Newport native, Richard Hatch will compete on the next edition of NBC’s The Biggest Loser. Season 17 of the popular reality show will premiere on January 4th at 9pm.
Hatch is best known for winning $1 million and the first season of the long-running reality series “Survivor” in 2000 and appearing on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2011. He returned to “Survivor” in 2004 for “Survivor: All Stars,” penned a book entitled “101 Survival Secrets” and also appeared on “Dog Eat Dog,” “The Weakest Link,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” “Battle of the Network Reality Stars” and “Family Feud.”
Overweight his whole life, Richard says his biggest motivation for going on “The Biggest Loser” is his “amazing and fit husband, Emiliano.”
The Newport native and the oldest of four children says childhood abuses and a lack of expressed love negatively affected his self-esteem, leading to weight gain.
Richard spent five years in the army and attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. He then went on to earn a degree in applied behavioral sciences and management from National Louis University and received his master’s degree in education and counseling from Providence College.
Prior to his “Survivor” appearance, Richard spent 15 years as a corporate trainer and motivational speaker.
Now 314 pounds and suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol and pre-diabetes, the 54-year-old father of three says, “I look forward to living less stressfully after losing the weight.”