August 31, 2025 • 8 mins
The fitness industry is not always as healthy as it seems. Shannan Ponton, Australia's most famous personal trainer from The Biggest Loser, joins us to discuss the controversial Netflix documentary Fit for TV. We dive into the allegations of trainer bullying and unhealthy practices behind the scenes. Shannon gives his candid take on what really went on during filming and how the show could have better supported contestants. Don't miss his thoughts on the newest weight loss craze.
Shannan gets real about the fitness industry's dark side. Tune in to hear the inside scoop from this Biggest Loser legend.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
I Heart podcasts here more mixed one or two point
three podcasts, playlists and listen live on the free i
Heeart app.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Mix one O two point three. Haley and Max in
the morning.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
We know this guy, Australia's most famous personal trainer.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
He was on The Biggest Loser. Hey, Shannon Ponting, Shannon,
good morning, Holy match going.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Oh great, so nice to hear your voice again.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Husky as bad as it is.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
We love your Husky, boy.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
We've missed your Shannony. You're still ripped as could. I
still cut an orange on your abs.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
The shaddy is not as good, but the motors all right,
that's good.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
That's all that matters. We appreciate that, all right, Shannon,
The Biggest Loser? Have you seen this Netflix duco that
everyone's been talking about fit for TV?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I did, might have watched it on the weekend, just
just sheerly because of the weight of people that was
watching it. Seen it it was I don't know, I'll
be interested to see what you guys and what do
you actually think? What did you think? What was the takeaway?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
I was fascinated by it because one I was growing
up as a teenager and the Biggest losers on TV
and it was the biggest thing in TV. When reality
TV was massive. It was impossible to avoid it, and
it was so fascinating to see these people losing weight.
And I didn't really yeah, I didn't appreciate how they
were losing it.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah, before reality TV lost the soul.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Yeah, exactly right, you go, Shannon.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, sorry, I was the same. I sort of watched
it and knowing what we did back there was twenty
years ago. You've got to remember when we first started,
and I think things have changed a lot in what
we know about mental health and that sort of space now.
I think one thing's for sure, the people that were
represented on that program would have benefited from post show
(01:59):
counseling however or whatever that might be.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Yeah, that was one of the biggest takeaways that they
came to sort of at the end of the doco.
And this is about the American Beasilers, not the Australian one.
But they said, oh, if we'd had some post show help,
maybe would be able to keep the weight off and
maybe our heads would have been a bit better because
a few people, Shannon, they piled it back on and
they lost their way as soon as the show finished.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, And I think the easiest way, in the most
sort of polarizing way to say it is people go
to NA and AA for a lifetime to beat the
demon booze and drugs. So they vacillate in and out
and in and out and in and out. And I
believe in my experience that the same addictive personality traits
(02:43):
exist around food.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
So the people are addicted to food, they come to us,
and like, if you could just see behind the scenes,
we spend hours and hours behind the scenes, off camera,
training and that sort of stuff to get the contestants
ready to go. And when they've transformed, they look you
in the eye and they go, Shannon, I promise I've
never gone back. I've been pretending my whole life that
I'm happy. I'm truly happy now. I feel amazing not
(03:08):
going back. But once you go back to life, just
the temptation is there. And then unfortunately they portrayed and
portray themselves and you can't.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Work out day as soon as you leave the Biggest
Loser House, let's go behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
You don't have to. You don't have to. The maintenance
is way easier. You know, as you asked are you
still in shape Shannon, and the answers yes, but I
only train forty five minutes a day to an hour
a day, five days a week.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Let's go behind the scenes for a second, Shanning, because
we know you're a great guy. I interviewed you back
in the day when it was in its absolute heyday.
You're an awesome guy. But on this doco they're basically
saying that the trainers were aggressive and they bullied contestants.
Do you regret the way that you were with these contestants?
If you were to do that show today, would you
be the same?
