When Danni Allen started on "The Biggest Loser," she weighed in at 258 pounds and felt insecure about her body and her abilities. But that's all changed now. On Monday night, Danni, who now weighs in at just 137 pounds, bested fellow finalists Jeff Nichols and Jackson Carter and proved she no longer has any reason to feel insecure.

The 26-year-old visited TODAY Tuesday to talk about her "Loser" win and share her new lease on life.

"I knew no matter what, in my heart, I had already won," Danni said of her success before she ever stepped on the finale-night scale.

But she wasn't so sure about pulling off the official win against the "big boys," especially given the fact that she knew she'd gained 19 pounds of muscle during the competition.

"It did play a little bit mentally, because this is a weight loss show; it's about the numbers," Dani explained. "But at the end of the day, if you're telling me I lost because I gained too much muscle, I'll take it."

Of course, she didn't have to take that -- she won, and the experience has already started to transform her life.

"It just has given me the self-confidence that I never had before, and that sense of belief that I can dream again," she said. "You know, nothing's too big.... Anything's possible, and I just believe it."

But she doesn't believe everything.

"I can't believe I have a quarter of a million dollars coming my way!" Danni exclaimed about her winnings. "I have so many ideas of what I could possibly do with it, but the one thing is Jeff and I had a little side bet that no matter what ... we were going to take the other one on a vacation because we knew we definitely deserved a vacation.... We're gonna bring Francie (Morillo) too, because the two lovebirds can't leave each other."

Slideshow: 'Biggest Loser 14': Before and after

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Launch slideshow

As for herself, she's looking for her own lovebird now.

"I'll just be the third wheel -- I'll find my guy out there (on vacation)," she smiled.

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Jeff, Danni, Jackson and Joe of "Biggest Loser" season 14.

After weeks of grueling workouts, "The Biggest Loser" has crowned its season 14 champ: Danni Allen! The 26-year-old advertising account coordinator beat out fellow contestants Jeff Nichols and Jackson Carter to take the $250,000 grand prize. She lost a 121 pounds -- an impressive 46.9 percent of her starting body weight -- to become only the fifth female champ out of the show's 14 seasons.

Even before the final weigh-in, Danni said, "I feel amazing. No one can take this away from me."

Showing off her toned, svelte figure, she added triumphantly, "I've worked so hard, and at the end of the day ... look at me!"

Danni -- who played soccer and participated in swimming and water polo during high school -- was practically a team of one since the beginning of the season, while the rest of trainer Jillian Michaels' players were quickly picked off.

"I just want to give (Jillian) a hug," Danni told host Alison Sweeney before leaving the stage to change into her workout gear. But the fitness guru said she'd have to wait.

"I've been picturing this moment for months now and I'm not ready yet," said a beaming Jillian. "It's gonna be when everybody comes down. ...  You promised me,  I'm the first hug."

Danni kept her word, making a beeline for her mentor after raising her muscular arms in victory.

Slideshow: 'Biggest Loser 14': Before and after

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Launch slideshow

Jeff lost 181 pounds and 46.6 percent of his body weight to become the runner-up. There may not be a cash prize for finishing second, but he found a prize of his own anyway: love with fellow contestant Francelina Morillo.

"For the first time in a long time, I am proud (of myself)," Jeff said. "I used to hide behind the jokes, hide behind the laughter and pretend I was proud. (Now I) mean it."

His trainer, Bob Harper, summoned the spirit of Jeff's father, who passed away when the contestant was 17. "I know wherever your father is right now, he is so proud of you and looking at you with the biggest smile on his face -- because I sure am."  

Also sporting a huge grin was third-place finisher Jackson, "Biggest Loser's" first openly gay contestant. The 22-year-old volunteer coordinator for an LGBT resource center in Utah lost 138 pounds and 42 percent of his body weight. The young man had beaten out Joe Ostaszewski for the third and final spot in the finale.

