R&B singer Ruben Studdard will compete on the 15th installment of the Biggest Loser, confirms an NBC spokeswoman.
The Hollywood Reporter describes the singer’s struggle to keep the weight off. Studdard, who was given the nickname the “Velvet Teddy Bear” during season two of American Idol, had some slimming down to do when he took the Idol crown back in 2003. Studdard lost a considerable amount of weight after marrying Surata Zuri McCants in 2008. However, the weight came back following their divorce four years later.
“I’ve never had an issue with my weight,” Studdard previously told Billboard. “[But] my family has a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart-related issues — things I didn’t have to deal with yet because I’m young. But I don’t want to be worried at 40, and if I don’t fix things now, I will be.”
Studdard will appear on the Biggest Loser’s airing this fall.