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Aussies send Russell Hantz home on Survivor

How embarrassment. US reality villain goes home with an Immunity Idol around his neck.

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Australian Survivor dealt its first killer move last night after seasoned US Survivor villain Russell Hantz was sent packing, with an unused Immunity Idol around his neck.

Hantz, who has played the game three times in the Jeff Probst-hosted series, was part of the Champions team and suitably full of bragging. He found a hidden Immunity Idol on Day 1 of the competition and brazenly revealed it to his Aussie teammates. But it immediately turned them off his beachside manner.

When the Champions faced their first Tribal Council Hantz was so confident he had caused chaos amongst the team he let the vote proceed without playing his Idol.

Mistakenly, it resulted in a tie with Poker Player Jacqui, prompting a revote with neither able to cast a vote.

That was a window of opportunity for the Aussies to make their move on the brash American. The realisation on Hantz’s face that he was powerless to stop the runaway train spoke volumes.

While Hantz insists it was the right move but it just didn’t work, former Olympic gold medallist Shane Gould wisely noted, “Champions don’t define themselves by their success.”

20 Responses

  2. Maybe I’m reading too much into things – but I thought it was odd that Russells exit interview was in the daytime when everyone else’s is at night (US & AUS) after they are voted out………..

  3. I’ve never been much of a fan of Russell but would have liked to see him for a bit longer. Not till the end though. I was looking forward to his reaction to some of our Aussieisms.

  6. My feelings of Russell being in this season are well documented, but I’ll say this now. That made for brilliant Survivor television! The last three or four US seasons have taken at least until the merge for a ‘must watch’ episode, but Australian Survivor 3 is *Bam!* essential viewing from episode one, with an all time favourite episode in at episode two.

    1. Trouble is when a lot of big characters go early the late game risks becoming very boring (IIRC that’s what happened in the last season of US Survivor). I wouldn’t mind having some boring episodes up front if it means some of the non-players get weeded out and we’re left with interesting characters post-merge.

  7. Good. Hope we will never see him again in Survivor. I knew he wouldn’t last longer because of Australian women don’t take BS 🙂 He played exactly same game as previous seasons and he even worked on Monika, “another pageant girl”. I suspect Monika was invited just for him, but it backflipped on TEN 😉

  8. …but I heard there is a rumour of a (hidden) redemption island?
    btw does anyone know if all contestants in this season would get the same ‘stipend’ or do people like Hantz and athletes get recruited with a bonus? Just curious

      1. I would expect the celebs to get the prize at the end. The physics guy isn’t a “celeb” just a champion in his field. He reminds me of TBBT…LOL

          1. It’s champions v contenders, they are champions in their current fields. But everyone is calling them celebs

  10. Hmmmm call me a skeptic but it looked to me that he set it up so he would leave. He is wise enough to know that he had to play his idol to survive even though it ended up close in the first vote. Then again, he would’ve gone the next time anyway without it I guess. I was getting a little tired of seeing so much of him anyway. Gee they have picked some great players this season. Love Survivor !!

    2. I too thought it was a setup. There was no reason not to play his idol. He would have found it again. I have a feeling he was only contracted for a limited time.

    1. FanBl*tastic. Same here: now I can sit back, relax and enjoy my favorite reality show. And congrats to Shane Gould for her wise words. Disappointed in Damien. Sorry Russell, I guess (most of) us Australians are not as gullible as the average American player.

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