These days, Michelle Bridges is known as a personal trainer, an author and an all-round Aussie celebrity. But originally, she gained her following for being one of the tough, no-nonsense trainers on the early 2000s reality show The Biggest Loser, which she still stands by elements of, even if others parts missed the mark.
In recent years, Michelle has copped backlash for her involvement in the show with many claiming that it helped to formulate damaging body image ideals and unhealthy habits.
Despite the backlash the show has received in hindsight, Michelle stands by The Biggest Loser, all these years later.
“The show was fantastic. I loved it. I stand by that show,” she told PEDESTRIAN.TV the day before she went into the I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here jungle.
The celebrity trainer acknowledged the show was “of its time” due to being one of the first bunch of reality TV programs, but Michelle has not forgotten some of the amazing things that The Biggest Loser was able to do for its contestants and doesn’t want us to either.
“I think a lot of people forget what were other things we did,” Michelle highlighted.
“We had those contestants and they were heroes! They were doing things that they never, ever thought they could ever do — jumping off cliffs jumping out of planes, swimming with sharks, jumping in blow-holes, and canyoning.
“These are people that wouldn’t ever have ever seen themselves doing that. So it was incredibly powerful.”
Michelle also shared that she was excited about the potential of Australia seeing a more vulnerable side of her while she’s roughing it in the jungle.
“I think there’s still a little bit of a hangover from the days of me being the trainer and The Biggest Loser and everybody expects me to walk in and take a list of what they’ve just eaten and make them do 50 burpees.”
TBH, I don’t vibe the chances of anyone doing three burpees on a diet of tiger testes and crocodile eyeballs — let alone 50!
However, as Michelle said, that trainer we saw on reality TV back in the day is just not her.
“I think that’s where the idea I’ll be that trainer, or I’ll be confrontational comes from — which is just not me! Anybody that knows me knows that,” she told PTV.
“I’ve never been that. So this will be kind of fun just to be me.”
Despite claiming she’s not the trainer we used to see, it was impossible not to feel hyped when she got to talking about her chosen charity, Women’s Community Shelters.
“It’s really about getting ladies back on track with their life,” she passionately explained.
“One in two of these women will turn up to these shelters and get turned away. And we had enough. They’re coming from out of domestic violence, they’re scared, and some of them will have small children with them. And this is happening right in our country right now.
Michelle stated that these women will be given protection and safety first, and then the charity works to find ways to give them “that confidence of being able to rebuild their lives.”
Which, honestly just sounds like Michelle gets to return to her training roots of finding ways to build up confidence in others.
Except now she doesn’t have to worry about having to be as confrontational — or wear a red singlet. Well, at least when she’s out of the jungle.
Michelle’s rumble in the jungle can be seen on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here on Channel 10 at 7.30pm from Sunday to Thursday.
[Image Credit: Network 10]
