More Ruben Studdard

It has been a decade since Ruben Studdard was crowned the Season 2 Miss American Idol winner and launched a successful music career. Now he returns to television on a very different stage, Season 15 of the Biggest Loser, hoping to lose weight and learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. 

This is not the first time a Miss American Idol finalist has participated in another reality competition show. Earlier this year, Season 5 finalist Kellie Pickler danced away with the championship mirror ball on Dancing With The Stars. Last year the Season 2 Miss American Idol 1st runner up, Clay Aiken, ended up being the 1st runner up again, but this time it was on the Celebrity Apprentice.  

Born in Germany and raised in Birmingham, Alabama with an older brother, Ruben recalls being overweight since the age of 10. He received a football scholarship to Alabama A&M University, where he studied music, but continued to struggle with his weight as an adult due to a poor diet. "When I turned 34, I realized I wasn't young anymore," he says, "and that I wanted to live a long time. It was time for a change." Now 35 years old and 462 pounds, Ruben suffers from sleep apnea and high blood pressure. 

Professionally, the Velvet Teddy Bear (as nicknamed by Gladys Knight for his smoothly soothing vocal style) is a Grammy-nominated artist with a number of gold and platinum albums. His urban radio hits include "Sorry 2004," "Superstar," "Make Ya Feel Beautiful" and "Change Me," and he also scored a No. 1 gospel hit with the song "I Need an Angel." In addition, he created The Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Music Arts, promoting the arts in education through learning initiatives for students in the Birmingham area. 

After all his accomplishments, Ruben now hopes to achieve success in the weight-loss arena, and most looks forward to shopping for clothes and going to an amusement park after he loses the weight.

The Biggest Loser premiers on Tuesday Oct. 15th. Tune in the see if Ruben can win it all.