Ruben Studdart: Another “Biggest Loser” Celebrity Mistake?

As “The Biggest Loser” begins Season 15 next week, I’m wondering if bringing another celebrity on board will prove to be another mis-step.

Ruben Studdart, past winner of “American Idol,” will be one of the contestants. At 462 pounds, the 35-year-old singer is this season’s heaviest contestant.

Another lesser known public figure is 24-year-old Holley Mangold, a 2012 Olympic weightlifter. Her brother is New York Jets center Nick Mangold.

In the past, the show’s attempts to boost ratings by adding a celebrity to the the cast has backfired.

Case in point: Rulon Gardner’s turn as a contestant in 2011. A lot of people were initially intrigued by the ads showing the Olympic gold medalist’s hard-luck story, with his weight ballooning to 474 pounds.

But there was talk from other contestants that Gardner was arrogant with this teammates, and that he broke the rules.

In an LA Times article, contestant Ken Andrews said he and his son, Austin, had had a falling out with Rulon over “the way Rulon treated others,” and they told him if they got the chance, they would vote him off.  Then one night, Rulon abruptly walked off the show without even weighing in for the week, citing “personal reasons.” People were left  to speculate whether he chose to leave on his own, or if he was forced off due to his rule-breaking and the real story was glossed over to save face.

That fall, another celebrity athlete came on board, this time as a trainer. Former tennis star Anna Kournikova is gorgeous and knows tennis, but she didn’t seem to know much about motivating overweight people. When one contestant practically begged for some positive feedback, Anna was like the Ice Queen. It didn’t help that this was the “Battle of the Ages,” and Anna ended up with the oldest group. No matter what the trainers kept saying about “Age is just a number,”  most 65-year-olds are NOT able to win physical challenges against 20-year-olds. Members of Anna’s team were the first to exit.

Now, here comes Ruben, of Birmingham, who seems to be more laid-back and less competitive than Rulon. In a film clip on the NBC website, Studdard said his weight hasn’t affected his music career, but the picture of optimal health has eluded him. He spent a couple of years as a vegan and lost 100 pounds, but it didn’t last because he didn’t focus on making it a lifestyle change. He also said that at the ranch, he is learning to slow down, and cook and prepare his own healthy food.

“Anything good for you, you can’t get fast,” he said.

I think former athletes, such as Holley Mangold, have an advantage in this game. Although they’re overweight, at some point in their lives they had to physically challenge their body, so they know what it’s like to work out. Perhaps there’s some muscle memory that helps them better adapt to the exercise program. Also, they have experience with competition.

No doubt the addition of Ruben to the show will boost ratings. And, he’s already won a really tough reality competition, and he’s gained confidence from his music success.  We’ll just have to tune in to see if this gives him an edge on the show. And, we’ll soon find out if NBC’s latest celebrity effort backfires again.