‘The Biggest Loser’ names Bob Harper as season 17 host

Who knew that in picking the host of “The Biggest Loser” for season 17, NBC was going to be looking internally? Today, it was first reported by People Magazine that longtime show trainer Bob Harper has been booked to take over the proceedings for the show following the exit of Allison Sweeney after several years aboard the series.

Here is what Harper ultimately had to say about taking on the reigns:

“I’m super excited about taking the position of host on The Biggest Loser … I know all of the ins and outs [of the show],” he says. “And let me tell you, the weigh-in room is going to be a completely different ballgame with me at the steering wheel.”

Ultimately, it does make some sense for the show to simply shift over Harper to this role. It’s a chance for him to do something slightly different, while at the same time keeping some sort of connection to the contestants, who he can continue to motivate in his own way even if he is not there for every single training session. Harper is one of the few through-lines that the series has over the course of its entirety, having been there ever since the inception in 2004.

While there is no particular premiere date right now for “The Biggest Loser,” which did sag in the ratings for its former athlete season early this year, our guess is that it will come aboard the NBC schedule at some point early next year. As long as they go back to the original premise of helping ordinary people from all walks of life, it really should be okay.