Ledger Pop Journal - Celebrity News & Sports

Host of "The Biggest Loser," Alison Sweeney, tells us it's been heartbreaking at times to watch this season's contestants -- the first group ever to have to weigh in in front of crowds in their hometowns.

The Biggest Loser Host Alison Sweeney - Show 'Heartbreaking at Times'

"I think that was really honest, and heartbreaking, and painful and brave and inspiring," she says of those first revelatory trips to the public scales for this season's cast. "In some ways, obesity is such a 'secret' still. People don't discuss their friends' or loved ones' obesity because they are afraid of hurting someone's feelings -- even at the detriment of their health and their life," explains Sweeney. "Bringing it out in the open, doing a public weigh-in not only gave the contestants something to hold on to -- a moment to remember when the ranch gets really hard -- but also, it brought an awareness to the whole community and hopefully inspired everyone there to get healthy, too."

It must be working, though, as the contestants are definitely getting big results. "It's another kick-a-- season; the contestants are losing a tremendous amount of weight and having major breakthroughs along the way. Obviously, with each group of people, they handle the experience differently. 'Biggest Loser 9' is so amazing because they really have stuck together as a team by helping each other through this journey, even with all the crazy twists and turns thrown at them," says Sweeney.

"While John, James and Michael are bigger than anyone we've ever had on the show, they are such a relatable bunch. There is definitely someone there you will have something in common with -- someone you will identify with," she adds.

Sweeney reports that it was a truly remarkable experience when this season's contestants, who were barely able to get around not all that long ago, interacted with some of the world's fittest people. "We all went to Colorado Springs to visit the Olympic training facility there. Not only did we meet some amazing, inspiring athletes, but we also had a great time," she says of filming the episode that airs Feb. 9, "a perfect warm-up to the Winter Olympics."

STAYING PUT: Frank Maresca, aka "Frank the Entertainer" from VH1's "I Love New York 2," is looking for love on his own VH1 show, "Frank the Entertainer ... in a Basement Affair," but he tells us if a woman has a problem with him still living at home, she need not stick around.

"Any woman who is concerned is a woman that I wouldn't look at because that's a woman who's not close to her family and doesn't see things the way I see. She wouldn't be the woman for me," claims Maresca.

"Everybody has the right to their opinions, but I'm not going to have anybody tell me when I have to move out. I'm going to move out when I feel the time is right. These times today are very hard. Once I fall in love and find my true love and am looking to start my own family, then I'm out of my house."

Two people who might be relieved to see Maresca fall in love are his parents, who are also a part of the show. "They're happy I'm having the opportunity to find love and hopefully get the heck out of their house. They're not pushing me out, but they would like to see me gone, I'm sure. Unless they kick me out, though, I'm not going anywhere," he says adamantly. Luckily for them, there are some serious prospects.

"I got to meet some girls who were great and some who were not so great. Most were outstanding, though." Hopefully for Frank, three times is the charm. "The first show I was on was 'I Love New York 2.' I was looking for love and didn't find it. The second show, I was looking for money and I didn't find that either. Now I'm looking for love again and I hope I find it."

INDUSTRY EYE: Not only has "Community" featured Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Patton Oswalt and Anthony Michael Hall as guest stars, but now the NBC comedy starring Joel McHale and Chevy Chase is going to be graced by the presence of none other than stunt-man-cum-actor-cum-hearing-aid-pitchman Lee Majors in an upcoming episode. Don't get too excited!

THE INSIDE TRACK: Beautiful blond 24-year-old Anna Rose Menken, who is gifted with a deep, full, sexy voice, is savoring the recognition that's finally coming her way as her first full album, "Nomad," is en route to release. She's paid dues in terms of close calls -- including demos she made with the legendary Phil Ramone that somehow didn't yield a record deal -- and disappointing dates to get here.

"I've played all these crappy clubs. Some of the clubs, they don't expect to see little singer-songwriter chicks," she recalls. "You get a bunch of dudes in leather jackets who have no idea why this girl is onstage. Everyone's talking and they make you into background music.

"But it's been a gift, because I know if I play a song and they shut up and listen -- I know that's a good song." And that's how she determined which songs to put on her album.

It's all the more interesting when you know that Menken is the daughter of Alan Menken -- the Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer. She grew up with the likes of Michael Jackson at her house, working with her dad.

Anna Rose and Alan, in fact, are playing their first joint gig this weekend at Richard Gere's Bedford Post Inn in Bedford, N.Y. It's a fundraiser for the Green Chimneys facility of upstate New York.

"They take in children who have been abused and rehabilitate them, and each child has an animal they take care of that also has been injured, or can't be in the wild anymore. It's really an incredible place. I would have done a benefit for them in a barn. The fact it's in Richard Gere's bed and breakfast is lovely, though."

Dad and daughter are doing a mix of his music and hers. Alan will play piano on Anna Rose's "Picture" and "Four Corners" songs. She notes, "I can turn off the rock voice and turn on the Disney princess voice pretty easily. I've done demos for him on a couple of those songs. We're going to do 'Colors of the Wind' and 'Will the Sun Ever Shine Again,'" which Bonnie Raitt did on the vastly underappreciated "Home on the Range" soundtrack.

With reports by Emily-Fortune Feimster

(Image: WENN)