Now he's gunning for another spot on "The Biggest Loser" -- trainer Dolvett Quince's job!

"Oh D, you know what's up, buddy," he joked with his trainer. "Season 15, whoever's hiring -- let me know!"

Perhaps not so surprisingly, the at-home champ was 47-year-old attorney Gina McDonald, who was eliminated the week before the finale, when she lost only 2 pounds after being a contender throughout the season. (Hmm ... strategy at play?) She dropped 113 pounds -- 46.1 percent of her body weight -- to claim the $100,000 prize. The lawyer kept the level of drama high throughout the season with her various threats to quit. 

When asked whether she first believed she was capable of such an achievement, Gina paid tribute to her trainer, Bob: "I didn't know it, but he knew it."

The finale also celebrated the triumphs of its three younger participants: Lindsay, Biingo and Sunny.

Lindsay, who quit cheerleading after being teased about her weight, showed off her 47-pound weight loss by performing with her cheer squad in a special "Biggest Loser" uniform.

"I was saying (Lindsay) was an athlete from the very beginning," praised Dolvett, calling the 13-year-old, who is no longer pre-diabetic, "an inspiration."

Aspiring baseball player Biingo, 13 -- whose family together lost 200 pounds -- received a special surprise on stage: His local baseball coach handed him a team jersey and hat, and offered him a spot on the team!  

Sixteen-year-old Sunny, who dropped 51 pounds and four dress sizes, dazzled in a sparkling party frock and even brighter smile.

"I feel like I have a fresh start and a new beginning, and I'm so excited for the future," she said. "All it takes is a step in the right direction and a lot of perseverance."

What did you think of the season overall? Are you happy with the results? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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Danni shows off her new outfit with fashion guru Tim Gunn at her side.

The ultimate goal for every contestant on "The Biggest Loser" is to make it all the way to the end of the game (and, of course, to win). But barring that rare distinction, there's one other almost-universal goal on the ranch: to make it to makeover week.

Evidently, there's just nothing quite like following up weeks of grueling workouts, flaring tempers and over-the-top temptations with an opportunity to get dressed up, made up and shown off.

On Monday night, the five remaining players and the three kid participants celebrated making that mark -- in style.

"Project Runway's" resident fashion guru Tim Gunn guided the "Losers" to their new looks.

Danni beamed as she slipped on her very first pair of skinny jeans. For Gina, the opportunity to pour herself into a leather skirt reminded her that she might be the oldest in the game, but she's far from old.

Even Joe, who hardly seemed like a guy who worried much about fashion, couldn't hide how happy he was about his jeans-and-pullover ensemble. Tim was impressed too, paying Joe an odd-but-fitting compliment.

"If I were a cook and you were a cake, I'd say, 'It's close to fully baked,' " the fashion expert bragged.

And before long, Tim got a compliment of his own.

"Tim Gunn is excellent for giving advice for clothes," said 13-year-old Lindsay after her fun and funky makeover. "I just want him to live in my closet!"

(Get in line, kid.)

Sunny, 16, was just as pleased. But there was one fashion holdout in the underage bunch -- Biingo.

"When it comes to fashion challenges, I may place a 13-year-old boy at the very top of the list," Tim said of his struggle with to get the young one in "some long pants and a proper top."

Eventually, Biingo gave into it, but despite his assurance that he'd wear his new look, he wasn't really fooling anyone. He could hardly wait to get back into his signature shorts-and-hoodie combo.

Once their fairy godfather was done with them, the gang moved on to hairdresser Ken Paves to complete their makeovers. Then there was just one more stop for each "Loser" -- a trip back home.

Yes, the players packed up and left the discipline of the ranch behind to show their families just how much they've all changed. But for one contestant, it was another family member who showed off a big change.

Joe went home and revealed his 103-pound loss only to discover that his identical twin brother was just a few pounds behind him.

"We just looked at each other and we were like, 'Yeah, we're there; we're doing this," Joe said.

