Parvati, who’s played four seasons of Survivor US, gushed about Jonathan as a host in an interview with Chattr.
“It was fun to play with because the host is part of the game. They influence the game. They become part of the game. He was fun to banter with on challenges, and he held my torch when I needed his help. He was very supportive,” she laughed, referring to a moment where she asked the host to host her fire torch as she retrieved an Immunity Idol at the end of one of the Tribal Councils.
“I really appreciated that he gave us contestants, space at Tribal Council to run it like he wasn’t trying to control tribal or make it about him in any way. He really just offered us the platform, asked us questions, and then let us run with it, and that was so nice. It really felt like I was running Tribal Council a lot, and I loved that, because I was like, This is my game. And that was fun for me. So I wish him all the best,” she added.
Australian Survivor All Stars winner David is stepping up to the hosting role starting with the 2026 season. He and Parvati built a close relationship when they competed onDeal or No Deal Island Season 2 together, but he was eliminated before the Survivor: Australia v The World merge, and they weren’t able to play together.
David, Parvati and Dickson on Deal or No Deal Island. Image: Ten.
Reflecting on David’s new gig, Parvati said she thinks he will do a great job as host.
“I think he’s had a really incredible run, and I’m excited to see David take the torch, because we’ve never seen a contestant post Survivor, and the experience of playing Survivor is very unique and specific, and if you’ve never done it, you don’t know what it’s like. So I think David, with his experience having played the game, is really in a good position to step into that role and make it something beyond anything we’ve ever seen before.”
When will David Genat take over as host of Australian Survivor?
While rumours about David taking over from Jonthan started surfacing in June, it was officially confirmed on August 18, when he confirmed it in a joint post with the official Survivor Instagram account — shared just after his elimination from Survivor: Australia v The World.
“I have so much respect for Australian Survivor. This game has changed my life. I love the players, I love the community of fans, and I love the crew who make it happen. As the new host of Australian Survivor, I won’t let you down,” his post read.
David shared a follow-up post, which confirmed that he’s already begun filming Australian Survivor 2026: Redemption.
“We are on!!! Australian Survivor REDEMPTION is underway!! It’s gonna be a banger!!! Big love to you all from Samoa,” he captioned the clip
While there isn’t much official information about the upcoming season, it’s speculated that there will be four returning players, Simon Mee, Brooke Jowett, Harry Hills and Mark Warnock, who will be team captains championing some new faces.
However, the two-time Survivor winner tells Chattr there was one hidden detail from Final Tribal Council that fans wouldn’t have noticed.
“I was so nervous, I was trembling,” Parvati recalls, talking about her Final Tribal Council speech. “It’s the scariest thing, I am like, terrified of doing speeches, because I always feel like I’m gonna forget what I want to say.”
The Survivor: Australia v The World player knew she could hold her own when being interrogated by the Jury, but public speaking isn’t her forte.
“I was like, alright, I’m good once I get my speech done, I’m smooth sailing. But oh my god, I was so nervous about that Final Tribal Speech,” she explains. “It was so scary. The hardest part for me.”
Prior to the Final Tribal Council, Parvati actually spent all day practising what she was going to say to the Jury.
“I took it so seriously, because I knew Luke [Toki] and Janine [Allis] were taking it really seriously,” Parvati says.
“Janine is a freaking professional keynote speaker, and Luke has such a way with the Jury. I thought, if I don’t come in really prepared, I could lose this in the final.”
Parvati after winning Survivor: Australia v The World. Image: 10
Was Parvati surprised by any of the Jury votes?
During the Final Tribal Council, Parvati was interrogated by Kirby Bentley and Tommi Mannisen, with Tommi repeatedly asking Parvati why she didn’t want to work with him.
So, she was surprised that he still voted for her to win over Luke and Janine.
“I honestly was shocked that I got Tommi’s vote. I thought he was mad at me for not playing with him,” Parvati spills. “I was like, oh, he’s gonna vote for Luke, and it’s probably gonna be a boys club. Usually the boys don’t vote for me.”
She adds she was “pleasantly surprised and delighted” by Tommi’s vote, which helped her win six out of seven Jury votes.
Considering this was Parvati’s final time playing Survivor, she sure went out on top. She’s a true Survivor queen.
