There was drama on the set of the show when celebrity contestant Kevin Federline – aka Britney Spears’ ex – was rushed to hospital after suffering chest pains while filming a challenge with an AFL team.

A shot of him en route to hospital, oxygen mask on his face, appeared in hundreds of newspapers across the world within 24 hours. Britain’s Daily Mail went one step further, snapping him in a Sydney supermarket the day after his release.

But while publicity is always welcome, the incident also brought out a string of health and fitness experts criticising the type of ‘‘crash dieting’’ celebrated in shows like Excess Baggage and The Biggest Loser. Apparently, it’s not recommended that you lose more than 50 kilograms in a couple of months by completing tasks and challenges that are completely unsustainable in the real world. Who knew?

Even if you missed the first week of the program, you should know what to expect. Eight celebrities (I use that word loosely – technically Beaconsfield miner Brant Webb isn’t a celebrity, and paparazzi man Darren Lyons is famous because he photographs famous people) are teamed with eight ‘‘everyday’’ Australians as they attempt to beat the bulge together.

In a way, it’s a great tourism campaign for Australia with the East Kimberley, Whitsundays and Victoria’s high country among the gorgeous backdrops for gruelling challenges. And you just know that each week there will be sweat, tears, inspirational music, motivational speeches and slo-mo. Plenty of slo-mo.

Of course, encouraging people to get fit is a good thing. If anybody who watches the program feels compelled to purchase a gym membership or make positive changes to their diet, the show has been worthwhile.