But there was still something else the grownup contestants had to do. Before returning to the ranch, they each had to drop 5 percent of their body weight -- that is, if they wanted immunity.

Despite dinners out with their families and bar stops featuring plenty of fried finger food, they all managed the task -- and looked good while they did it.

What did you think of the makeovers? Who's new look looked best? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Jillian Michaels.

What should have been the easiest week so far on "The Biggest Loser" ranch turned into one of the toughest weeks of the competition.

Host Alison Sweeny opened Monday night's episode with good news for the contestants: If they could drop a total of 70 pounds this week, no one would have to go home.

OK, sure, with only eight players left in the game, that's a lot of weight to lose. But they'd soon have a chance to shave a few pounds off that total.

The downside was that if they somehow didn't win the challenge, the red line would return and automatically eliminate one player. But really, what were the chances of that?

Well ...

Before anyone had a chance to focus on the goal, Gina and her troubles took center stage -- again.

Viewers will no doubt recall that over the past few weeks, Gina's had a big problem maintaining a positive attitude. Her former blue teammates often complained about her outlook. And just two weeks ago, she launched into a war of words with trainer Bob Harper after he dared to comment on her downer stance.

This week the drama kicked off when Gina complained that her new shoes prevented her from really giving her all on the treadmill.

"I don't like quitters, and I don't like excuses," Dolvett Quince said. "Gina gave me an excuse. I don't condone that."

But condone it or not, that's just what he got. And to top it off, when Gina later felt frustrated (due to a quip from a fellow player, if you ask her; due to her own self-defeatist nature, if you ask Dolvett), she yelled, "Done!" and left the gym.

Dolvett eventually coaxed her back, but she flagged again and soon found herself on the wrong side of Jillian Michaels, who, unlike Dolvett (and Bob before him), made no move to soothe Gina.

In fact, after Gina and Jillian swapped barbs, Gina left the gym again. Jillian was so angry she turned her rage on

the other trainers.

"Is this OK with you two?!" Jillian yelled at Bob and Dolvett. "Is this OK?!"

Eventually they calmed down and agreed that "this" -- Gina's tendency to give up when things get tough -- isn't OK.

But frankly, it had to be OK for the time being. After all, there was that group goal to deal with.

Kid participants Sunny, Lindsay and Biingo came to the contestants' rescue and knocked off 9 pounds by acing a pop quiz and fitness test. The competitors were able to take off another 10 pounds thanks to their own performance in a later challenge.

So that 70- pound goal was down to 51, and seemed downright attainable. Heck, with just one more contestant in the mix last week, they managed to drop a collective 61 pounds. So this time? Easy peasy.

Or not.

One by one, they all weighed in, and one by one, the results were disappointing. Big guys Jackson and Joe dropped only 5 and 6 pounds respectively. And Gina, who despite her other woes has consistently been the biggest loser in the competition this season, lost just 4 pounds.

But once it was clear that immunity was out of reach, only one weight really mattered -- the one that landed someone below the red line.

Jeff feared that he might be the unlucky one with his 4-pound loss -- that is before Francelina stepped on the scale. Then he suddenly seemed more worried that she might be the one to go.

Why?

Remember last week when Jeff broke his word and voted out Michael instead of Francie? Some fans assumed it was just a gameplay maneuver. But what viewers didn't know at the time was that Jeff and Francie shared a special bond -- a very special bond.

Of course, the red line doesn't care about love connections. Francie managed to lose only 2 pounds this week, which put her firmly at the back of the pack and there wasn't anything Jeff could do to save her this time.

What did you think of all the drama on the ranch this week? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Alex, left, and Gina check out the tasty temptations on "The Biggest Loser."

Every season on "The Biggest Loser," there comes a time when the contestants have to face a tough decision -- consume big calories in exchange for an advantage in the game or stick to the program and trust that hard work is the way to win. Well, as is often the case, this season a couple of players thumbed their noses at option B and banked on a jumbo sugar fix instead.

