Fitness legend Susan Powter has broken her silence on the traumatic experience of hosting her own 1990s television programme, describing a behind-the-scenes environment she labels 'gross' and dominated by 'prehistoric' attitudes.
The Rise and Fall of a Fitness Empire
Following her meteoric rise to fame with the infomercial 'Stop The Insanity!', Susan Powter was handed her own syndicated talk show in 1994. The Susan Powter Show, broadcast on nearly 200 stations, was meant to be the pinnacle of her career, focusing on health and wellness. However, the 68-year-old has now revealed it was a personal and professional nightmare that coincided with the collapse of her million-dollar fitness empire.
In a recent interview, Powter did not hold back. "I did that horrifying show for the length of my contract," she stated. "I said, 'I hate it, I hate the show. It has nothing to do with me, I've done it.'" Despite the show's outward success, Powter's financial troubles led to bankruptcy in 1995, forcing her to walk away from the platform she had built.
A Toxic Environment and 'Prehistoric' Attitudes
Powter paints a damning picture of the show's production culture. She claims the team, comprised of "white men," was "prehistoric" and "had no idea about women's anything," a stark contradiction for a programme aimed at female audiences interested in health.
The environment, she alleges, was profoundly unprofessional. Powter recalled one unnamed staff member who "grabbed everyone's ass that walked by," contributing to what she summarised as a "gross" atmosphere. She expressed frustration at trying to work with producers to salvage the programme, a job she had never quit before, but ultimately found every segment unbearable. "It was my f***ing show. There wasn't a segment on that show I didn't hate," she confessed.
From National Bestseller to Gig Economy
At the height of her fame, Powter was a multi-hyphenate success. She ran her own aerobics centre in Dallas, Texas, and her first book became a national bestseller in its first week. However, a combination of bad business deals and crippling legal fees dismantled her empire.
Today, the 90s icon's life looks markedly different. She now works as an Uber Eats driver to make ends meet. Her dramatic journey from wellness guru to gig economy worker is chronicled in her 2025 documentary, Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis.
The story of Susan Powter serves as a cautionary tale of rapid fame, the perils of the entertainment industry, and the fragile nature of celebrity-built business ventures.
