Australian Survivor 2019: meet the cast

Australian Survivor, hosted by Jonathan LaPaglia returns to 10 on Wednesday.

Filmed over 50 days in Fiji the full cast has now been confirmed:

Champions: Abbey Holmes; Anastasia Woolmer; Andrew Ettingshausen; David Genat; Janine Allis; Luke Toki; Nova Peris; Pia Miranda; Ross Clarke-Jones; Simon Black; Steven Bradbury and Susie Maroney.

Contenders: Andy Meldrum; Baden Gilbert; Casey Hawkins; Daisy Richardson; Hannah Pentreath; Harry Hills; John Eastoe; Laura Choong; Matt Farrelly; Samantha Schoers; Sarah Ayles and Shaun Hampson.

Awaiting the champion is a huge $500,000 prize.

 

Champions:

Abbey Holmes, 28, AFLW Premiership Winner
One of the biggest stars in Women’s AFL, Abbey has become a key figure in the AFLW following a huge season with the Adelaide Crows. The first woman to kick 100 goals in a season as a star forward and midfielder, Abbey is now a part of the Richmond Football Club and works as a football broadcaster. Starting out in the game with no female role models to look up to, Abbey understands the importance she and her teammates play in the eyes of young girls playing Aussie Rules and is passionate about raising them up.

Anastasia Woolmer, 42, Memory Champion
A memory athlete and two-time Australian Memory Champion, Anastasia is not someone who will be going under the radar. Leaving home at 15 to join the Australian Ballet School, Anastasia performed around the world in places like Norway, Sweden and USA which she also thinks will be an advantage in the game as it uses the same skills she needed as a ballerina both physically and mentally. Before getting into memory training, Anastasia got a finance degree and worked as a fixed income broker but her love for memory skills overtook and she started training to build her skills.

Andrew (ET) Ettingshausen, 53, NRL Legend
When you think of NRL, Andrew Ettingshausen (ET) is one of the biggest names in the sport’s recent history. Renowned as one of the best NRL players of our time, ET played 328 games for the Cronulla Sharks over 18 years. The longevity of his career and his contribution to the NRL has cemented his status as a legend of the game and was awarded the Daly M Centre of the Year Awardmin 1994 and 1996.

David Genat, 39, International Model
One of the world’s top male models, David has been a long-term Survivor fan but it was his friend and season two player, Sarah Tilleke, who helped convince him to give it a go. Starting his career in modelling following a $50 bet back in 2002, David saw an ad for a modelling TV series and decided to apply and ended up winning. Since then he’s appeared in magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair, photographed by the world’s most famous photographers and has also been the face of Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Mont Blanc.

Janine Ellis, 53, CEO Powerhouse
One of Australia’s leading Entrepreneurs and CEO’s, Janine is the founder of Boost Juice bars, which is now one of the largest juice bars in the world. With over 600 stores in 15 countries, the iconic brand has secured Janine a spot in the list of top Aussie businesses. Her overall company, Retail Zoo, has over 7000 people working across four businesses. Before getting into business, Janine was a nanny and a yacht stewardess but her eye for business became unstoppable and with her husband, Janine launched Boost in 2000.

Luke Toki, 33 People’s Champion
The King of the Jungle is back baby! Luke, the fan favourite and Season 2 mastermind is back on the island and ready to claim his crown. The loveable prankster and trouble maker has returned as a Champion and is ready to fight back hoping to take out the title of Sole Survivor saying; “I really believe I have the tools to win. I am willing to die out here to win, haha.”

Nova Perris, 48, Former Politician and Olympian
There’s not a lot of people who have as many monumental firsts in their life like Nova. She was the first Indigenous Australian as well as the first Territorian to win a Gold Medal for Hockey. She’s the only person to ever make back to back Olympic finals in two different sports. And was the first Indigenous Australian to be elected to the Commonwealth Parliament. Nova has also been awarded Young Australian of the Year and received a medal of the Order of Australia, making her Nova Peris OAM.