You can stream Survivor: Australia v The World on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Parvati Shallow made history during Survivor: Australia v World, by becoming the third player to win twice. She’s a fan-favourite and known to many as the best Survivor player of all time — but there’s been some discourse online about whether Tony Vlachos, Sandra Diaz-Twine or Parvati deserve the ultimate crown.
Parvati tells Chattr she’s clearly the greatest two-time winner of all time, and her reasoning is sound.
“My legacy is inarguable, like I am the only person who’s been to the Final Tribal Council three times and won twice. How do you argue with that?” she asks.
Some people rank Tony or Sandra above her because she won one US season of Survivor and one season of Australian Survivor, rather than two US seasons. So, does it still count as winning twice?
“That’s actually crazy, of course it counts,” Parvati says, when hearing what fans have been debating online. “Australian Survivor is so hardcore, it’s actually what US Survivor used to be in its glory days.
“Australian Survivor is, as far as I’m concerned, the gold standard of Survivor, and we had an international cast of the bigger players Survivor has ever seen from any country in the history of Survivor. So that’s just silly, in my opinion.”
Cirie and Parvati. Image: Ten
Where do Parvati and Tony stand now?
Parvati and Tony are not only butting heads when it comes to declaring who is the best two-time Survivor winner of all time, but the pair also got a bit feisty on Survivor: Australia v The World.
After Tony was voted out, he shared a screenshot of Parvati voting him out and added his two cents, and Parvati commented on it, saying, “Did you even watch the episode?”
However, Parvati tells Chattr she doesn’t have any “bad blood” with Tony. “I don’t care. Tony is like a wild man. He’s crazy, so I have no bad blood with Tony,” she says.
“I don’t think he has any with me either. He’s moved on with his life, I’m sure.”
Whether you agree with Parvati or not, there’s no doubt her win on Survivor: Australia v The World has further cemented her already incredible Survivor legacy. If only she was coming back for Survivor 50!
You can stream Survivor: Australia v The World on Channel 10 and 10Play.
As David Genat put it, Survivor: Australia v The World is the Olympics of Survivor, and some of the world’s best players competed for the title.
Among them were previous winners Parvati Shallow, Tony Vlachos, David, Rob Bentele and Lisa Stanger. They were joined by other big names like Shonee Bowtell, who’s played the most days of Australian Survivor, and George Mladenov, who legitimately believes he’s the best player ever.
But with a cast this impressive, there was nowhere to hide, and big names were getting booted from the competition early on.
Unlike typical seasons of Australian Survivor — which are filmed over around 47 days — Australia v The World was a hard and fast version, and the entire instalment was shot in just 16 days and played out over 10 episodes.
Here’s everyone who’s left Survivor: Australia v The World.
Luke Toki
Luke reached his personal best on Australian Survivor by making it to the final three. After pitching his case to the jury, he only recieved one vote, which was from Sarah, with the rest of the jury voting for Parvati, who was crown the winner of Survivor: Australia v The World.
Janine Allis
Janine made it to the final three alongside Luke and Parvati and pitched her case to the jury. However, she received zero votes for the win.
Cirie Fields
Cirie’s fifth Survivor stint came to an end during the Survivor: Australia v The World finale during a fire challenge.
Because the final four vote was deadlocked at two for Cirie and two for Luke, the pair faced off in a fire-making challenge, where the first to burn through a piece of string would stay in the game and the loser would be sent home. After a close battle, it was Luke who broke the string, and Cirie was eliminated.
Shonee Bowtell
Shonee Bowtell on Survivor: Australia v The World. Image: Ten.
Australian Survivor‘s queen Shonee was sent home during the second last episode of Survivor: Australia v The World after every remaining cast member, aside from her and Cirie, had Immunity.
Luke, who won the Immunity Challenge, gave his protection to Janine, and both he and Parvati had an Idol in play. They each decided to play their own Idols for themselves, and Shonee was voted out unanimously.
She left with a new record to her name — reaching Merge more times than any other Australian Survivor player — adding to her existing title of most days played in the game.
Lisa Holmes
Lisa Holmes and Jonathan LaPaglia. Image: Ten.
Survivor: Australia v the World turned into Survivor: Australia v The US, when New ZealanderLisawas sent home during Episode 8.
Lisa’s elimination was hardly unexpected, after she volunteered to quit during Episode 7, and her strongest allies, Tommi and Kass, had their torches snuffed during the same instalment.
Lisa placed sixth, meaning the final five are Shonee, Luke, Janine, Parvati and Cirie.
Tommi Manninen
Tommi. Image: Ten.