It all started after the remaining competitors learned that it was time to put the red vs. blue vs. Danni game to rest. Bye-bye, teams; hello, singles (and the old yellow line)!

Of course, team-of-one Danni didn't really care, and biggest-loser-of-the-season-so-far Gina didn't mind either. But for Francelina and Alex, being without a team meant being without a safety net. So when host Alison Sweeney offered up a sweet-filled, holiday challenge, they were undeterred by the stats -- such as the fact that American's buy 58 million pounds of chocolate in the week leading up to Valentine's  Day. They just cared about 2 pounds -- the amount of weight they could add to their weight loss total for the week if they ate the most calories during the challenge.

Alison turned off the lights and left the "Losers" to eat whatever they wanted to in the dark.

Michael decided to bow out early. "I'm sitting down to take a stand," he said.

Danni went one step further. In addition to eschewing the chocolate-covered this and pecan-filled that, she made the most of her time in the dark by working out.

But Francelina and Alex? They dug in -- and then some.  Cakes, cookies, brownies and more were gone by the time lights came back on. In the end, as Alison revealed, Alex consumed 1,036 calories and Francelina, the winner of the temptation challenge, ate 1,150 calories.

Winning actually came with more than a 2-pound perk. It also came with an extra 2-pound advantage for one other player -- Francelina's choice. In an unexpected move, she gave it to her closest competitor, Alex.

When trainer Jillian Michaels found out about the big binge, she pulled Francelina, Alex and Jeff (who enjoyed a couple of sneaky bites when the lights were out) aside and told them, "If you play, then you have to pay."

They paid plenty in the form of one grueling workout, but when it came time for the weigh in, one of them was still at risk.

All of that exercise and a 2-pound bonus still couldn't keep Francelina above the yellow line. In fact, with a loss of just 2.76 percent of her weight, the only thing that saved her was that the person who fell under the yellow line with her (with a 2.75 percent loss) was someone the other players perceived as a bigger threat in the game -- Michael.

What did you think of the temptation challenge? Do you think the right player went home in the end? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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(Left to right) "Biggest Loser" trainers Dolvett Quince, Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper are joined by host Alison Sweeney.

It's week six on "The Biggest Loser" ranch, and the pressure is mounting for the contestants as the competition reaches the halfway point. But for one contestant, the pressure almost became too much on Monday's night's show.

The drama kicked off after host Alison Sweeney introduced the latest twist in the game -- this week, each team's fate would be decided by the weight of just one player, and no one would know which player until right before the weigh-in. Of course, that wasn't a problem for Team White, aka Danni. But for the reds and blues, it meant that everyone had to be prepared to drop enough weight to keep their teams intact.

It was a dismal prospect for Team Blue's Gina.

"I hope it's not me, honestly," she said shaking her head. "I mean, I'll work as hard as I can, but I don't want that pressure."

Not exactly the vote of confidence trainer Bob Harper had hoped for from his charge.

"It's annoying to hear her say that," he told Alison as an increasingly upset Gina looked on. "I don't know what else she needs to be able to achieve to be able to feel like 'You know what? I can handle this.'"

But if Bob's reply was meant to serve as a pep talk, it didn't work. In fact, it had the opposite effect on Gina, who started crying and lashing out at the man who's helped her in the gym since day one. He, in turn, assured her that her tears wouldn't earn her a response.

"I don't expect a response from you!" she raged. "You rip my ass to shreds every time I see your face!"

Wha? There must be a whole lot of Big Bad Bob footage on the cutting-room floor, because viewers sure haven't seen anything like that. In fact, while a couple of Gina's teammates have had choice words for her (or at least choice words about her during their one-on-one time with the cameras), Bob has always seemed supportive of the 47-year-old.

But this outburst wasn't really about Bob. After a walk outside and many more tears, Gina admitted that she has a habit of tearing herself down, and she doesn't know how to stop it.

