SURVIVAL GUIDE: Here’s The Standouts And Duds In This Year’s ‘Australian Survivor’
Over the weekend, we were hit with the full list of contestants for this year’s Australian Survivor and in the holy name of Jeff Probst, oh boy are we getting excited!
According to Channel Ten, there were 20,000 Aussies who applied for the chance to be starved, manipulated and tortured through physical activities over 55 days for the sake of our amusement.
They’ll be facing off for a $500k prize though, so it’s not all bad for whoever can go the distance. Host Jonathan LaPaglia and his sculptured guns also return, so that’s a bonus.
As the reality competitors get set to be marooned on a Samoan island, we’ve been sifting through the fresh bios from Network Ten, and it’s fair to say that we’re bracing for a smashing season of reality TV drama. On a closer look, we reckon these 11 standouts are the ones to watch this year.
We’ve selected the players out of the all the contenders that are the ones to watch:
The Game Player a.k.a Nick 2.0
Aaron ‘A.K.’
If the flat cap and fluro shirt didn’t give it away, AK is a Wedding DJ from South Australia (#gocrows). He’s a self-confessed reality television addict and sports fan, but don’t be mistaken, it sounds like he’s more the spectator type than a competitive athlete. Familiar with the reality TV machine, A.K admits he is playing to win, with his biggest fear as finishing up second – honestly mate, a good result is not going home first.
If he’s anything like Nick in the last season, he needs to avoid showing his overly competitive side too early in the game. Tbh, his whole bio is kinda cute and endearing. If he’s got any chance, we hope his loveable optimism shines through and he goes on to be everyone’s happy-go-lucky pal that sneakily goes the distance. Just be you A.K, just be you buddy.
The Underdog a.k.a Kristie 2.0
Anneliese
On face value Anneliese appears to be a young journalism student from Melbourne – boring. But under the surface she’s a Survivor superfan – you go gurrl. No doubt her obsessive understanding of the show will help her craft a strategic game plan. Anneliese plans to fly under the radar, a classic move. If she plays her cards right, she could be the next Kristie and win the whole damn thing.
The Mentalist
Adam
This 40 year-old from Queensland is an international poker player. He thinks that makes him a strategic mind reader and grants him the ability to read people and situations. Sure m8, that’s all well and good in the dark basements of Crown Casino, but let’s see how your card tricks translate to an unforgiving Samoan island.
In all fairness, if he can harness some of these skills and pull off anything similar to last season’s Matt, it might give him an upper hand to manipulate and bluff his team. If he reveals his profession, you can bet the other contestants will be keeping their cards close to their chests.
The Overestimated Player
Ziggy
As a former Olympian, Ziggy will immediately be the player everyone wants out of the competition. She’s a two-time Olympic athlete and two-time Olympic medallist, Ziggy represented Australia in water polo at the London and Rio Olympic Games, add to that she is also a former lifesaver and iron-woman. Ziggy will need to watch her back because she’ll be at the top of everyone’s list in tribal council early on in the game.
The Model Player
Sarah
Sarah has already carved up the modelling world after appearing on Aussie reality series ‘The Face’ (RIP). So when it comes to getting stranded on a Samoan island, the Western Australian is a solid strut off the cat walk. Since her background is far removed from the rough outdoors, her fellow competitors will most likely cast her aside as a non-threat and that could be handy.
Also watch out, Sarah’s claims she’s going to bust out all the “big moves” during her time on the island – which we presumes means upgrading from the standard ‘Blue Steel’ to ‘Magnum’.
The First To Go
Ben
Sorry Ben. You’re cooked buddy.
The fast food worker from Western Australia doesn’t have much chance of errr…surviving. He’s the youngest of this year’s contestants, still lives at home with his parents and describes himself as odd. These kind of quirky characters that don’t offer much value to the team are pretty quick to be voted out at tribal council. A+ for participation, at least you tried! Maybe you can start a fire with those curly tresses of yours.
The Manipulator
Henry
Henry’s game plan is a risky one. His intention from day one is to deceive everyone into thinking he’s a laid-back yoga instructor. This sneaky bloke is actually a labourer and a small business owner, so he’s crafty, good with his hands and entrepreneurial.
His tactic might mean cruising through without getting pigeonholed as the builder of the group, and therefore less of a threat. However, if the other players see through his unauthentic zen – the whole thing could unravel quickly and his whole team could turn on him.
The Underestimated Player
Jacqui
Jacqui might be 50-years-old and one of the older contestants on the show but like Sue last year, she might surprise the other players with her staying power. There’s more to Jacqui than meets the eye. She is extremely fit and is experienced at running, riding and surfing – so we hope she goes the distance.
The Extreme Sports Pro
Locky
This 27 year-old from Western Australia loves his extreme outdoors sports. He is an experienced cave diver, base jumper, mountaineer and athlete, making him a multi-talented asset to any team. He is a natural outside in the wilderness, which finds him in good stead to survive the harsh climate of the Samoan sun. He’s also nice to look at, so that’s extra points.
The Aussie Battler
Joan
Joan has been through more than her fair share of struggles. After falling pregnant at 16, she found herself temporarily homeless. The mum of three turned her life around and now runs ‘escape rooms’ with her partner. This means she’s experienced at solving large-scale problems under stress and has played her fair share of games and puzzles, which is perfect preparation for the world’s greatest game: Survivor.
The Military Vet
Mark W
This former special ops commander from Western Australia served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, East Timor and the Solomon Islands. The well-travelled soldier turned business consultant now lives in New York. He has a wealth of experience that will intimidate the other contestants, but will be a popular contribution to any team. That being said, he’s a huge threat, so he’ll be wanting to make an early alliance.
