The Summit Australia 2023 finale has crowned its winners, in Isaac Compton, Lulu Hawton and Brooke Kilowsky. In an epic finale with plenty of twists and turns, the final three said goodbye to finalist Jans Andre at the final checkpoint — just 300 metres from the peak. But there were more twists to come.
The Summit Australia took the country by storm when it premiered, and what’s not to love? Channel 9 sent 14 strangers to the snowy mountains of New Zealand, stashed a million dollars in cash in their backpacks, and told them to get hiking. With just 14 days to complete the trek, our Trekkers were forced to make difficult decisions along the way. Some dipped out by choice, while others were cut loose by their peers.
What Happened In The Summit Finale?
Our final four had just under an hour to reach the summit, and they were on track to make their goal. But in the world of reality TV, nothing is simple, so of course, the Mountain’s Keeper made one final bag drop.
Lulu was the first to reach it. This gave her the power (and responsibility) to decide who to send home. With just 300 metres separating the Trekkers from their goal, tensions were running high, but in the end, Lulu chose to send Jans home.
From there, the final three — Brooke, Isaac and Lulu — continued their trek, and all three conquered the summit. With $490,000 left of the prize, the trio celebrated the massive accomplishment with the assumption that the prize would be split evenly amongst them. Of course, that wasn’t the case.
Host Jai Courtney had one final twist in store for the trekkers: the 11 eliminated contestants were going to be the ones to decide how much prize money each winner would claim. It was a grim realisation for our final three, who wondered if the eliminated Trekkers would come in bearing a grudge. Here’s how it played out for our winners.
Who Won The Summit Australia 2023?
Brooke
As a full-time mum, Brooke entered the competition excited to get to do something just for herself.
“I’ve never had an opportunity to go on an adventure like this,” she said in a press statement. “This is my time and I’ll take every moment and do the best job I can.”
Facing her fellow Trekkers, Brooke spoke from the heart. She recalled feeling socially isolated when she first arrived, and how she’s grateful for the bonds she’d made over the past 14 days.
Brooke said she was proud of the way she’d played the game, and backed her decisions. Her whole game was about trying to push herself to the end in the hopes of creating a better life for her and her children.
Some of the Trekkers weren’t completely swayed by Brooke’s pitch. Jacqui accused Brooke of using disrespectful language, but Alex and Jans supported Brooke.
Brooke ended her pitch on an emotional note that won a round of applause from her fellow Trekkers.
How Much Did Brooke Win?
The Trekkers awarded Brooke $150,000. Brooke burst into tears when she opened the bag, completely overcome with emotion.
“I’m just so overwhelmed right now… can I have a hug?” she asked Jai, who obliged.
“I’m in shock, I’m overwhelmed,” she said. “This amount of money is so much; it’s more than what I could’ve imagined.
“I’m just so happy, and I feel so grateful. I’m just over the moon right now. It’s just going to be so much, for me and my children.”
Isaac
When Isaac came into the competition, he said that his friendly nature would be an advantage in the competition, and it seems that was a bet that truly paid off.
“You’re going to need people to trust you and need people to get you to the top,” he explained. “You can’t do it by yourself, and I’m going to bring them in and then when I don’t need them, I’ll throw them away.”
He laughed.
“That’s so mean!” he added.
Facing the Trekkers, Isaac was quick to concede that he had blood on his hands from some of the choices he’d made along the way, but he hoped that the friendships he’d made along the way would remain intact beyond the competition.
Isaac also spoke about what the experience of The Summit had done to him. He said that it had helped him conquer his fears, and that he’d grown into a stronger person along the way.
How Much Did Isaac Win?
The Trekkers awarded Isaac a whopping $250,000 — the bulk of the prize money.
Completely bowled over by the grand gesture, Isaac became emotional, crying happy tears that soon turned to ecstatic laughter. He and Jai embraced as Isaac quite literally jumped for joy.
