Photo by NBC
Ashley Johnston reacts to her weight loss during the live weigh-in on the May 25 finale of NBC's "The Biggest Loser."
Photo by NBC
Ashley Johnston reacts to her weight loss during the live weigh-in on the May 25 finale of NBC's "The Biggest Loser."
In a game in which losing is winning, Knoxville’s Ashley Johnston came up just short of being the biggest winner on “The Biggest Loser” Tuesday night.
Johnston, a 28-year-old esthetician, finished in second place, beating one of her two fellow finalists on the NBC weight-loss reality show, but losing the $250,000 grand prize to Michael Ventrella during a live weigh-in on Tuesday. Johnston, who started the show at 374 pounds, weighed 191 pounds Tuesday. Her weight loss was 48.93 percent — good enough to best fellow finalist Daris George, who dropped from 346 pounds to 178 pounds for a loss of 48.55 percent. Yet Ventrella went from 526 pounds to 262 pounds for a loss of 50.19 percent.
Of the experience Johnston said on the show, “I’m very proud of myself, I’ve loved every minute of this. I’m so happy.”
Ventrella said he was honored to face Johnston at the end: “She’s one of the strongest women I’ve ever met in my life, strong and beautiful.”
The finalists were among 22 contestants on the show that featured teams of two: Ashley’s partner was her mother, Sherry Johnston, also of Knoxville. While Ashley was the heaviest woman at the beginning of the show, which debuted Jan. 5, Sherry was the lightest player with a starting weight of 218 pounds.
Sherry Johnston, who was voted off in the March 16 episode, was in the running for a $100,000 prize awarded to the eliminated contestant with the highest-percentage weight loss among the 19. Her weight was down to 119 pounds Tuesday night, for a loss of more than 45 percent. That figure had her in the lead for the first 14 weigh-ins, though ultimately she lost the prize to Koli Palu, who dropped 215 pounds, from 403 to 188.
The Johnstons were partly inspired to be on the show as a means of coping with the death to cancer of Ashley’s father and Sherry’s husband, Ken Johnston, some 11 years ago. Their original team color on the show was pink, and Ashley Johnston picked up the nickname “The Pink Ninja.”
Ashley Johnston, who admits to being a bit a of a party girl in Knoxville before she went on the show, had many struggles during the competition, including an ongoing battle with the treadmill, the pain of seeing her mother and friends voted out of the competition, notorious struggles during challenges and a sobering diagnosis of diabetes. But she always fought through the setbacks and in last week’s episode even completed a 26.2-mile marathon. On the April 20 episode, she declared, “I will sneak up and win this.”
Although she fell short of that goal, she lost more weight on the “Biggest Loser” ranch than any other woman in the history of the show, which has been on for nine seasons.
© 2010, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 11
WhitePineVol77 writes:
Sad day in America when this becomes "entertainment". Turn the garbage TV off and go outside to do something, anything.
Candygirl writes:
Only in America this kind of nonsense is glorified. I am glad she lost the weight, but her next battle is keeping it off.
40cap writes:
wow! very passionate about other peoples' entertainment choices. Here's a suggestion, if it's such garbage, don't watch it. Better yet, don't read articles about it, and don't take the time to post a comment about it.
trollhair writes:
I agree WhitePineVol......but watching this show does inspire all of us to do exactly what you said, go outside and do something, anything so you won't end up like this.
As for me, I watch the show while walking on my treadmill.
Alphafemale writes:
I love the Biggest Loser and I've been rooting for Ashley all season. Big congrats to her and her mom Sherry.
WhitePineVol77 writes:
LOL...who licked the red off your candy? I do/did not watch it. I do not, however, keep my head in the sand. It'll rot the ol' brain.
WhitePineVol77 writes:
I have $100 that says she will not.
40cap writes:
hmm, not sure about the head in the sand comment or how that's relevant here. I just thought it was interesting that you took the time to post a comment about an article, about a tv show that you determined to be garbage, which according to your previous comment, you don't even watch. You must be a very perceptive person.
mondayl writes:
Why does someone always have to make a nasty comment on here, this girl took the challange most of could not even handle and looks what she has done, she has been an inspiratioin to alot of people here in Knoxville, and I am very proud of here. I agree there is lot of shows out there that is worthless, but at least this one is helping people save there lives! GO ASHLEY!
Etacovda_00 writes:
And people wonder why we're one of the fattest states in America lolol - If you're going to put anything down, make it your Big Mac and Extra large Diet Coke!!
smurfgirl writes:
I'm sure you watch things on TV that others would not find as entertainment. I think we all have the right to watch things we enjoy. This show can be motivation for some who struggle with weight loss. If you don't like the show or don't see this as entertainment, why are you wasting your energy making a comment.
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