- The Velvet Teddy Bear would like to shed more weight
- Studdard will be the first famous face on "The Biggest Loser"
- He said he is doing it for his health
(EW.com) -- Have you ever seen a Velvet Teddy Bear with rock-hard abs? American Idol alum Ruben Studdard, who beat Clay Aiken back in 2003 to earn the season 2 crown, is moving on to a new reality competition: The Biggest Loser.
Studdard — nicknamed the Velvet Teddy Bear for his cuddly physique and silky-smooth vocals — is ready to change that image in the name of health.
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"I've never had an issue with my weight," Studdard, 35, told People. "[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."
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While Studdard is hardly the first celebrity to lose weight on TV — VH1′s "Celebrity Fit Club" ran for seven seasons — he is the first famous face to compete on "The Biggest Loser," which returns to NBC this fall.
See the original story at EW.com.
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