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Yeah, I would definitely be exactly the same. And I
think the thing to understand is in my personal experience,
I was never ever told to say anything. I was
never ever told to do anything. Everything I did was
of my own volition. And if you take as a coach,
made was spending forty ls a week with these contestants
and you know they can do better and they're not
(04:14):
doing better. And if you go to any sports stadium
or any training ground anywhere around Australia, whether it's a
coach training soccer team, a netball team, a ballet dancer, anything,
there's going to be times when they're chargers or hook
their athletes aren't doing what they're supposed to do, and
the trainer is going to use whatever means they can
to motivate them to get them going. And it's a
standard thing. But if you've never been exposed to that
(04:36):
in your life, it probably would sound a little weird.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
It's shocking, like it can be shocking for these people
that haven't been in that environment. Jillian and Bob, the
American trainers, like they were obviously very over the top
and they were hard asses, so to speak. There was
even things in the show that came out like they
were giving them caffeine pills and they were ignoring the
show doctors' orders a few times to do extra stuff.
I'm very happy we didn't see the Australian one. In
(05:01):
the Netflix doco, sounded like most things were above board. Shannon,
was there anything that wasn't.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
No, we didn't have any act to give anything to
the contestants. They're locked up, we're locked up on the
way in. We don't have access to do it, and
something we would never do. But from a sports science
point of view, I don't think what they did was
dreadfully bad. Kathleen's catheline, you can have a couple of
cups of coffee, it's going to do the same thing
(05:27):
ethically wrong. But from a sports science point of view,
it's probably like they probably they shouldn't have done it,
Like it's a waste of time. The advantage that you'd
get having some kaffeene wasn't worth the risk of doing
it because well, your innocence become a drug cheat mate.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
What about the weigh ins was that ever altered anyway?
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yes, the scales.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
No, we don't have any say over that, but I
can imagine and in my conversation with producers and the
like on the way through, that was the one defining
feature The Biggest Loser had that other reality TV shows
didn't have. I watched Master Cheff or something and go, oh,
that beautiful. The great dish I've ever had. His ato
(06:07):
ye us a kilos a kilo gram's a gram. Everyone
that lost the kilo lost the kilo and it can't
be open to interpretation in your perception, Yep, it.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Was objective, not subjective exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Thanks.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
What do you think about all the weight loss injections
that are the new craze? That's happening at the moment.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Seema glues heide is the drug that's in ozen pic,
and I'm not opposed to it. I think it's way
less invasive than having stomach stapled or a gastric band
or something put on ye and it can offer the
similar results in my mind if people learn good habits
around it, because basically all it does is silence the
food noise is a very easy way to say it.
(06:48):
So it will help people with the food addiction not
be addicted by food so much. So it just quiets
that food noise a bit.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Wouldn't that be amazing if that was for other addictions
like drugs and alcohol, Well, that would be incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Well well, well, well, well when you say that the
ozen pick stops, I've traded a lot of people high
functioning alcoholics and things like that who overweight because of
their alcohol addiction of someone in to drink because it
takes the pleasure center away from the alcohol as well.
So it does have a knock on a fair.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
That that.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So you deal with a lot of these people shouting,
have you seen them like making mistakes with the injectibles
or any tips that we can give for a few
of our listeners out there who are on.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Them, I think, yeah, I think you do exactly what
the doctor says, and don't overdo it and try and
re educate yourself on the way through whilst the drugs
there trying to stop you eating, so you may as
well use it while you're there. It's probably a healthy
thing in essence, under the doctor's guidance to come on
and off and on and off as you need it.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Hey, Shaddon, before there, are you in touch with any
of the former contestants? Do you still see any of
them here?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Anything? Definitely? And I'm always here. The funny thing is
a lot of them don't reach out to me because
they're either embarrassed or they're disappointed in what they've done
and they think they've let me down. But I'm always here.