Suggestion No. 1: Listen to Bob.

As it turned out, all of Gina's angst was for naught. When the weigh-in finally came around, she wasn't the chosen one for the blue team. A random roll of the die meant that honor went to Jeff -- one of the big guys everyone thought would be able to drop a huge percentage of his weight without much fuss.

Maybe he's the one that should have had that tough talk with Bob earlier, because with a loss of 6 pounds (1.82 percent of his weight), he trailed both Danni (who dropped 2.82 percent of her weight) and Joe (who represented the reds with his 2.68 percent loss).

For the first time all season, the blue team had to vote out one of their own, and they didn't pick Gina or Jeff. In a unanimous vote, they sent home the often-injured David.

He may be out of the game -- at least for now -- but David's still a winner. In his where-are-they-now segment, he revealed that in addition to the 50 pounds he lost on the ranch, he's gone on to lose another 37 pounds on his own.

What did you think of the drama on Monday night's show? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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When mother of four Lisa Rambo arrived on "The Biggest Loser" ranch, she weighed in at 246 pounds. She left the ranch 37 pounds lighter, but her journey didn't end there. Despite being voted out of the competition in week five, she went on to prove she's a "Loser" winner all the same.

"I've lost over 80 pounds so far -- six weeks left to go," Lisa revealed during a Monday morning visit to TODAY.

And her accomplishment goes beyond her own results on the scale. She inspired husband Tony to drop 70 pounds too.

"Between the two of us, we've lost a healthy adult," she boasted of their combined 150-plus-pound loss.

As for the secret to her ongoing success, Lisa credits "Loser" trainer Dolvett Quince with lighting "a fire in (her)," but ultimately chalks it all up to a simple routine.

"Who knew diet and exercise actually works?!" she said with a laugh.

See how Lisa's former fellow contestants are faring on the ranch when "The Biggest Loser" airs Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Are you surprised by Lisa's big post-show success? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Mitchell Haaseth / NBC

Jillian Michaels.

Gentle Jillian Michaels? As strange as that phrase may sound to fans of "The Biggest Loser" (not to mention former contestants), the tough-talking, take-no-nonsense trainer actually put the tough talk on hold this week as she faced the possibility of getting booted off the ranch alongside her last remaining team member.

Five weeks into the competition, Jillian had already said "so long" to four of her five hopefuls. Her only shot to stay in the game (beyond helping teen Sunny back home) came down to Danni -- Danni, who long ago let Jillian know that she required encouragement and positive feedback in the gym.

And that's just what Jillian offered her. Rather than risk pushing what's left of Team White away with her typical take-no-prisoners style, she took a risk and showed her softer side throughout the week.

Danni, for her part, put her all into every aspect of the competition. When she wasn't working out with Gentle Jillian, she was acing challenges.

The first challenge required players to buy all of their groceries for the week on a budget of $10 a day -- and they had just 15 minutes to do it. Danni, who had no other teammates to pool her resources with, ended up with a packed cart and $8 to spare.

Later, during a swimming challenge, she finished in first place and won a 2-pound advantage on the scale.

But while everything seemed to be going Danni's way, Jillian started to have her doubts.

"At this moment, I'm second guessing myself a lot," Jillian said before Danni stepped on the scale. "I did something different this week. I didn't go crazy or push like I normally did in the past, and I'm now hating myself for that. We're going to lose this weigh-in, and if we do, she's not the only one going home."

But in the end, Jillian found out that sometimes the soft touch is also the winning touch. Danni dropped 9 pounds, putting her percentage of weight loss far above the other teams.

"It just feels so good to have her smile at me," Danni said of Jillian after the weigh-in. "I think right now is the best moment I've had since I've been here."

Of course, while Danni celebrated her best night on the ranch, the night took a turn for the worse for another player. The red team landed in last place and voted out Lisa.