Pia Miranda, 45, Leading Actor
One of Australia’s most loved actresses, Pia has been acting for over 20 years in film, theatre and TV. Originally a ballet dancer, Pia moved into acting as a teenager and has appeared on shows like Neighbours, The Secret Life of Us, Wentworth and Sea Patrol but is best known for her leading role in the cult Australian film, Looking For Alibrandi. Winning an AFI Award for Best Lead Actress for the film, Pia has also been in theatre productions for Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Ensemble Theatre and Glen St Theatre.

Ross Clarke-Jones, 53, Big Wave Surfer
If you look up hell raiser in the dictionary, no doubt there would be a picture of Ross. A
legendary big wave surfer, he is one of the most iconic surfers to catch waves over 80 feet high. Known as Mad Dog, Ross has a need for speed in all things action. Making his name as a big wave surfer at the 1986 Billabong Pro, Ross went on to spend another 12 years on the ASP World Tour. In 2001, he became the first Australian surfer (and first non-Hawaiian) to win the prestigious Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau. Then in 2016, he took second place at the elite big wave competition now known as The Eddie, the world’s most renowned big wave surfing competition.

Simon, 39, AFL Superstar
A standout AFL player in the Brisbane Lion’s AFL club history, Simon is a BrownlowMedallist, a three-time premiership player and recipient of the Norm Smith Medal. Father of three from Brisbane, he is also the Director of Coaching at the Australian Rules Academy and the founder and ambassador for his own Simon Black Australian Rules Academy, which is part football and part academic and has programs in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Steven Bradbury, 45, Olympic Gold Medalist
Not many people have a phrase named after them in the Australian National Dictionary, but ‘Doing a Bradbury’ has become part of the country’s vernacular. Steven is a former short track speed skater and four-time Olympian. He’s most famous for his Gold Medal win at the 2002 Winter Olympics after his four opponents all collided, leaving him to skate to victory making Steven something of a folk hero and the story of the underdog who never gave up. Aside from his victories, Steven is also known for some horrific injuries over his 20-year career. In 1994, he was impaled on another skater’s blade losing four litres of blood in 60 seconds and requiring 111 stitches and 18 months’ recovery time. Then in 2000, he crashed into a barrier during training and broke his neck.

Susie Maroney, 44, Marathon Swimmer
The most highly decorated long-distance swimmer in Australian history, Susie knows how to stay strong mentally and how important endurance is to win a game like Survivor. Growing up with asthma, her mother got Susie and her siblings into swimming to build up their lung capacity which led to a huge career in marathon swimming. Most famous for her 1999 swim from Mexico to Cuba, the world’s longest open water swim, Susie completed the 200km swim in 38 hours, a feat no one has done since.

Contenders:

Andy Meldrum, 47, Marketing Executive
An advertising and marketing executive, there’s no one more ready to play the game of Survivor than Andy. As the ultimate fan of the show, Andy doesn’t just want to win, he wants to win big as the most memorable villain Survivor has ever seen. Working everywhere from Australia to London and New York, Andy has also played poker professionally for four years and knows exactly how to read people. Not one to be intimidated, Andy is hoping the Champions tribe will be full of arrogant players with no idea how to play the game .

Baden Gilbert, 23, Student
Highly intelligent and a little bit awkward, Baden lives and breathes science while studying his PhD in physics. While that’s not usually one of the strongest skill sets needed on Survivor, he’s hoping that he can find a middle ground to bond with people. At first glance, Baden expects that his fellow contestants will misjudge him for being weak but as a former surf lifesaver, he’s ready to show them what he’s made of. A true underdog of the series, Baden is hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year’s science genius, Sam and make it to Jury Villa.

Casey Hawkins, 30, Educator
Self-described “creative, courageous, stubborn, spontaneous and a dreamer,” Casey is a traveller and educator who loves to push herself to the limits. For the past two years, Casey has been travelling around to remote communities across Australia, educating kids about creative writing. Finding discomfort when things are too comfortable, Casey sees Survivor as the ultimate challenge.

Daisy Richardson, 24, Travel Agent
Daisy is a classic Aussie country woman. Raised in outback Western Queensland on her parents’ cattle station in a town of just 500 people, she was sent to boarding school as a child. Moving away from her family and into a world of new people and learning to adapt is one reason Daisy thinks she’s got what it takes to win Survivor. “Boarding school massively shaped who I am as a person and gave me resilience at a really young age.

Hannah Pentreath, 27, Police Officer
Hannah is the first to admit her fellow contestants will put her in the “dumb blonde” category, which is exactly how she plans to outwit them all. Going into her tribe pretending to be a hairdresser, Hannah is planning to fly under the radar for as long possible. As a police officer, Hannah is used to being out of her comfort zone, pushed to her limits and is physically ready to face any of the challenges head on.

Harry Hills, 29, Ice Cream Maker
Harry is an ice cream making Dietitian who has dreamed of taking out the title of Sole Survivor for over 15 years. As a kid, Harry and his friends would make up their own version of Survivor, building challenges and putting their strengths to the test which inspired him to apply for the real deal. Cheeky and fun, Harry is planning to actively undermine his opponents and play a loveable villain.

John Eastoe, 28, Gold Miner
Looking like he’s fresh off the set of a VB commercial, John is the ultimate Aussie larrakin. A gold miner from Western Australia, John is tough and determined but is also a bloke who just wants to have a good time. Hoping these characteristics will help him in the game, John is not a superfan of the show but thinks he’s still got what it takes. Raised by a single mum and his grandmother in Footscray, Victoria and moved to Kalgoorlie to make money in the mining industry. John’s distinctive mullet now has a permanent curl to it after he dressed as Cher for a local charity night and got a perm that hasn’t grown out.

Laura Choong, 31, Digital Marketing Executive
Small in stature but not in personality, Laura may only be four foot nine inches but she won’t go unnoticed. Describing herself as “a Chihuahua that thinks she’s a Rottweiler,” Laura has been underestimated a lot in her life and is ready to take on Survivor to prove she’s got what it takes. Not a fan of creepy crawlies or the dark, Laura isn’t going to let her fears stand in her way of becoming Sole Survivor.

Matt Farrelly, 29, Highschool Teacher/ Pro Wrestler
With two very strong sides to his personality, Matt is a humble History teacher by day and by night, a hard talking, arrogant, pro wrestler under the alias of Matty Wahlberg. Strategic, cocky and a self-professed, “21st Century Success Story,” Matt has applied for Survivor before but now has his moment taking on the Champions saying; “I’m an uncrowned Champion ready to prove myself.” While he might play hard on his pro wrestling persona, there’s a definite soft side to Matt who knows how to look after people and make them feel comfortable thanks to his teaching history. He’s also previously been a lifeguard at Disneyworld and a camp counsellor.

Sam Schoers, 30, VIP Gaming Manager
A former flight attendant on private jets and now a VIP Gaming Manager for the country’s biggest casinos, Sam is responsible for the biggest players and making sure they are looked after. So if there’s anything Sam knows, it’s how to socialise and win people over. No stranger to TV, Sam came second in The Amazing Race but it’s Survivor that’s top of her bucket list. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of two of her favourite players, Sarah from season two and Shonee from last year’s Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders, Sam hopes other players will underestimate her.

Sarah Ayles, 45, Cleaner
Ready to do it for all the mums out there, Sarah is a cleaner from South Australia and a real-life Survivor. In 2004, Sarah survived the Boxing Day tsunami while in Sri Lanka. Not knowing
what was happening until it was too late, she jumped off a balcony and was dragged 800 metres away trying to hold on to anything she could. She eventually was grabbed and pulled onto a roof.

Shaun Hampson, 31, Retired AFL player
A former AFL player who played 98 games over a 12-year career with Carlton and Richmond Football Clubs, Shaun doesn’t feel like he ever really made it with his AFL career due to injuries that forced him into an early retirement. Two games short of 100, Shaun was devastated to watch from the sideline as his team took out the 2017 premiership. But all his training and career goals have instilled in him the drive to take on Survivor, which has been a dream of his since he was 12.

Wednesday, 24 July at 7.30pm on 10.