Despite American weight loss show The Biggest Loser being shrouded in controversy following a Netflix documentary, the UK’s most famous weight loss guru has insisted he has no regrets about his controversial show, Fat Families.
The programme, which was presented by self-confessed fat buster Steve Miller, only aired for two seasons on Sky One in 2010 despite featuring in the schedule for years.
Fat Families saw straight-talking Steve guide overweight families who hoped to turn their lives around by improving their diet and lifestyle.
Despite backlash the programme has received over the years, Steve insists the confrontational nature of the show was key to helping people shed the pounds.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, the flamboyant star said: ‘There is f*** all that I regret when doing that show. Nothing whatsoever, not one single regret.
‘I loved it and it helped people and the results were evident, you know, whilst I was around, people lost a lot of weight.’
Fat Families host Steve Miller has said he ‘regrets not one f*** thing’ from his show while blasting body positive culture
The programme, which was presented by self-confessed fat buster Steve (pictured with two participants), only aired for two seasons on Sky One in 2010 despite featuring in the schedule for years
Last week, Netflix released an eye-opening documentary into the Biggest Loser which exposed how the show operated behind-the-scenes while hearing from past contributors
He continued: ‘I’m like the human weight loss jab, at the current time, that’s what I am. They should have me playing 24 f***ing 7 on that telly, I’m telling you.
‘Then the nation wouldn’t need to spend lots of money on those Ozempics and God knows what.’
Steve also took aim at body positivity culture as he swiped overweight people ‘don’t actually look fabulous’.
He said: ‘The problem is in the UK we’ve made it the culture where we kind of sing “if you’re happy and you’re fat, clap your hands” and we kind of rejoice if we see some big plus-size model and we’re all supposed to shout, oh yippee you look fabulous.
‘Well, I’ve got words. You don’t actually look fabulous. Gargantuan isn’t great. You don’t look glam and gargantuan.
‘I believe the vast majority of people believe that. I engage with fat people, very fat people, every single day, and they’re always telling me, “do you know what? You’re right, you’re practical, you’re down to earth”.’
Earlier this week Netflix released an eye-opening documentary into the Biggest Loser which exposed how the show operated behind-the-scenes while hearing from past contributors.
The three-part limited series also heard from producers, the show’s doctor, and trainer Bob Harper (although the other coach – Jillian Michaels – declined to take part).
Speaking about Fat Families, Steve told the Daily Mail: ‘There is f*** all that I regret when doing that show. Nothing whatsoever, not one single regret’
Contestants who agreed to appear on the new Netflix doc exposed how the show made them fast for 10 full days, eating minimal calories whilst also partaking in extreme workouts.
Reacting to the claims, Steve said: ‘I think fasting for 10 days is a bit daft. It is potentially dangerous.
‘My common sense tells me that it’s something that I would not endorse on a TV show or in real life. However, you know, intermittent fasting has its place.
‘When you tell me they were fasting for 10 days, if that’s what they did then that’s wrong, it’s too extreme.’
The Biggest Loser ran from 2004 to 2016 and aired on NBC before it was cancelled. It was then rebooted on the USA Network in 2020, before being cancelled after just one season.
In its heyday, the programme went global, with versions appearing in countries around the world, earnings hundreds of millions of dollars. The branding was licensed for products including cookbooks, DVDs, and weight-loss camps.
At the end of each season, the person who lost the most amount of body weight since starting the boot camp was declared the winner and took home an eye-watering $250,000 prize.
The Biggest Loser ran from 2004 to 2016 and aired on NBC before it was cancelled. It was then rebooted on the USA Network in 2020, before being cancelled after just one season
Contestants who agreed to appear on the new Netflix doc exposed how the show made them fast for 10 full days, eating minimal calories whilst also partaking in extreme workouts
There was also a UK spin-off of the format, which was presented by Davina McCall and aired on Sky Living from 2005 to 2006, before being revived by ITV from 2009 to 2012.
It followed the US version, with viewers watching as trainers pushed contestants to their limits, often resulting in injury and sickness – while some even threw up.
Since then there’s been numerous weightloss shows on television, including Channel 4’s Supersize Vs Superskinny.
It aired from 2008 until its axe in 2014 and saw underweight participants with a dangerously low BMI matched up with someone who was morbidly obese.
The two were brought to ‘the feeding clinic’ where they lived together for five days and ate each other’s diets under the supervision of Dr Christian Jessen.
After the experiment they would follow a healthy eating plan for three months before returning for a final weigh-in and health screening.
During its run, the show and Channel 4 bosses faced backlash from critics and viewers, with it being branded ‘triggering’ for eating disorder sufferers, as Chief Executive of B-eat, Susan Ringwood, previously said ‘They’re deadly, not entertainment.’
After its cancellation, Channel 4 launched Secret Eaters – a brand new format that was hosted by Anna Richardson and aimed to find out why people – who were baffled by their weight gain – really weren’t losing the pounds.
Using secret cameras and private investigators they would then be followed without their knowledge and have all the food they consumed recorded.
At the end of the week, they were confronted about what they had eaten, shown footage of them eating and told how many calories they had consumed while looking at a giant table filled with all the meals they’d consumed in the week.
Just a year ago Channel 4 introduced a brand new show called Around The World in 80 Weighs, however, Daily Mail revealed this week it has been axed after one series
The show was criticised for bringing an element of ‘shame’ around eating, as well as the hidden camera element.
Meanwhile, just a year ago Channel 4 introduced a brand new show called Around The World in 80 Weighs.
Just like the name suggests, it saw a group of obese Brits as they travel the globe to experience different cultural reactions to diet and weight loss.
The first episode saw six contestants venture to Japan, where only four per cent of the population are obese compared to 25 per cent of Britons.
With obesity so uncommon in Northeast Asia, the participants quickly stood out from the crowds in suburban Tokyo where members of the public openly gawked at them, with schoolchildren even pointing and laughing.
However, Daily Mail revealed this week that Channel 4 bosses had scrapped the show from its schedules after just one series.
Steve remarked: ‘They’re probably not bringing it back because it told the truth. The problem is, you see, we stroke the fat.
‘We’re at a point now, and this includes in television, where you either want people to lose weight, where you’ve got to tell the truth or you don’t, and if you don’t, then shut up about it and don’t do any television programmes about it.
‘There isn’t really, as far as I can see, any television programme now that is practical and strong about losing weight. There’s nothing.’