There's no need to feel too bad for the teacher and mom of four. During the where-are-they-now update, Lisa revealed that she's still on track and has now lost a total of 76 pounds.

What did you think of the rare glimpse of the gentle side of Jillian Michaels? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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After just three weeks on "The Biggest Loser" ranch, Cate Laughlan had an emotional breakdown and breakthrough that left her weeping to trainer Dolvett Quince and reinvigorated for the competition ahead. The only problem was that there wasn't much competition left for Cate. By the end of the week, the red team sent her packing.

But going home didn't mean giving up. After losing 19 pounds on the ranch, she went on to get even bigger results on her own.

"Overall, I have lost 53 pounds," she revealed during a Friday morning visit to TODAY.

The secret to her success?

"The biggest change is I do not eat out after the gym," Cate shared. "It used to be called Fat Tuesday as a joke. You're running errands after the gym workout; you go grab something to eat. Now, it is Fit Tuesday. I take a shake and an apple with me."

Cate's also setting goals that keep her on track. For instance, she's currently training for a marathon. One goal that she's already met was to pose for some professional modeling photos.

"It was so important to me because it was something I always wanted to do," she explained. "I never had the courage or the confidence. After being on 'The Biggest Loser,' they taught me that it doesn't really matter how big or small you are. It matters how you feel about yourself and that you deserve good things."

See how Cate's former fellow contestants continue to do in the weight-loss challenge when "The Biggest Loser" airs Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

What do you think of Cate's post-show success? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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One team faced a junk food-filled room after losing a trivia challenge on "The Biggest Loser."

Pizza, candy, ice cream, soda -- those aren't the usual items on "The Biggest Loser" menu. But as week three of the competition kicked off, the fat-filled, sugary treats played a major role in the game and served as a symbol of what the season is really all about -- the battle against childhood obesity.

The grownup contestants met in a room that some kids might consider a dream come true. Snacks lined the walls, sofas and gaming chairs filled the floor, and video games consoles and TVs took up much of the remaining space -- save for an area devoted to a trivia challenge. That's where the teams gathered to test their knowledge of the dangers of childhood obesity. It's also where they risked a major hurdle if they got those questions wrong.

In a twist on the traditional temptation challenge from seasons past, which often saw players forced to face their favorite foods during a one-time, nail-biting session, this time, contestants contended with a much bigger chance of self-sabotage. The team to lose the trivia battle would be locked in that junk food and distraction-packed room for the same amount of time that the average kid crashes in front of the TV each day -- four and a half hours. And that team would have to endure it every day for a week.

Therefore, it was important that they were all well aware of the staggering stats associated with this weighty epidemic (such as the fact that 60 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 10 already have one risk factor for heart disease).

At first the red, white and blue teams all seemed evenly matched in these matters, but soon Team Red broke away from the pack and White just edged out Blue.

Yes, that left Bob Harper's bunch doomed to the room for workout-free daily detention. But at least they were determined not to give into temptation. To illustrate and reinforce their commitment, they poured orange juice over the hot dogs, donuts and other concoctions to render them far less tasty.

As for the kid participants, Sunny, Lindsay and Biingo were all back home and ready to put their faces to some of those aforementioned statistics. For instance, during a visit from pediatrician Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, 13-year-old Biingo explained that his video game habit routinely takes up between 5 and 9 hours a day -- sometimes much more.

"I love video games so much that this one time, I sat down and played the same video game for 17 hours straight," he confessed.

The doctor helped each of the kids take one step toward getting on the right track by throwing out the junk food filling their homes.

Back on the ranch, the grownups faced their own troubles. For Cate, on the red team, that meant tackling a momentary emotional setback.

"I hope it was worth it, every terrible lazy day I had, every time I ate more than I should," she cried to trainer Dolvett Quince after a particularly tough workout.

Once the workouts were over for the week, all the teams gathered for the weigh in.