I've still got my phone there, I've still got the
phone number, and ever advice or help I can give them,
I'm always there still to this day. But yes, and
the answer is yes, probably be about team that I'm
(08:09):
still in contact with that are still I'm still good
friends with love It.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
You are the best, Shannon, Thank you so much for
joining us pleasure.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Thanks you, Tom
I Heart podcasts here more mixed one or two point
three podcasts, playlists and listen live on the free i
Heeart app.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Mix one O two point three. Haley and Max in
the morning.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
We know this guy, Australia's most famous personal trainer.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
He was on The Biggest Loser. Hey, Shannon Ponting, Shannon,
good morning, Holy match going.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Oh great, so nice to hear your voice again.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Husky as bad as it is.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
We love your Husky, boy.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
We've missed your Shannony. You're still ripped as could. I
still cut an orange on your abs.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
The shaddy is not as good, but the motors all right,
that's good.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
That's all that matters. We appreciate that, all right, Shannon,
The Biggest Loser? Have you seen this Netflix duco that
everyone's been talking about fit for TV?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I did, might have watched it on the weekend, just
just sheerly because of the weight of people that was
watching it. Seen it it was I don't know, I'll
be interested to see what you guys and what do
you actually think? What did you think? What was the takeaway?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
I was fascinated by it because one I was growing
up as a teenager and the Biggest losers on TV
and it was the biggest thing in TV. When reality
TV was massive. It was impossible to avoid it, and
it was so fascinating to see these people losing weight.
And I didn't really yeah, I didn't appreciate how they
were losing it.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah, before reality TV lost the soul.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Yeah, exactly right, you go, Shannon.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, sorry, I was the same. I sort of watched
it and knowing what we did back there was twenty
years ago. You've got to remember when we first started,
and I think things have changed a lot in what
we know about mental health and that sort of space now.
I think one thing's for sure, the people that were
represented on that program would have benefited from post show
(01:59):
counseling however or whatever that might be.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Yeah, that was one of the biggest takeaways that they
came to sort of at the end of the doco.
And this is about the American Beasilers, not the Australian one.
But they said, oh, if we'd had some post show help,
maybe would be able to keep the weight off and
maybe our heads would have been a bit better because
a few people, Shannon, they piled it back on and
they lost their way as soon as the show finished.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, And I think the easiest way, in the most
sort of polarizing way to say it is people go
to NA and AA for a lifetime to beat the
demon booze and drugs. So they vacillate in and out
and in and out and in and out. And I
believe in my experience that the same addictive personality traits
(02:43):
exist around food.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
So the people are addicted to food, they come to us,
and like, if you could just see behind the scenes,
we spend hours and hours behind the scenes, off camera,
training and that sort of stuff to get the contestants
ready to go. And when they've transformed, they look you
in the eye and they go, Shannon, I promise I've
never gone back. I've been pretending my whole life that
I'm happy. I'm truly happy now. I feel amazing not
(03:08):
going back. But once you go back to life, just
the temptation is there. And then unfortunately they portrayed and
portray themselves and you can't.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Work out day as soon as you leave the Biggest
Loser House, let's go behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
You don't have to. You don't have to. The maintenance
is way easier. You know, as you asked are you
still in shape Shannon, and the answers yes, but I
only train forty five minutes a day to an hour
a day, five days a week.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Let's go behind the scenes for a second, Shanning, because
we know you're a great guy. I interviewed you back
in the day when it was in its absolute heyday.
You're an awesome guy. But on this doco they're basically
saying that the trainers were aggressive and they bullied contestants.
Do you regret the way that you were with these contestants?
If you were to do that show today, would you
be the same?
