Carrollton contestant storms the Biggest Loser ranch on season premiere

Plus, Jillian's back. That's just good TV, y'all.

The Biggest Loser is back next week with a two-night premiere, a twist to the usual format, and a Dallas-area contestant.

Alex Reid, 24, is a Prairie View A&M grad and legal assistant who hails from Carrollton. She’ll be competing on the weight-loss reality series against 14 other contestants for the grand prize of $250,000 (and a longer, healthier life).

“Definitely, it’s harmed me emotionally” being 240 pounds, Reid says in a video interview. “Being so young, there are a lot of things I want to experience, like even just going to the beach, that I just can’t do.”

According to her show bio, Reid was raised in North Carolina until moving to Texas when she was 14, following her parents’ divorce.

Now, for the twist: For the first time, the show will feature overweight children. They will not be competing against the adults and they won’t be weighed on camera; the show wants to keep the focus on the kids getting healthy “rather than numbers on a scale,” according to a press release. By featuring kids, the show aims to bring more attention to the issue of childhood obesity in the United States. The three teenagers will work at both the ranch and at home, and their progress will be featured in each episode.

The show’s two-night premiere on NBC begins Sunday, January 6 at 8 p.m., and continues Monday, January 6 at 9 p.m.

The greatest news about this season is that terrifying trainer Jillian Michaels is back. This is big, y’all. The show suffered greatly in the absence of her crazy, contestant-berating ways. She’s good television, period. Don’t believe me? Watch these highlights: