australian survivor heroes villains contestants george hayley shonee

Some Huge ‘Australian Survivor’ Icons Are Returning Next Season And I’m Salivating

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Survivors, ready! Oh, am I! Australian Survivor is gearing up to return in January and we’ve got a brand new theme.

Channel 10 has confirmed the show’s worst kept secret that the new season will bring back a popular US theme: Heroes V Villains. This is a perfect concept as it allows iconic players to return to the game while also introducing some new castaways, with half the newbies bringing angelic vibes and the others as devious and manipulative as all hell.

The upcoming season takes place in Samoa, marking a return to the location where the first Channel 10 season was held.

I. Can’t. Wait.

And if this wasn’t exciting enough, a few names have already been announced and they’re all absolute legends of the game.

Beginning with George Mladenov as a villain, he appeared on the Brains V Brawn season in 2021 where he became known for his political spin, finding idols just in time to save himself, and for his adoration of Macedonian Jesus.

George’s biggest rival in that season was Hayley Leake, as he came runner-up while she claimed the title of sole Survivor. And guess who else is back? Yep, Hayley will return to play another day.

Hayley will, of course, play as a hero. She was truly beloved during her season for her unrivalled social game, for being an endurance challenge beast, and for being the ultimate underdog.

And we’re not even done. Prepare yourselves for a literal icon of not just Australian Survivor, but Survivor globally.

She’s the unrivalled diva, she’s the queen of sarcasm, she’s the ultimate tribal council eye-roller, she will wear a red wrap every day of her Survivor journey, and look just fab doing it.

It’s Shonee Fairfax!!!!!!

But a villain? Umm, excuse me! Shonee is the hero of my goddamn heart.

For the uninitiated (I feel sorry for you), Shonee has already played this game twice. She made her memorable debut on Champions V Contenders in 2018, where she found a cult following for her red dress, her wholesome friendship with Fenella McGowan, and for basically making fun of all the terrible men on her tribe.

Shonee (and her red dress) returned for the following All Stars season in 2019, where once again she proved to not just be iconic but a force to be reckoned with in terms of her social game. WE LOVE SHONEE!!

To round out the cast announcement, an icon of AFL has also been revealed: Essendon legend David Zaharakis.

David will play as a hero, and stay tuned for more cast announcements which are expected to drop in the coming days.

Australian Survivor: Heroes V Villains will premiere in January 2023.