“Oh, that was worth everything,” Isaac said.
Immediately, Isaac noted that he could finally give his mum the new kitchen and roof that she deserved.
“I think my mum would be so proud of me right now. That’s a quarter of a million dollars!” he exclaimed in gleeful disbelief.
Isaac came into the competition scared of heights, and said that it had taken “every ounce of strength and willpower” he could muster to get to the end.
“It just goes to show that a smile and a little bit of kindness goes a long way,” he said.
“I didn’t have the stamina, the endurance, the six-pack — like, I’ve got a keg over here, look at me!” he laughed. “But it takes more than the physical to tackle something like The Summit. It takes heart, it takes soul, it takes a lot of love, and just… a lot of willpower to get to the top.
“I’m not the same person who started this trip 14 days ago,” he added. “I came in a little ugly duckling, and I’m walking out a black swan, baby! And $250,000 heavier!”
Lulu
A two-time world champion boxer, they call Lulu “Bang Bang Lulu” in the ring, and it was this tough, smiling assassin demeanour that she brought into the competition on The Summit.
“I become a smiling assassin because I’m still smiling at you while punching you in the face,” Lulu quipped in a press statement.
Over the course of the season, Lulu kept her eyes on the prize, and sent several Trekkers packing along the way.
As she came face-to-face with them in the finale, though, Lulu soon realised that the smiling assassin might not have so much to smile about, after all. Indy, Jans and Alex were all quick to tell Lulu how they felt about being cut from the mountain, and perhaps unsurprisingly, none of them were very happy about it.
Lulu was remorseful, and admitted she was “mortified” by some of the decisions she’d made in the game. She then reminded the Trekkers that although she is a two-time world champion boxer, her professional success has not led to immense financial security. She asked the Trekkers to keep that in mind, and pitched for them to split the prize evenly between the three finalists.
How Much Did Lulu Win?
The Trekkers awarded Lulu $90,000. While it was the smallest amount of prize money given, it’s certainly nothing to sneeze at, and Lulu was grateful.
“Ninety grand… that’s amazing,” she said. “I’m stoked. I’m grateful to have something to take home to my kids, and I’m super grateful for the whole experience, too. It’s been amazing, I’ve definitely gotten a thrill out of it, and I got to make some friends along the way.
“Perhaps it could’ve been split a little more equally,” she said. “But being able to take home this $90,000, to put a deposit on a house and give my children the security I never had — it’s what’s pushed me the whole way. To gain that prize?
“Perhaps it’s healing for me, as much as it’s providing for my children,” she said, tearfully.
And there you have it! The Summit Australia has come to an end for 2023. Missed an episode? The Summit Australia is streaming now on 9Now.
Want more of Channel 9’s The Summit? Read all our content here, and check out the links below.
- It’s Time to Meet the Cast of Channel 9’s ‘The Summit’
- Learn Every Detail About ‘The Summit’, Channel 9’s Buckwild New Series
- Former AFL Player Alex Is Ready to Take on Channel 9’s ‘The Summit’
- Dance Teacher Annikki Is Ready to Take on Channel 9’s ‘The Summit’
- Need to Know When ‘The Summit’ Is on? Here Are the Deets
- Brooke Is a Single Mum Who’s Ready for the Challenge of ‘The Summit’ 2023
- Kitty Is Ready to Show Everyone on ‘The Summit’ That Age Is Just a Number
- Gemma Won’t Let Anything Stop Her From Reaching ‘The Summit’
- Marine Scientist Indy Is Trading the Ocean for ‘The Summit’ 2023
- Isaac Is Ready to Charm the Trekkers on ‘The Summit Australia’ 2023
- Former Olympic Skier Jacqui Is Ready to Take on ‘The Summit Australia’ 2023
- Jans Is Ready to Test His Limits on ‘The Summit Australia’ 2023
- Josh Is Ready for Any Challenge ‘The Summit Australia’ Throws At Him
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.
