Alison Ann Sweeney (born September 19, 1976) is an American soap opera actress. She was born in Los Angeles, California. Her television debut was at age 5 in a Kodak advertisement. In the 1990s, Sweeney struggled with her weight. She eventually was a dress size 12, not obese by medical standards, but still quite larger than her television peers. In 2002, she appeared on a celebrity episode of the NBC reality game show Fear Factor. On February 25, 2005, Sweeney gave birth to a son Benjamin Edward Sanov at 10:30 AM. She now hosts the fifth season of The Biggest Loser. Sweeney replaced Caroline Rhea in the fourth season.