Biggest Loser Announces the Season 12 Contestants

By Margaret Badore - DietsInReview.com

Just because The Biggest Loser is on its 12th season, doesn't mean you can expect the same old thing. This season promises to be a "battle of the ages," in addition to introducing two new trainers.  

The 15 new contestants will be divided into three teams of five, according to their ages. You might think that the younger contestants will have an advantage, but in a past season the oldest contestant has taken home the $250,000 prize.  

The other big change this season is that Jillian Michaels will no longer be among the trainers. To fill Jillian's shoes, tennis star Anna Kournikova will be joining the team along with celebrity trainer Dolvett Quince. Anna has appeared as a guest on the show in past seasons, much to the delight of the contestants. Dolvett is from Atlanta, where he is the founder of Body Sculptor, Inc. He also has created a fitness plan for Justin Bieber. Veteran trainer Bob Harper will be returning to the show, as will host Alison Sweeney. 

We visited Bob, Anna, and Dolvett live from the ranch during week of shooting for season 12. You can view those Biggest Loser trainer videos here.

The new season premiers on Tuesday, September 20 at 7:00pm CST / 8:00pm EST on NBC. Below are the new contestants, from the oldest to the youngest.

Team 1: The Oldest 

John Forger - age 65 from Chatham, Massachusetts  

Bonnie Griffin - age 63 from Picayune, Mississippi

Mike Danley - age 61 from Spencerville, Indiana

Debbie Lounds - age 60 from Ann Arbor, Michigan

Becky Comet - age 51 from Benton, Arkansas 

Team 2: The Middle-Aged

Joe Mitchell - age 46 from Knoxville, Tennessee

Antone Davis - age 44 from Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Sunny Sinclair - age 41 from Frisco, Texas

John Rhode - age 40 from Mesa, Arizona  

Jennifer Rumple - age 39 from Alamedia, California  

Team 3: The Youngest

Ramon Medeiros - age 27 from Florence, Colorado

Vincent "Vinny" Hickerson - age 27 from Columbia, Tennessee

Jessica Limpert - age 26 from San Francisco, California

Patrick Ferrari - age 26 from Albany, Oregon  

Courtney Rainville - age 24 from Scottsdale, Arizona

Click here to see Biggest Loser 12 Contestant Bios and video interviews during week one.

While only speculation, our best guess is that the trainers will align with the teams by age. That would put Bob Harper as coach for the oldest, Dolvett Quince with the middle, and Anna Kournikova with the youngest.

We've also yet to see team colors, with contestants all wearing matching grey T-shirts. The only difference is that the shirts display their age in bold numbers across the front.

Be sure to tune-in to DietsInReview.com every Wednesday following the Tuesday episodes for exclusive video recaps with season 11 fan-favorite Courtney Crozier! She'll give you a behind-the-scenes look at what the contestants are experiencing like no one else, plus motivate and encourage everyone to lose weight without the ranch!