The dramatic Tribal wasn’t over after Kassandre’s elimination. All the remaining contestants took part in an Immunity Challenge at Tribal Council, which Luke won.
At Tribal, it became clear that both Tommi and Lisa had a target on their backs, and Lisa even offered to quit the game to save Tommi. However, Jonathan said that if Lisa were to leave, she would miss out on being a part of the jury, and someone would still be eliminated that night, so she decided to stay.
Tommi received a unanimous vote against him, and he was sent to the Jury.
Kassandre Bastarache
Kassandre. Image: Ten.
After Tommi tried to get the international players to team up with the Australians and take out Parvati, the World tribe was in ruins. Parvati baited Kassandre into not playing her Idol for herself after reading out her steal-an-idol advantage, and the SurvivorQuebec castaway was eliminated from the game.
Kirby Bentley
Kirby’s elimination. Image: Ten
Kirby was blindsided at Tribal Council after her “ride-or-die” alliance with Parvati turned out to be all smoke and mirrors. After Janine went on a mission to convince the Tribe that Kirby was the biggest threat, Parvati briefly considered using her Immunity Idol to save Kirby, but ultimately decided against it.
Kirby was convinced the boot would be Lisa, while Shonee and Luke were convinced it was Cirie, but the rest of the Tribe put their votes on Kirby.
“Oh man, I went back and forth so many times,” Parvati said. “But, in the end, my decision came down to the fact that you keep blindsiding the people you get closest to. I don’t want that to be me.”
While it looked like Kirby snubbed Parvati during Tribal Council, the contestant said that wasn’t the case at all. “On the day, we step away, and we’re still human, and we still are our own selves. So yeah, I’d like to think Parv and I are mates, and I think whoever voted me off, we’re still friends, I hope we are,” she told Chattr.
Sarah Tilleke
Sarah’s elimination. Image: Ten.
Sarah was the first Merge boot after both teams were united, and her initial ride-or-die Kirby turned against her.
While Kass and Janine both received votes at Tribal, a power alliance between Kirby, Shonee, Parvati, and Cirie saw Sarah receive enough to be eliminated.
“Sarah was very risky,” Kirby told Chattr of her choice to target Sarah. “I watched her behaviour, and it sometimes contradicted what she was saying to me on the Aussie tribe on the Aussie beach.”
She added that she caught wind of Sarah mentioning her name behind her back and said, from that point, the trust was lost.
“We weren’t really mending our ride or die relationship, and I was comparing it to Ri [Bowley] on my season. Ri just never did that. Ri could talk to whoever she wanted, and I never questioned her.”
Tony Vlachos
Tony getting his torch snuffed by Jonathan LaPaglia. Image: Ten.
Tony was backed into a corner during Episode 4 of Survivor: Australia v The World when the all women’s alliance of Parvati, Kassandre, Cirie and Lisa decided it was either him or Tommi being sent home.
Cirie and Parvati wanted to keep Tony, while Kassandre and Lisa fought for Tommi. However, Tony dug his own Survivor grave when he turned on Parvati during Tribal Council. He bluffed that he knew she had the key to a secret, powerful box (which she holds with her other alliance members), and she turned against him.
After his Hail Mary, it was a unanimous vote against Tony, and the two-time winner was eliminated from the game.
George Mladenov
George on Survivor. Image: Ten.
Shonee finally got her revenge on George after he flipped on her and voted her out during Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains. After an early target was placed on her back by Sarah, Shonee managed to flip the vote, and with hers, Sarah and Kirby’s votes, George was sent packing.
David Genat
David Genat on Survivor: Australia v The World. Image: Ten.
The first Australian scramble was chaos. The target was initially fixed firmly on David, with Kirby, George, Shonee and Sarah agreeing to vote for him. However, George ran to David to tell him about the plan and blamed Kirby.
David then switched the target back around to George and it seemed as though everyone was on board. But, Kirby changed it to David again during Tribal Council.
The first vote was a tie between David and George, but David’s fate was sealed during the revote and he was eliminated from Survivor: Australia v The World.
Rob Bentele
Rob on Australian Survivor. Image: Ten.
Rob Bentele entered Survivor: Australia v The World confident, in his first producer-led interview, he said that he was going to give the Australian Survivor players a “long overdue devil of a thrashing”.
Unfortunately for Rob, he never got the chance as he fell prey to Parvati — otherwise known as the Black Widow — who turned the World tribe on him after he tried to target her.