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Yeah, I would definitely be exactly the same. And I
think the thing to understand is in my personal experience,
I was never ever told to say anything. I was
never ever told to do anything. Everything I did was
of my own volition. And if you take as a coach,
made was spending forty ls a week with these contestants
and you know they can do better and they're not
(04:14):
doing better. And if you go to any sports stadium
or any training ground anywhere around Australia, whether it's a
coach training soccer team, a netball team, a ballet dancer, anything,
there's going to be times when they're chargers or hook
their athletes aren't doing what they're supposed to do, and
the trainer is going to use whatever means they can
to motivate them to get them going. And it's a
standard thing. But if you've never been exposed to that
(04:36):
in your life, it probably would sound a little weird.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
It's shocking, like it can be shocking for these people
that haven't been in that environment. Jillian and Bob, the
American trainers, like they were obviously very over the top
and they were hard asses, so to speak. There was
even things in the show that came out like they
were giving them caffeine pills and they were ignoring the
show doctors' orders a few times to do extra stuff.
I'm very happy we didn't see the Australian one. In
(05:01):
the Netflix doco, sounded like most things were above board. Shannon,
was there anything that wasn't.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
No, we didn't have any act to give anything to
the contestants. They're locked up, we're locked up on the
way in. We don't have access to do it, and
something we would never do. But from a sports science
point of view, I don't think what they did was
dreadfully bad. Kathleen's catheline, you can have a couple of
cups of coffee, it's going to do the same thing
(05:27):
ethically wrong. But from a sports science point of view,
it's probably like they probably they shouldn't have done it,
Like it's a waste of time. The advantage that you'd
get having some kaffeene wasn't worth the risk of doing
it because well, your innocence become a drug cheat mate.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
What about the weigh ins was that ever altered anyway?
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yes, the scales.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
No, we don't have any say over that, but I
can imagine and in my conversation with producers and the
like on the way through, that was the one defining
feature The Biggest Loser had that other reality TV shows
didn't have. I watched Master Cheff or something and go, oh,
that beautiful. The great dish I've ever had. His ato
(06:07):
ye us a kilos a kilo gram's a gram. Everyone
that lost the kilo lost the kilo and it can't
be open to interpretation in your perception, Yep, it.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Was objective, not subjective exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Thanks.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
What do you think about all the weight loss injections
that are the new craze? That's happening at the moment.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Seema glues heide is the drug that's in ozen pic,
and I'm not opposed to it. I think it's way
less invasive than having stomach stapled or a gastric band
or something put on ye and it can offer the
similar results in my mind if people learn good habits
around it, because basically all it does is silence the
food noise is a very easy way to say it.
(06:48):
So it will help people with the food addiction not
be addicted by food so much. So it just quiets
that food noise a bit.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Wouldn't that be amazing if that was for other addictions
like drugs and alcohol, Well, that would be incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Well well, well, well, well when you say that the
ozen pick stops, I've traded a lot of people high
functioning alcoholics and things like that who overweight because of
their alcohol addiction of someone in to drink because it
takes the pleasure center away from the alcohol as well.
So it does have a knock on a fair.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
That that.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So you deal with a lot of these people shouting,
have you seen them like making mistakes with the injectibles
or any tips that we can give for a few
of our listeners out there who are on.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Them, I think, yeah, I think you do exactly what
the doctor says, and don't overdo it and try and
re educate yourself on the way through whilst the drugs
there trying to stop you eating, so you may as
well use it while you're there. It's probably a healthy
thing in essence, under the doctor's guidance to come on
and off and on and off as you need it.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Hey, Shaddon, before there, are you in touch with any
of the former contestants? Do you still see any of
them here?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Anything? Definitely? And I'm always here. The funny thing is
a lot of them don't reach out to me because
they're either embarrassed or they're disappointed in what they've done
and they think they've let me down. But I'm always here.
I've still got my phone there, I've still got the
phone number, and ever advice or help I can give them,
I'm always there still to this day. But yes, and
the answer is yes, probably be about team that I'm
(08:09):
still in contact with that are still I'm still good
friends with love It.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
You are the best, Shannon, Thank you so much for
joining us pleasure.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Thanks you, Tom
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