David Knox catches up with recent The Biggest Loser evictee, Rachel Hogg.
At the tender age of 20, Rachel Hogg from Rockingham, WA, is used to dealing with body image issues.
She thinks nothing of wearing boy’s clothes when going out in public with her girlfriend, Jess.
“I think my size portrayed me as someone that’s scary, to be honest,” she says. “A lot of people think I’m a boy. But I’m not gonna change the way I look, I’m happy with who I am. I just want to change my size.”
Having recently been evicted from Network TEN’s weight loss reality television program, The Biggest Loser, Rachel is now readjusting to life in the outside world.
“When I go out I tend not to go out to the straight clubs because I feel uncomfortable. Me and Jess always head up to the gay clubs, so I feel comfortable there. I feel like I can be myself.”
As an adolescent, Rachel competed in weightlifting for six years, but when her knees began to fail her she admits to becoming lazy and unfit. Having been a fan of The Biggest Loser she applied as a contestant, wide-eyed and optimistic.
“I wanted to be able to go shopping where everyone else goes. My partner’s really small and I wanted to feel more ‘normal’, if that sounds right. I just wanted to fit in a bit more,” she says.
Hogg entered the house at 134.7kg but her stay of 14 days was a brief one, having been voted out last week. Was this a case of anti-gay bias by her teammates? Upbeat, Rachel is quick to point out she was treated well by the program’s cast and crew.
“My roommate was Nicola, she’s just like a princess. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, but she’s very girly. She’s never been around anyone gay, so to share a room with me was a very interesting experience for her. But we got along better than anyone else in the house.”
Exiting the show at 128kg, Hogg looks back positively on her experience, with a renewed urge to pick up her fitness regime. It’s a refreshing attitude for a reality television contestant, many of whom exit such shows with a worldly cynicism.
“I was embarrassed going to a gym before. But now when I go there I know what to do,” Rachel says. “While I was in the house I was learning from one of the best trainers in the world. She (Michelle) taught me what I need to do.”
So you enjoyed the whole television experience, I ask?
“When I got filmed a lot they [would] focus a lot on me and Jess, and I’m always getting asked if I’m comfortable about being open. But I am. The way I live my life, I’m proud of my life. I’m proud of my partner. I love her to bits.”
The Biggest Loser screens nightly except Saturdays on Network TEN.
“I think my size portrayed me as someone that’s scary, to be honest,” she says. “A lot of people think I’m a boy. But I’m not gonna change the way I look, I’m happy with who I am. I just want to change my size.”
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