All About Bob Harper's Heart Health Journey Ahead of The Traitors
The former The Biggest Loser host and current The Traitors contestant shared a vulnerable moment onscreen with his fellow players.
This story contains spoilers for The Traitors Season 3, Episode 4.
If you ever watched episodes of NBC's long-running weight-loss competition series The Biggest Loser, then you know Bob Harper well.
For 17 seasons, Bob was a trainer and eventual host on the series, helping people reduce their weight and overall better their health through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
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Bob is now a contestant on The Traitors Season 3, Peacock's competition series that pits reality stars against each other in the search to win up to $250,000. In Season 3, Episode 4, the contestants were challenged to complete a physical activity that brought to bear all the challenges Bob has experienced since he suffered a massive heart attack in 2017. A humbling moment for the lifelong fitness advocate, here's what you need to know about the incredible journey Bob's taken to get to that moment — and succeed.
Bob Harper's life or death moment in 2017
For more than a decade on The Bigger Loser, Bob Harper was a poster boy for all things fit and fabulous. On the series and as a celebrity fitness trainer, Bob helped countless people make changes for the better when it came down to their weight and overall health.
However, fans and Bob himself were shocked when he went into cardiac arrest at age 52.
"On February 12 of [2017] I was in the gym, the next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital two days later being told that I had a heart attack and that I immediately went into cardiac arrest. Talk about a life-changing experience," he later told Better by Today.
While his body conditioning and exercise routine are cited as the reason he survived the surprise heart attack, Bob admitted that he didn't see the signs until it was almost too late.
"I've always been a person that was so driven and type A and I have my routine, which I love, and when all of that was taken away from me and my whole identity of fitness was taken away, I went through an identity crisis," Bob said to Better by Today. "I didn't know who I was and it became a journey for me. I was going through this new life of mine and having to rediscover different sides of me. It was really hard. It was really emotional; I went through a lot of depression because of it."
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In the latest episode of The Traitors, the players were challenged to carry Easter Island replica statues up a hill. Atop the hill were 10 pedestals where they could individually earn safety with a shield if they successfully placed their statue head before a timer ran out.
As Bob attempted to carry statue pieces up the hill, he was winded and found himself unable to do so without the assistance of his fellow players. The camera captured a vulnerable realization for Bob, showing that he's still recovering from his heart attack and the toll that it took on his body. At the end of the timer, he was able to put his named head on the pedestal and earn a shield with the help of his fellow players. He tearfully admitted how humbling the whole experience was for him, and that he's still relearning his limits.
New episodes of The Traitors Season 3 premiere on Peacock on Thursdays at 9/8c, with the season finale and reunion premiering on March 6.
All episodes of Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream right now on Peacock.