But, before Rob was voted out in an unanimous blindside, he managed to smear Parvati’s name, by revealing that she recently played Deal or No Deal Island with David, and pointed out that the two will work together if they make it post-merge.
In his post-elimination interview, Rob said he understood why he was targeted.
“[I was] a massive threat in the game, I was the only thing standing between them and the Australians, and now they will be sliced apart,” he said. “I truly thought they had brains in them to realise the only way to beat the Australians is to work together as a team.”
Survivor: Australia v The World airs at 7pm on Sundays, and 7:30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Not too long ago, Tropfestwas the beating heart of Aussie film culture, where thousands sprawled out on picnic blankets across Sydney’s parks to witness the launch of future screen legends.
And now, after six long years, Tropfest is back. Bigger, bolder, and set to transform Centennial Park on Sunday, 22 February 2026, into a storytelling playground once again.
At the official media launch at Centennial Park, the buzz was real. Tropfest founder John Polson, announced the exciting news with support from NSW Premier Chris Minns, Monique Macleod CommBank, YouTube, Managing Director and VP of Google Australia and New Zealand, Melanie Silva and film royalty George Miller, Bruna Papandrea, Bryan Brown, Robert Connolly and Nash Edgerton in attendance.
Tropfest 2026 is stacked with serious partner backing: Presenting Partner CommBank, Powered-by Partner YouTube, Official Airline Partner, Qantas, Media Supporting Partner Nine Entertainment and Official Venue Partner Greater Sydney Parklands with major backing from NSW Government.
“It’s been my dream for six long years to bring Tropfest back … We’re finally home,” said John Polson. “Our number one goal is to get Australia’s most talented, emerging filmmakers a level playing field … we can’t wait to see how they run with this year’s Signature Item: ‘Hourglass.’”
Chris Minns enthusiastically shared, “Sydney needs Tropfest. In 100 years, people won’t be reading our speeches — they’ll be watching the art, the films, the stories that capture who we are.”
And in a goosebump moment, none other than Martin Scorsese appeared in a surprise video endorsing the festival and encouraging aspiring filmmakers: “Go make it, creators. Your story belongs here.”
Aspiring filmmakers will be in the running to win a host of prizes, including a special Google tech bundle, and newly established CommBank-Tropfest Emerging Filmmakers Fund offering a jaw-dropping $100,000 in prize money:
For the first time ever, Tropfest will livestream globally via YouTube, with finalists screened in-person at Centennial Park and streamed to millions around the world.
Kicking off September 5, the “Trop ‘til You Drop” YouTube Marathon will stream 24/7 for two full weeks — showcasing decades of iconic Tropfest films, including many hidden gems from the vault.
YouTube will also launch the Creator Collective x Tropfest, offering free workshops for emerging filmmakers starting October.
From a TV in a Café to the World’s Largest Short Film Festival
John Polson shared with me that Tropfest started by accident. “I made a short film and couldn’t afford the thousand dollars to hire a cinema, so I asked the owner of Tropicana Café if I could put a TV in the corner. I thought maybe 20 people would come … 200 showed up. So I jumped on a chair and declared we were going to make a festival.”
Since those humble beginnings, Tropfest quickly grew to become the largest platform for short films in the world. Previously, audiences of around 100,000 have been recorded at the live events where 16 finalist films are screened to the public, making Tropfest one of the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest cultural icons. With broadcast and online audiences including the official Tropfest YouTube channel, this number has now swelled to millions across the globe.
Tropfest created a legacy that helped launch leading actors and directors working in Australia and internationally. The long list that John Polson is proud of includes Bruna Papandrea, Sam Worthington, Rebel Wilson, Robert Connolly, Joel and Nash Edgerton, Murray Bartlett, David Wenham, Emma Freeman, Alethea Jones, Genevieve Clay-Smith, Damon Gameau, Patrick Hughes, Abe Forsythe, Gregor Jordan, Adam Zwar, Jason Gann, Justin Kurzel, Mia Wasikowska, Xavier Samuel, Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer.
The support and involvement of film personalities has been a major drawcard of the festival since the beginning, with Australian and international celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Samuel L. Jackson, Baz Luhrmann, Keanu Reeves, George Miller AO, Ewan McGregor, Rose Byrne, Naomi Watts, Sam Neill and dozens more judging and supporting past Tropfests. The judging line-up for 2026 will be revealed soon.
