Celebrity Fit Club Review

Quick View

Celebrity Fit Club pits eight overweight celebrities split into two teams against each other to see which team can lose the most weight in a 100 day period. Lots of drama ensues but there are also some inspirational and touching moments on the show.

The Full View

Celebrity Fit Club is a show I really thought I would hate. Even though I am an admitted reality show watcher, the idea of B celebs competing against one another to lose the most weight just didn't sound appealing to me.That was five seasons ago. Now I watch the show regularly, if only to see which of the celebs will implode each season.

Eight overweight celebrities split into two teams, competing in a series of fitness challenges and following personalized diets to see which team can lose the most weight in the course of 100 days.

The celebs are overseen by a doctor/nutritionist, a psychologist, and a military boot camp fitness expert. (Harvey Walden IV, who now has a fitness video out that I am too scared to try.) The host of the show is comedien Ant, who was part of another reality show called Last Comic Standing.

The stars range from fading musicians like Jani Lane from Warrant and Carnie Wilson from Heart to fading actors like Jeff Conaway, Jackee Harry, and Tina Yothers. There are comedians, rappers, and models on the show too. Heck, even Wendy Kaufman, the former "Snapple Lady" was on the show not once but twice!

Each week, we see snippets of what each celeb did since they last weighed in and we get to see some of the group fitness challenges. Then the big weigh in comes where we find out how much, if any, weight each person lost and, in the case of many who didn't lose, hear their excuses.

The panel of experts address each member with advice or admonishment and set a weight loss goal for their next weigh in.

At the end of each show, both teams are weighed on giant scales to see which lost the most weight during the previous period.

It all seems so dull yet, since season one in 2005, there has been drama. When you put a bunch of strangers together in a setting where they aren't comfortable, tempers are bound to flare and emotions to run high.

On season one, Daniel Baldwin didn't even make it to the season finale. He ended up confessing he was hopelessly addicted to drugs and went to rehab. Obviously, he still hasn't straightened his act out. But it was good TV.

Willie Ames, formerly of Charles in Charge and not much else, was the explosive nut on season two's show but Gary Busey really took the cake for being so off the wall that it was impossible NOT to watch to see what he would do next.

Jeff Conaway was the resident drama maker on season three's show. He was so doped up that he entered rehab after the third show. He was replaced by a skinny Gunnar Nelson of the Nelson Twins singing duo, who had more self-esteem issues than weight ones.

Season four was a little calmer with Vincent Pastore from The Sopranos as the guy who was a heart attack waiting to happen who finally saw the light before it was too late and an explosive Nicholas Turturro, formerly of NYPD Blue, who cracked and admitted that the death of his mother was causing his unstable behavior.

This season just began but it is very clear that Dustin Diamond (Screech from Saved by the Bell and star of some little known porn flick) is going to be the big drama maker this time. He's vile and egotistical. Da Brat, rapper and former Surreal Life star, looks to be a tough nut to crack as well so we'll have a heaping serving of the drama we crave as the stars battle the bulge.

But drama isn't the only reason to watch. It is truly inspirational to see these stars lose weight, get fit, and confess to having self-esteem issues, just like we all have. There is a lot of emotion from these people and they're not acting. I have often questioned many reality shows but this one doesn't seem to purposely push buttons or contrive situations for the sake of drama, although Harvey does rub most of the stars the wrong way with his boot camp style. He's a teddy bear underneath that tough exterior though. I think...

Celebrity Fit Club airs on VH1 on Sunday nights but is replayed all week long. The show is an hour weekly.

My Viewpoint

Celebrity Fit Club isn't as crazy as The Real World or other reality shows but it has more of a purpose. Rather than just sticking a bunch of people in a house and turning on the cameras, these stars are there for a reason and most truly want to get into shape. I sense a few go on the show because it's good to be in front of the camera again but that just adds to the tension and drama, which every reality show needs to survive.

I enjoy watching to see the improvements people make in their lives. Ralphie May, a huge comedian (I mean seriously well over 400 pounds when he started huge) lost 27 pounds but has since lost 100 more using the skills he was taught on the show. His life has probably been prolonged because he appeared on the Celebrity Fit Club.

The dynamics of tossing together eight virtual strangers, all of whom were somebody at one time (or still are. American Idol's Kimberly Locke is on this season's show and she is up and coming.) are fascinating to watch.

And it's always fun to watch the squabbles and egos collide. Watching Jeff Conaway and Daniel Baldwin self-destruct in front of my eyes wasn't pretty but it was real.

My husband and I both enjoy the show and make a point of watching it each season. It's entertaining in a different way than other reality shows and it's hopelessly addictive.

I give the show 4 stars. They have managed to keep my interest for five seasons and probably will until the show is yanked off the air.

* For more on this show, check out www.celebrityfitclub.com and www.vh1.com