MICHELLE Bridges is known for her no-nonsense attitude towards health and fitness. Her motto is “just freaking do it” and she’s even released a book called The No Excuses Cookbook.
It’s this attitude that landed her a job as a trainer on The Biggest Loser, a program which has been criticised by health experts over its extreme weight loss tactics and for encouraging body shaming.
Bridges, who fell in love with fellow TBL trainer Steve ‘Commando’ Willis on set, defends the popular Channel 10 show on tonight’s episode of Australian Story.
The program explores how a young girl from Newcastle went on to create a multi-million dollar fitness empire, and how becoming a mum to son Axel — Bridges fell pregnant naturally at age 44 — has changed her outlook on life.
In 2007, Bridges signed on as a trainer for the Australian version of the US reality show, and her public profile increased dramatically.
“[The Biggest Loser] has all sorts of critics who say, ‘You’re putting these people up to be insulted or laughed at or made the butt of a joke,” she told Australian Story.
“I think it might be seen that I have this agenda on people who are overweight or people who are deemed fat. Honestly if you are happy where you are, genuinely, more power to you.
“But I can tell you now, I am yet to have met someone who is morbidly obese and happy.”
Bridges’ ex-husband and business manager Bill Moore opened up about his relationship with the fitness star, and how her rising profile has made her a target.
In 2015, Bridges was features in BRW magazine’s list of the 30 richest self-made women in Australia. According to the magazine, who ranks her at number 29, Bridges has an estimated wealth of $53 million.
“[That figure] wasn’t true, but it damaged us. It damaged Michelle’s reputation,” Mr Moore said. “I think people looked at Michelle as being a money making machine.”
The episode doesn’t address speculation that Bridges and Willis began their romance while they were both with other people. Willis has two other children from a previous relationship.
“For a long time, season after season of The Biggest Loser, we were just friends,” Bridges said. “When I first met him, he was straight out of the army. He was very intense. I remember thinking ‘Who is this guy?’”
Willis says he admires Bridges’ “willingness to listen” and be his “sounding board”.
Bridges opened up being sexually assaulted at age 18, in Taree, NSW.
“I was just looking for a part time job. I went in for an off the cuff interview at a restaurant, and the next thing I knew, the guy was attacking me and basically trying to rape me.
“In my head I thought, ‘This is just not going to happen. This is not my story’. I absolutely fought back with everything I had.
“I got out, I ran all the way to the police station. The man ended up going to prison. I realised ‘I can’t carry this thing around, because if I do, it means he still has control’. So I had to at some point, let it go.”
Like Jamie Oliver and I Quit Sugar’s Sarah Wilson, Bridges says she wants to take on the junk food industry.
“I’d like to tackle the junk good industry the way that the tobacco industry was tackled 50-odd years ago. They sell crap food and make people sick, and that makes me angry,” she said.
“We’re now seeing children that have potentially, a shorted lifespan than their parents. I’d like to get out there and start fighting the fight for others who can’t fight it.”
Written By Rebecca Sullivan
Source:news.com.au
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