four)

COUSINS:
Sione Fa (Owner, landscape company), 28, Maricopa, Arizona and his cousin, Filipe Fa (Lube technician), 26, Mesa, Arizona

Blaine Cotter (College counselor), 27, Gilbert, AZ (Eliminated week 7) and his cousin Dane Patterson (Real estate appraiser), 27, Mesa, Arizona

ENGAGED COUPLE:
Damien Gurganious (Industrial designer), 31, and his fiancée Nicole Brewer (Wardrobe stylist), 37, Brooklyn, New York (Eliminated week 3)

FORMER MODELS:
Tara Costa (Model/Finance manager), 23, New York, NY, and her friend Laura Denoux (Model/Sales director), 24, Miami, Florida

FATHER/SON:
Ron Morelli (Retired food distributor, currently City Councilman), 54, and his son, Mike Morelli (Student), 18, South Lyon, MI.

GRANDPARENTS:
Estella Hayes (Retired nurse), 63 and her husband, Gerald “Jerry” Hayes (Retired engineer), 63, Wheaton, Illinois (Eliminated week 2)

MOTHER/DAUGHTER:
Helen Phillips (Retired retail manager), 47, Sterling Heights, MI and her daughter, Shanon Thomas (Massage therapist), 29, Centerline, MI. (Eliminated in week 7)

Cathy Skell (Title sales closing agent at real estate firm), 48, Shiocton, Wisconsin (Eliminated in week 11) and her daughter, Kristin Steede (Business owner), 28, Greenville, Wisconsin

SISTERS:
Amanda Kramer (Cosmetologist), 30, Boise, Idaho (Eliminated in week 10), and her sister, Aubrey Cheney (Information and education specialist), 28, Gooding, Idaho

Alison Sweeney hosts, and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels also star.

“The Biggest Loser” has become a worldwide hit airing in over 90 countries and produced in 25 countries. Since its debut in 2004, “The Biggest Loser” has grown to become a standalone health and lifestyle brand by developing tools and products inspired by the show and approved by its doctors and experts. Anchored by the online, subscription-based extension of the show, Biggestloserclub.com, The Biggest Loser Meal Plan, The New York Times best-selling books series, best-selling fitness DVD series, a line of appliances, fitness equipment, protein supplements and countless other health and lifestyle based products, The Biggest Loser consumer products program has generated over $50 million in spending with presence at more than 25,000 major retailers to date. Check out www.biggestloser.com for more information.

“The Biggest Loser: Couples” is a production of Reveille LLC, 25/7 Productions and 3Ball Productions. Ben Silverman (NBC’s “The Office,” “Ugly Betty”), Dave Broome (“A Model Life with Petra Nemcova,” “Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope”), JD Roth (“Age of Love,” “Beauty and the Geek”), Todd A. Nelson (“Unan1mous,” “Beauty and the Geek”) and Mark Koops (“American Gladiators,” “Shear Genius”) serve as executive producers.

Source: NBC Press Releases