‘Extreme Weight Loss’ Season 5 Participants Announced

Extreme Weight Loss Season 5 Participants Announced
Transformation specialists and trainers Chris Powell and his wife, Heidi, return for more “Extreme Weight Loss” (Photo: ABC / Rick Rowell)

Season five of ABC’s reality series Extreme Weight Loss will premiere on May 26, 2015, kicking off the 10 episode season with Chris and Heidi Powell back as trainers and “transformation specialists.” ABC’s just released details on this upcoming season’s participants who’ll be helped in the one year process of losing weight by guest stars Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Ne-Yo, Chris Bosh, LeSean McCoy, Amy Van Dyken, Mia Hamm, Holly Robinson Peete, and Mario Andretti.

The Details: “The participants — whose lives have become unmanageable because of their weight — will undergo a transformation not only of their bodies, but of who they are as individuals. With the proper nourishment, exercise and guidance assured by EWL, they will be afforded a fresh perspective.”

Extreme Weight Loss Season 5 Participants:

Robert & Raymond (Monett, MO) – The Season 5 premiere features twin brothers Robert and Raymond, 381 and 378 pounds. After their mother went to prison and their father skipped town, Robert and Raymond – 13 at the time – were left to raise their two pre-teen sisters, who they still look after to this day. Former high school basketball players – and huge Los Angeles Lakers fans – they will get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Kobe Bryant & Steve Nash, plus play 2-on-2 with Byron Scott & James Worthy at their six month milestone.

Panda & John (Grand Rapids, MI; Baltimore, MD) – Panda/313 pounds, of Korean descent, is a camp counselor who was adopted and struggled to fit in with his American family; John/531 pounds, is a former pro football player and Army veteran who wants to lose weight before he meets the son he never knew he had. One of them will lose more weight in the first 90 days than anyone in series history, while the other will decide that the program is more than he can handle.

Kim (Honolulu, HI) – Kim/279 pounds, is an up-and-coming fashion designer who doesn’t feel she’s taken seriously in her industry because of her weight. She hopes to go from being a behind-the-scenes seamstress to a model on the runway.

Rachel (Santa Monica, CA) – Rachel/309 pounds, is a former UCLA cheerleader who put on more than 100 pounds after finding out the man of her dreams was cheating on her. She’s now a high school dance coach, but she is embarrassed in front of her own team due to her extreme weight.

Jennifer (Cody, WY) – Jennifer/342 pounds, is a wife and mother of two who has learned her husband’s illness has become terminal. Acknowledging the sad reality of his limited time, she’s decided to get healthy for their kids.


Hannah (Austin, TX) – Hannah/310 pounds, is a successful career woman who seemingly has it all together. But after being told by doctors that she’s gotten too heavy to have children, Hannah reached out to Chris to help her get healthier and lose the weight she needs to complete her family.

Mitzi (Dallas, TX) – Mitzi/262 pounds, is a 53-year-old woman who takes care of everyone but herself. When the only man she ever loved left her for their neighbor, she became a hoarder and hasn’t let anyone into her home in more than eight years. Now, Chris and Heidi will take on their first ever dual-addiction client, as they try to help Mitzi conquer her obesity and hoarding issues.

Jackie (Denver, CO) – Jackie/266 pounds, was a fit athlete in high school, but she put on more than 100 pounds after her newborn baby suffered brain damage, the result of Shaken Baby Syndrome. She is hoping to lose the excess weight that continues to hold her back and gather the strength to forgive the nanny who changed their lives forever.

Josh & Kelli (Omaha, NE; Kansas City, MO) – Josh/399 pounds, is a gay firefighter living in a small town. After losing his father, who was also a firefighter, in a tragic accident, he’s decided to change his life; Kelli/331 pounds, is a former college basketball player who went into depression after hoops ended. Now, she wants to reclaim her life and find the man of her dreams.

Pearls (Wichita Falls, TX) – Pearls/296 pounds, was given her nickname because she is always seen wearing pearls (and has different pearls for every situation). But underneath her shiny exterior, Pearls is hiding a dark past: she has struggled with various eating disorders her entire life, from binging to bulimia and anorexia. Now, for the first time in her life, she wants to develop a healthy relationship with food.

-By Rebecca Murray

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