Biggest Loser week 9 news: No clowning around at the circus (recap)

Rudy and Shay fly through the hoops with the greatest of ease (but sniping at each other). NBC photo

The eight remaining Biggest Loser contestants are freaking now that it’s week 9. So everyone got in our face with their intention to win.

• Want more Biggest Loser news? Click here for the scoop
• More photos from tonight's show (slideshow)
• Daniel and Shay on The Jay Leno Show

Back from Washington, Ali greeted them with the news that two people would be eliminated. She also told them about the addition of a drop-dead “red line.” In addition to the yellow line, the person who goes below the red line immediately gets the boot.

Pop challenge: The contestants had to leap up and grab tennis balls off a board and dump ‘em in a bucket. The winner gets a 1-pound advantage at the weigh-in. Allen powered through and won the pound.

(Did you catch the ad for the Biggest Loser Ranch? The guy in the gray sweatshirt was Max Morelli, brother of season 7’s Mike Morelli.)

Bob and Jillian greeted the crew in the kitchen and Jill noticed that Tracey was gone. The contestants all nodded and smiled. They then told the trainers about the red line and they flipped out. Jillian immediately pulled Bob aside to come up with a gameplan to save Shay. For as much as Bob and Jillian want everyone to do well, Jillian feels that Shay still needs the time on the ranch.

Because of the red line, contestants went bonkers in the gym. Jillian sent Danny out when it became obvious that he overtrained. But she wasn’t having any lollygagging with Shay.

After the gym, the “old people” (sheesh!) got together to strategize about how to keep themselves safe this week so one of them doesn’t get voted off by the youngsters.

Quote of the week, from Liz: “This ol’ girl right here? I’m not goin’ down without a fight.”

Rebecca is this week’s winner of “Who walks out on Jillian in the gym.” Rebecca then talked over her frustrations with Amanda. “I need this to be the week I figure it out,” Rebecca said. Danny had an equally enlightening talk with Bob about how he lost his way. “We need to give your wife this man back,” said Bob, looking at older thinner pictures of Danny.

The challenge: The circus came to town. The contestants had to jump through other people’s hoops and whoever gets 100 points is out. Shay put it best: “Trampolines, hoops, mats. It’s coming together in my brain and it’s a little scary.” Basically everyone jumped through Liz’s hoop and the “old folks” jumped through the young folks’ hoops. Then things got nasty. At the start of the challenge Rudy and Shay had made an informal alliance to keep each other in the challenge but then Rudy turned on her and charged through her hoops to knock her out. Words flew between Rudy and Shay about integrity and deception, and Rudy ended up winning the challenge – and immunity at the weigh-in.

The youngsters dragged gym equipment into Shay’s room to work out while the old folks slept or played Parcheesi or something.

Last-chance workout: Bob didn’t think the crew had enough circus fun so he took the gang to a trapeze gym. But first he gave them CHERRY PIE LARABARS (emphasis because they’re my favorite Larabars ever-ever-ever of all time). Dang, that trapeze stuff looks hard and effective. (Find out more about the Jukari trapeze classes HERE.) When they got back to the ranch, Jillian gave them part 2 of the workout. Poor Rudy crumpled at the treadmill.

Weigh-in and elimination: Usually when someone has immunity, like Rudy, they take it easy so they can show a bigger loss the next week. Rudy still pulled a strong 8 pounds. The best moment by far was Shay’s weigh-in. With her 17 POUND weight loss, she broke Kristin Steede’s record for losing 100 pounds the quickest of any woman on the show. Danny joined Rudy and Shay in losing 100 pounds this season. But even with that astounding loss she fell below the yellow line with Amanda. Daniel’s stubborn weight loss came back to bite him and he fell below the red line, sending him home immediately. Then it came time for Shay and Amanda to plead their cases. “I’m not asking you to keep me here so I can play. I’m asking you to keep me here so I can live,” Shay said. Amanda said her piece but it wasn’t as convincing as Shay’s. At the voting table, the vote went back and forth between Shay and Amanda until it was Rudy’s turn. Rudy of all people! Rudy, who turned on Shay during the challenge. And Rudy voted to eliminate Shay.

The update: Daniel is down 215 pounds. He met up with David, his partner from last season, and David’s head is just not in the game. He’s got his big ol’ head in the sand about his mortality. We didn’t get to see Shay for some reason, but she was on Tuesday’s Jay Leno Show (more on that HERE).

Next week: Oooh, it's time for a makeover. Project Runway style guru Tim Gunn and Tabatha's Salon Takeover hairstylist Tabatha Coffey work their magic on the contestants for a TV Guide event. Later, the contestants fly across a canyon divide, and the winner gets a two-week trip to The Biggest Loser Resort in Utah.