Kournikova Says Goodbye to ‘Biggest Loser’
Looks like Anna Kournikova's training career wasn't a perfect match
Anna Kournikova will not be returning for another season of "Biggest Loser," her rep confirmed.
Kournikova was hired after former trainer Jillian Michael walked away from the show and at the time, the choice seemed like a great one: Camera-friendly looks, tight body and an actual athlete to boot.
But surprisingly (or maybe not), fans and "losers" alike didn't take warmly to the Russian bombshell's motivational ways. The former found her to be annoying and the latter thought she was a tad unsympathetic in that she always diverted the hardship on her upbringing, instead of putting the contestants' pain to the fore.
Kournikova issued a statement saying that she immensely enjoyed her time at the "Biggest Loser" ranch and will always be part of the show's family. However, her commitment to spreading her love for fitness remains and she will always be committed to that.
It isn't all bad press for Kournikova, though. Some "losers" are singing her praises for her motivational techniques when it comes to hitting the gym hard.
"One of the things about [the show] is that there's a difference between someone being able to train people versus training overweight people. Bob and Jillian are great at training obese people and pushing them to their limits and getting more and more. I think you have to adapt to that and I think that's what she struggled with," contestant Patrick House reportedly told People magazine.
House has also told the publication that contrary to popular belief, he actually liked the time he spent training with Kournikova.
Other contestants also praised Kournikova for never trying to fill Michael's place by copying Michael's method-that the tennis star wanted to deviate from that style gave her some form of respect from the heavy contenders.