Jillian Michaels on The Biggest Loser Backlash

While she ended up losing 110 pounds during her 2008 run, Michelle Aguilar is most grateful for the relationship she gained thanks to the show.

“I did the show with my mom and prior to going on, we weren’t speaking,” Michelle shared with E! News. “Yes, I stood at the top and the confetti fell and I won and that’s all wonderful. But at the end of the day, because of The Biggest Loser…my mom and I were able to rebuild a new relationship.”

Meanwhile, she managed to construct a slew of healthier habits. Crediting trainer Jillian Michaels with changing her life, she wrote on Instagram in August 2025, “She was my motivator, my guide and sometimes the tough love I didn’t know I needed.” 

Now, she continued, “I get to call Jillian my friend, and that’s one of the greatest gifts I could have ever imagined.”