Kanzler, a field coordinator for retail garden shops, was eventually pushed back farther in line. Undeterred, she said she was certain she'd not only be chosen as a contestant but also win the competition. "Because I'm a diva!"
At 10 a.m., when the first 12 contestants were ushered in to meet Gordon, she was not among them.
They entered a room draped with black curtains and sat around a large, white table.
"Welcome! Now I want you to know I don't care if your dog just died. I don't care if you just lost your job. I don't care if you lost your house. I don't want to hear any sad stories today. If you get a callback tomorrow, then we can cry for an hour. But today is happy."
He asked them to state their name, age, and occupation, then tossed out the first question.
"Who thinks the winner last season deserved to win?" Everyone agreed, obviously thinking strategically. "Yes," they said. "Definitely."
"Helen worked so hard!" one man cried out.
"Yeah," Gordon said. "It was a real workout lifting her daughter up and throwing her under the bus!"
Chagrined faces all around.
"OK." Gordon moved on. "Tell me in 10 seconds why you want to be on The Biggest Loser."
"I don't want to be just a pretty face!" "I want to be alive to see my grandchildren!" "I want to be able to get on a roller coaster and pull the bar down!" Done.
Next 12.
"Welcome! Now I want you to know I don't care if your dog just died . . ."
Contact staff writer Melissa Dribben at 215-854-2590 or mdribben@phillynews.com.