Bryan Brown, John Polson, Monique Mcleod, John Polson, Peter V’landys and George Miller. Image: Supplied.
The Legends Share Their Connection to Tropfest
George Miller: “Way back I met John [Polson] because our offices used to be at Darlinghurst and everybody hung out at Tropicana Café. He asked me to go to the second one and I got hooked on the whole idea of making short films. It’s just great sitting in that audience … as the films come up you don’t know what you’re going to see. still remember Rust Bucket the short film that kicked off Robert Connolly’s career.
Brian Brown: “I was there at the first one back in Tropicana Café and at least three-quarters of them at different times since then. I did love the time that we sat in Victoria Street with a sheet up showing the films.” Brian has played a big part in helping John Polsonrelaunch Tropfest with fellow board members Peter V’lands and Sarah Murdoch.
Bruna Papandrea: “John Polson’s an old friend of mine. We’ve known each other since we were 17. I had a film in the second Tropfest that I co-directed and I’ve been a judge and supporter over the years and a lifelong fan. I feel very connected to it, and I’m very excited it’s back.”
Nash Edgerton: “Both Rob [Connoly] and I had films at Tropfest in 1997. We just made stuff with friends. It was the first time I’d ever been to the festival, and I pretty much went every year after that whenever I was in town.” Nash’s film Deadline won the Tropfest first prize in 1997, and his film Lucky won second prize in 2005.
Robert Connolly: “In 1997 at the beginning of our careers Nash [Edgerton] won, I came second. I hadn’t made any feature films … We couldn’t fund the film I was trying to get up so one weekend we said we should make something, and we made the short film.
Rob Carlton: Robert Connolly and Nash Edgerton pointed out Rob’s Carmichael and Shane which won Tropfest 2006 was a standout favourite for them. Rob featured his own twins in the film. ‘Well that is the most outstanding thing to hear from these two guys whom I know and admire so much”.
Beyond the Screening: Scholarships and Year-Round Impact
Tropfest is no longer just a night, it’s a year-round movement. Through the newly established Tropfest Foundation, led by Sarah Murdoch, Bryan Brown, Peter V’landys, Richard Weinberg, and John Polson, the festival will offer:
Workshops & masterclasses covering writing, production, AI and more
Runways – a 12-month scholarship for finalists
Tropfest Junior – returning in 2026 for under-15s
From a TV in a café to a global live stream backed by tech giants and Aussie icons — Tropfest has always been about one thing: Telling your story.
Tropfest 2026 isn’t just a comeback … it’s a revival of community, creativity, and cultural momentum.
Love Island Games is back for Season 2, and just like last time, a few familiar Aussies are tipped to join the fun.
Season 1 featured Aussies Callum and Jessica as OGs, with on-again-off-again winners Mitch and Tina stirring things up later in the season.
Now, with rumours swirling about the new line-up, it looks just as chaotic — with Mimi and Dylan among those speculated to be heading into the villa.
While nothing has been officially confirmed, Reddit sleuths are already spilling tea about who we can expect in Love Island Games Season 2.
Read on to see the rumoured Love Island Games Season 2 cast.
Love Island Australia
Love Island Australia is bringing the mess to Love Island Games. Mimiand Dylanwere coupled up in the Season 6 villa but decided to go their separate ways. Dylan went on to date one of Mimi’s besties for the rest of the season, but they rekindled their love post-show, which ended in another messy breakup.
Meanwhile, Em won the same season with reality TV regular Mercedes, but the pair split almost immediately after the finale was filmed.
Love Island France will again be part of Love Island Games. In season 1 we had Steph, who also appeared on Love Island Australia, this time Cindy and Edgar will be taking their shot at the games.
There are more than a few recognisable faces among the rumoured Love Island US line-up. Fresh from the most recent season are, apparently, Andreina, Chris and Bella-A.
Anne and Maree‘s Instant Restaurant on My Kitchen Rules 2025 (MKR) kicked off a bunch of drama, with Rielli jokingly pointing a butter knife towards Mel who got extremely upset. When it was Rielli and Michael‘s turn to host the contestants, Mel and her cousin Jacinta recounted the knife incident and played it up for the cameras.
Rielli tells Chattr that Mel had no reason to feel threatened at all, and believes it’s part of the cousins’ strategic play.
