It's not like TV channels today are devoid of reality shows. In fact, we have so many that the concepts are becoming quite redundant. It took a lot of courage for Fitness First to launch yet another reality TV show in the Asian market.
Titled Fit For Fashion, the show features 12 contestants selected from across the world, mostly Asian countries. They will face a series of physical challenge and will be styled by professional make-up artists and stylists to make them "fit for fashion". The winner will take home US$100,000 (3.2 million baht).
Mark Buchanan, managing director of Fitness First Thailand, said that Fitness First has invested about $12 million into this one-of-a-kind programme, which fuses fitness with fashion and is part of the British government's "GREAT Campaign", which promotes the UK internationally as a place to visit, study and do business. "Fit For Fashion is something we've been involved in from the onset. Basically, it's a new reality TV show that's designed to inspire people to have a healthier, fitter and happier life through more approachable means," Buchanan said of the show, which will premiere on Star World on Thursday.
To ensure the show's popularity, Fitness First partnered with Imaging Group, which has produced successful TV shows such as The Contender Asia, The Biggest Loser Asia and The Challenger.
The show will be filmed on location at the luxurious Tanjung Jara Resort in Malaysia. Two celebrity trainers — Christine Bullock and Mitch Chilson — will help guide the contestants. In each episode, celebrity photographer Todd Anthony Tyler will bring out the best in each contestant through his photos. Riaz Mehta, president and founder of Imagine Group Entertainment, said the contestants were chosen based on their physical and mental readiness to take on such a challenge. Being on the show means they will be cut off from the outside world to focus on themselves. No phone, no television, no newspaper — just plenty of time for exercise and self-improvement. The chosen contestants are not incredibly out-of-shape or unfit.
They are just ordinary people who want to better themselves. They range from a 37-year-old, heavy-smoking workaholic to a 19-year-old fine arts student.
"The series is groundbreaking in many ways. It is a unique combination of fitness, fashion and reality TV that not only entertains but also educates the audience. The show has a powerful online and on ground campaign led by Fitness First, which will help everyone watching the show achieve their personal goals," Mehta said.
The 10-episode series will take the audience on a journey packed with exercise tips, nutritional knowledge and style guides. With each passing week, there will be inspirational stories that unfold as the contestants transform and motivate the audience to get more active.
For the fashion aspect, only British brands are featured on this show, thanks to its association with the GREAT Campaign. Participating fashion labels include Reebok, Clarks and Ted Baker.
Marcus Winsley, director of trade and investment, British Embassy Bangkok, said the show is a great way of showing the world the British offer, created by a British company such as Fitness First.
"We live in a world where we spend a lot of time on phones, in front of computer screens, watching television. The chance to pick ourselves up and go do something active is an opportunity we have to take.
"What Fitness First does is to transform the lives of people. It's happened in the UK, in Europe, and now it's happening in Asia," said Winsley.
Inspired by this upcoming series, the British Embassy in Thailand is planning to organise activities and partnerships to promote British brands in Thailand, focusing on retail.
"One of the key things we want to do is to work alongside the programme and focus on retail and fashion in order to bring some of the wider aspects of the British offer to Thailand.
"We plan to run a shopping competition. We've been in discussion with some shopping malls and we will now reach about to the major British retailers. What we would like to do is to have a month where we encourage people to buy British products. That will give them entry to the competition. The winners will have a dream trip to the UK," he said.
