Australian Survivor: Brains vs Brawn has officially kicked off, as it seeks to settle the ultimate debate of whether it’s mind or muscles that are most valuable in an intense competition.
This year, thanks to COVID, the popular reality competition as filmed right here in Australia, meaning that the contestants are up against the Australian elements (and all of those creepy crawlies) in addition to the various challenges they must endure as they battle it out for $500,000 prize money.
The sixth season was being filmed in Cloncurry which is in northwest Queensland, so the castaways swapped the sweet sea breeze, sun-kissed sand and swaying palms of Fiji for the brutal Aussie outback.
Despite being situated about four million kilometres away from any beaches, the town does lie adjacent to the Cloncurry River, which probably explains why all the water challenges shown in the trailer don’t have the crystal clear waters we’ve come to expect from Survivor!
As for the climate that our players will be up against, the show has mostly been filming through autumn, so the days have all been a minimum of 31 degrees or above, and when you consider Queensland’s humidity and the fact that they’d be doing challenges in the blazing sun? Yikes!
Speaking to The Latch ahead of the season premiere of Survivor 2021, host Jonathan LaPaglia promised a more “bold and villainous game saying, “The one problem we have with our show is the length of it. I think it’s easier to play a big, bold game when the game is shorter.”
With the extra 11 days, LaPaglia said, the game becomes “more difficult, because the more times you pop your head up, the more people start to worry about you and the more they conspire to get rid of you”.
Speaking of getting rid of people, LaPaglia said, “Look, I think season one was a little hamstrung by the idea of mateship. It’s something that’s part of the Aussie culture, but it’ll only get you so far in the game of Survivor, because the name of the game is voting everyone else out, right?”
Right. So who has been voted out so far? Here’s the running list.
Phil — Brains
Read Phil’s exit chat: “I Wasn’t Thinking About the Game”: ‘Australian Survivor’s’ Phil On Where They Went Wrong
Janelle – Brawn
Read their exit chat: “You Don’t Stop Thinking”: ‘Australian Survivor’ Star Janelle on the Toughest Part of the Game
Gavin – Brawn
Read his exit chat: “It Felt Like Time Stood Still”: Gavin Wanganeen on His Shock Exit From ‘Australian Survivor’
Benny – Brawn
Mitch – Brains
Read his exit chat: “He’s Difficult to Enjoy the Company of”: ‘Survivor’s’ Dr Mitch on Why George Will Never Win
Joey – Brains
Read his exit chat: “Game Recognise Game”: ‘Australian Survivor’s’ Joey McCann on Hayley’s Flawless Strategy
Daini ‘Big D’ Tuiqere – Brains
Shannon — Brawn
Read her exit chat: “I Don’t Really Work in a Team”: ‘Australian Survivor’s’ Shannon on How She Would Have Thrived
Georgia – Brains
Rachel – Brains
Read her exit chat: “I’ve Had Some Pretty Tricky Stuff in My Life”: Rachel Downie on Prepping for ‘Survivor’
Simon – Brawn
Read his exit chat: “It Was So Clean and Impressive”: Simon from ‘Survivor Australia’ On Being Perfectly Blindsided
Kez
Chelsea (Withdrawn)
Baden
Read his exit chat here: ‘Australian Survivor’s’ Baden Cooke Says Flick Got the Immunity Idol Idea from Him
Gerald
Read his exit chat: “I Thought I Was Going to Die”: ‘Survivor’s’ Gerald on the Downside of Winning Reward
Laura
Read her exit chat: “I Ended Up Sleeping on the Floor!”: ‘Survivor’s’ Laura on Adjusting to the Jury Villa
Emmett
Andrew
Dani
Wai
Read her exit interview: Author Wai Chim Reveals How ‘Australian Survivor’ May Have Inspired Her Next Book
Cara
Read her exit chat: “Our Friendship Is Really Good”: ‘Survivor’s’ Cara on What Catch Ups With George Look Like Now
Flick
George
WINNER – HAYLEY
Read her winners chat: “We’re Planning a Wedding”: ‘Survivor’ Winner Hayley on How She’ll Spend Her Prize Money
Australian Survivor: Brains Vs. Brawn air Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays at 7.30pm on 10 and 10 Play on Demand.
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