Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser star Bob Harper reveals Jillian Michaels never reached out after his 2017 heart attack

Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser is a new Netflix docuseries about NBC's weight-loss competition program.

The series aired from 2004 to 2016 and is being reviewed for its impact on audiences, the difficult journeys of contestants, and the impact it had on the viewers.

The challenges and contestants' journeys are depicted in the documentary by former contestants and trainers, as well as the methods and tactics of weight loss, including extreme challenges, limited food selections, and other practices.

Harper is easily one of the most recognizable trainers featured on The Biggest Loser franchise, and had some insight to share after the series ended.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian on August 14, 2025, Harper stated that he was surprised when his former co-star Jillian Michaels did not reach out to him following his heart attack in 2017. He explained,

“We weren’t besties, but we were partners on a television show for a very long time,” and added that her silence “spoke volumes.”

Michaels, who was not part of the Netflix series, Fit for TV, later responded on Instagram. She denied many of the claims made in the documentary and posted screenshots of old messages to Harper.

The different stories from both trainers have brought new attention to their relationship and to the legacy of The Biggest Loser.

Fit for TV star Bob Harper reflects on medical crisis and relationship with Jillian Michaels

Fit for TV star Bob Harper became well known through his role on The Biggest Loser, but his own health scare changed how many people viewed him.

In February 2017, Harper collapsed while exercising in New York City. A doctor at the gym gave him CPR, and he later confirmed that it was a heart attack.

In an interview with The Guardian, Harper said the experience changed how he looked at health and relationships.

He explained that many of his former colleagues reached out during his recovery, but Jillian Michaels did not.

His words pointed to continued distance between the two trainers despite years of working together.

The documentary Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser also explored concerns about the show’s training methods.

Some claims included the use of caffeine pills, very strict diets, and tough challenges that pushed contestants physically and mentally.

Jillian Michaels disputes claims showed in the series and shares her side of the story

Jillian Michaels was not part of Netflix’s Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser, but she spoke out soon after it was released through a series of Instagram posts.

In her messages, she responded to claims about her time on the show, including accusations that she told contestants to eat too few calories or gave them caffeine pills. She wrote,

“With respect to the allegation that I restricted contestants from eating enough calories: I have an example of a direct written correspondence with a contestant… in which I explicitly instructed her to consume 1,600 calories per day.”

Michaels also said that caffeine “was NEVER banned” and explained that the show’s medical advisor, Dr. Robert Huizenga, approved its use during multiple seasons.

She claimed that “Bob Harper not only knew about the caffeine pills, the ‘stackers fat burner’ were actually his suggestion.”

When addressing Harper directly, Michaels shared a screenshot of a message she said was one of her last texts to him. In it, she wrote that she was disappointed he had not responded, saying,

“It’s this kind of thing that always makes me so disappointed (in) our relationship.”

By posting this, Michaels suggested that her attempts to communicate were ignored, offering a different picture than Harper’s account.

Stay tuned for more updates.