NBC ANNOUNCES TWENTY TWO NEW CONTESTANTS - 11 FAMILY TEAMS OF TWO AND THE HEAVIEST CAST EVER- READY TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES IN THE MUST-SEE SEASON PREMIERE OF "THE BIGGEST LOSER: COUPLES" ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 5 (8-10 P.M.ET)

New Season Marks The Heaviest Contestant Ever in Biggest Loser History At 526 Pounds And Identical Twin Brothers Weighing In Together At Close To 1,000 Pounds

And "The Biggest Loser," General Mills, Feeding America, Subway and 24 Hour Fitness Team Together To Continue Pound For Pound Challenge, Encouraging Viewers To Get Healthy While Helping Others In Their Communities

Universal City, Calif. - December 14, 2009 - It will be the heaviest cast ever when season nine of NBC's hit series "The Biggest Loser" kicks off on Tuesday, January 5, 2010 (8-10 p.m. ET). Twenty-two contestants - eleven family teams of two - come to "The Biggest Loser" ranch hoping to transform their bodies, their health and ultimately, their lives. Alison Sweeney hosts the series and contestants work out under the supervision of trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels.

The new season players include Maria and Michael (Chicago, Illinois), an Italian mother-son duo who have always put others first while Michael's weight soared to 526 lbs., identical twins James and John (Orlando, Florida), who together weigh close to half a ton, Tongan cousins Sam and Koli (Rohnert Park, California), who hope to inspire others in their culture like Sione and Filipe Fa did in season seven, and Cherita (Houston, Texas), a competitive mother who has already beat cancer and is ready to take on obesity along with her determined daughter, Vicky.

The new contestants competing for the $250,000 grand prize are:

BROTHERS: James Crutchfield (Human resources director), 30, and his twin brother, John Crutchfield (Senior marketing manager), 30, Orlando, Florida.

COUSINS: Sam Poueu (Youth football coach and security guard), 24, and his cousin Koli Palu (Football coach and head of security), 29, Rohnert Park, California.

SPOUSES: Melissa Morgan (Attorney), 39, and her husband Lance Morgan (Rancher), 38, Aspermont, Texas.

PARENT AND ADULT CHILD TEAMS:

Patti Anderson (Business owner), 55, Lafayette, California, and her daughter Stephanie Anderson (Radio sales executive), 29, West Hollywood, California.

Cherita Andrews (Homemaker), 50, and her daughter Vicky Andrews (Student), 22, Houston, Texas.

Miggy Cancel (Chef), 48, Pemberton, New Jersey, and her daughter Migdalia Sebren (Homemaker), 28, Sanford, North Carolina.

Cheryl George (Store owner), 50, and her son, Daris George (Salesman/deliveryman), 25, Ardmore, Oklahoma.

O'Neal Hampton, Jr. (U.S. Postal Service station manager), 51, and his daughter, SunShine Hampton (Restaurant server), 24, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Darrell Hough (Press operator/mechanic), 46, and his daughter Andrea Hough (Executive assistant), 24, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Sherry Johnston (Non-profit administrator), 51, and her daughter Ashley Johnston (Manager/Esthetician), 27, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Maria Ventrella (Corporate travel agent), 51, and her son Michael Ventrella (Deejay), 30, Chicago, Illinois.

For the new season, NBC's "The Biggest Loser" is partnering with General Mills, Feeding America, Subway and 24 Hour Fitness on the Pound For Pound Challenge, which began in season seven of the show. Viewers can go to www.biggestloser.com now and for every pound of weight loss pledged, a pound of groceries will be delivered to a local food bank. Over 3.5 million pounds of groceries have been delivered to local food banks as a result of this program. And the need has never been greater, as one in six Americans may not always have access to the food they need and 49 million Americans now struggle with hunger. The Pound For Pound Challenge allows viewers to help themselves get healthy while helping to fight hunger in their own communities.

"The Biggest Loser" is a production of Reveille LLC, 25/7 Productions and 3Ball Productions. Ben Silverman (NBC's "The Office," "Ugly Betty"), Dave Broome ("A Model Life with Petra Nemcova," "Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope"), JD Roth ("Age of Love," "Beauty and the Geek"), Todd A. Nelson ("Unan1mous," "Beauty and the Geek") and Mark Koops ("Breakthrough With Tony Robbins," "Shear Genius") serve as executive producers.