The blue team wanted to shake off the week-two curse that saw one player pull a zero on the scale last week and prove that the junk food room didn't defeat them -- and with strong numbers all around, they did just that.

For the white team, the goal was simply to stay out of last place. With only two players left, Jillian Michaels' charges just couldn't take another loss. This week, they didn't have to.

That left Dolvett's reds in last place, and with no red line in sight for the first time this season, they had to vote one of their own out. It came down to the three players that only shed 2 pounds each -- Jackson, Lisa and Cate.

Despite her emotional breakdown and breakthrough, Cate was sent packing.

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"Biggest Loser" may not have contestants bullying each other this season, but the topic will come up from teen participants, from left, Lindsay, Sunny and Biingo. Trainers Dolvett Quince, Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper are pictured with the kids.

PASADENA, Calif. -- "The Biggest Loser" season 13 became pretty ugly at times last year, and it wasn't from the contestants vomiting due to exercising too hard. No, it was because of the bad behavior from several players -- most notably, Conda Britt -- who viewers and even trainer Bob Harper blasted as "bullies."

But all those verbal attacks, backstabbing, eye rolling and more from the past season? Don't expect to see that this time around.

"This season, we have not had any bullying," executive producer Dave Broome told The Clicker. "This is such a different cast this year. The tone of the show for us this season, we found very likable, rootable characters. We wanted to get back to that. We know our audience loves that, and that’s what we look hard for when we’re casting our people."

Finding a more likable group of players wasn't a reaction to viewer outcry from the past season, though, said executive producer Eden Gaha. "One of the things we’ve always known is (fans) love great characters, wonderful people to whom they can relate," he said. And not having two seasons in one calendar year helped with that process. "We had more time to find those people. And given that time, I think we’ve found the best cast we’ve had in a really long time." 

While there won't be any onscreen bullying, Broome said that doesn't mean the subject won't come up in season 14. Quite the opposite, as the topic will be addressed by the show's first ever group of teen participants, 13-year-olds Biingo and Lindsay, and 16-year-old Sunny.

"These kids are being bullied now," said Gaha. "They feel like for them, they have an opportunity really now to change the course of their lives from this point forward before it’s too late. I think they’re incredibly brave to put themselves out there and to stand up and be counted and to inspire other kids. These are three of the most brave kids I’ve ever seen."

"There’s several episodes where we actually talk about bullying, and they’re emotional. They’ll tear at you," said Broome. "And to hear it come out of the kids’ mouths and hear what they’ve been going through ... you can understand why they’re reaching out for help."

Also seemingly prevalent last season was quitting -- and the threat of quitting due to an "unfair" (read: well-known) twist. The season 14 premiere Sunday night featured one person who quickly threw in the towel and went home. With so many viewers who would love a shot at this sometimes life-saving opportunity, why don't producers just quickly send folks packing rather than reason with them, as they did when a group threatened to walk in 2012?

"Our job is always to try to help them understand they need to finish this process. Nobody’s trapped there. It’s not a prison. You can’t keep them there if they don’t want to stay," said Gaha. "And that was a unique circumstance whereby people felt like the rules were such that they didn’t want to be around anymore.

"Yes, they’re there for themselves but for every one contestant, there are tens of thousands of people at home saying, ‘That’s me up there.’ And so in many ways, you want to say to these contestants, ‘You owe it to yourself, yes, but you owe it to them out there because you’re their house, and that’s important.’ "

Broome knows it's upsetting for viewers to see people give up and it's tough for them to understand why anyone would give up such an opportunity. 

"I think we have an obligation to ... our fans, to our audience, to say, ‘Look, we want these people to stay in,’ " said Broome. "We tell these contestants on day one, ‘This is the hardest thing. You think what you watched on television is hard, you have no idea, because now you have to put the hard work in to get this done.’ "

"It is the opportunity of a lifetime, and it’s something I think these contestants don’t necessarily want to squander," said Gaha.

Are you glad there won't be any bullying among contestants this season? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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