'The Biggest Loser' Premiere: 'American Idol' Winner Ruben Studdard Weighs In (VIDEO)

An "American Idol" winner came back to try and win a very different reality show. "The Biggest Loser" returned for its 15th season, and along with it came the Velvet Teddy Bear, Ruben Studdard. Ruben won Season 2 of "Idol," and while he was heavy then, he said that he's never been as big as he is now. He weighed in at 462 pounds, making him the heaviest person on campus.

Later in the episode, Ruben sat down with trainer Dolvett Quince to talk about why he wanted to be on the show. "I just want to be Ruben Studdard. I’m tired of being ‘Big Ru,'" he said. "Since I was 11 years old, it’s always been B-I-G in front of my name. And my mama didn’t name me ‘Big.’”

He went on to say that he aspires to be one of the all-time great vocalists, and part of that is not having his career shortened by health issues. Dolvett told him it also required a tremendous amount of discipline and work, which happens to be the same formula for success on "The Biggest Loser."

Ruben was off to a solid start, dropping 21 pounds in his first week on the ranch. Entertainment Weekly's Jodi Walker was impressed with the singer for putting it all out there like this, as well as being "Loser's" first celebrity contestant.

Chatting with Zap2It, Ruben said that this show was the most difficult and most rewarding experience he's had in a long time, though it's not without its challenges. "I think the experience would be a lot easier if you were able to communicate with your loved ones, but it's part of the show that we aren't able to do that," he said. "That also gives us the ability to focus on the task at hand without interruption from outside distractions, whether they be work or family issues. I appreciate everything that I've learned, and I also appreciate the results thus far."

The competition will only get more difficult as "The Biggest Loser" progresses, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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