Ten's reboot of The Biggest Loser: Transformed has endured a torrid launch with only 450,000 metropolitan viewers tuning in to watch the weight loss reality show last night.
The show was down 30% on its last series launch in 2015 and was comprehensively beaten by Nine's Married At First Sight (1.15 million) and Seven's My Kitchen Rules (1.04 million) as well as 14 other news and entertainment shows.
In fact, nearly 200,000 more people in Melbourne alone watched Married and MKR, raising questions about why Ten chose to launch the reboot up against two shows that average more than a million viewers each per episode.
Network Ten chief content officer Beverley McGarvey warned against writing off the weight loss show, which has taken on a more holistic mind and body transformation theme this time around.
“The Biggest Loser: Transformed is a strong, positive and entertaining show and we are confident Australians will embrace it. Judging it on the basis of one night’s overnight TV ratings is premature. The feedback from critics and on social media has been extremely positive. The transformations of the contestants over the next eight weeks are amazing,” McGarvey says.
The show relaunched this year without well-known hosts, Michelle Bridges and Commando Steve, which could be a reason why the show pulled its lowest launch audience ever. It did not air in 2016 after two seasons of flailing ratings.
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