“If you look back at the clip, you can clearly see that the knife isn’t even pointing at them. It’s around the wrong way, it’s pointing at me,” Rielli says.
“I was clearly joking, and I don’t know, I just feel like they took it way too seriously, and it was definitely a strategic move.”
“I think that they’re just being drama queens for no reason and trying to put everyone against us, but hopefully everyone sees through them,” Michael says.
Mel and Jacinta on MKR 2025. Image: Seven
Are Jacinta and Mel the ‘villains’ of MKR 2025?
Rielli and Michael are diplomatic when Chattr asks if Jacinta and Mel are this year’s ‘villains’ on MKR, and warn viewers not to take things completely at face value. It’s reality TV, after all.
“True colours shine at the end of the day, I do feel like that,” Rielly says. “But I feel like everybody needs to take it with a grain of salt, because it’s a lot of pressure. It’s stressful. You’re tired, you sometimes say things you don’t mean.
“So I feel like on the TV show, they might come across as villainous, but I’m sure they’re not villainous people in real life.”
An upcoming preview for the next Instant Restaurant shows Mel and Jacinta dropping a bombshell about Maria and Bailey, so these controversial cousins are quickly making multiple enemies on the show.
How will this strategy play out, considering they need their fellow cooks to play nice and score them fairly when it’s their turn to host?
My Kitchen Rules (MKR) airs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7:30pm on Channel 7 and 7Plus.
While both shows are on Channel Nine, Dave tells Chattr his appearance wasn’t a publicity stunt or arranged by any producers.
“It was completely, completely random. The Caruso Brothers rang a friend of mine asking for a caulker. Anyway, they called me, not knowing who I was, and I just rocked up,” Dave says.
“It was funny, because I [saw] all the old producers from MAFS on that set, and you know, it’s quite emotional seeing the producers after a while, because you sort of have a connection with them as well.”
Dave worked on Sonny and Alicia‘s bathhouse room at Hepburn Springs, and the married couple shared a snap of the ex-MAFS contestant posing on site.
“We put a lot of time and effort into our bathhouse room at Hepburn Springs. We are beyond stoked with how it turned out,” Alicia and Sonny wrote on Instagram. “None of this is possible without our talented team of trades and suppliers.”
Dave on The Block. Image: Instagram
Did Dave give any of the contestants reality TV advice?
While Dave met a bunch of the contestants and described them as “really lovely”, he didn’t dish out any reality TV tips or tricks.
“I didn’t give anyone advice. Love advice is different from building bathrooms,” he jokes. “Not that I have any good advice to give, just don’t say I love you after three weeks.”
The renovation show is vastly different to the romance show Dave appeared on, and The Block seems more up his alley.
“Obviously, the set is a lot different to Married At First Sight, but I absolutely loved it,” Dave says. “Everyone was really nice, and I got to meet some of the contestants and their kids, who they hadn’t seen in over a month or two. So it was cool to see that.”
Could we see Dave competing on The Block in future? It would be great to see him back on reality TV again.
The Block 2025 airs on Sundays at 7:30pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
The claws are out on My Kitchen Rules 2025 (MKR), with Jacinta and Mel letting slip they were thinking of voting strategically during Rielli and Michael‘s Instant Restaurant, before scoring the couple a paltry four out of 10. While Rielli and Michael had some issues with their starter and main, their dessert was praised by the judges, with Colin Fassnidge awarding them a 10.
Rielli and Michael have beef with Jacinta and Mel, with Michael labelling them as “sooks” and Rielli jokingly pulling a butter knife on them. However, seeing the score of four come through was still a shock.
“I think Jacinta just really wants us out of the competition, and she’ll say anything to make our food and even us look bad. And I think she does it to try and sway the table to ultimately get us removed from the competition,” Rielli tells Chattr.
“Four was really harsh. I felt like we did not deserve four. Like, that’s well below average.”
Considering Mel and Jacinta’s Instant Restaurant is still to come, there’s a possibility that other teams could vote strategically and get revenge on the cousins. Rielli and Michael claim they won’t “stoop down to that level”, and plan on being fair.
“As much as I wanted to get revenge, I respect food too much,” Michael says. “Strategic scoring hurts my soul. I love food, and I feel like all of the food should be scored fairly. It doesn’t matter if you have beef with other teams, you’re on a cooking show, you score the food based on the food, not the people that are cooking it.”
Rielli adds that the couple want to win fairly, not because they’ve dunked on other teams. “If you can’t put the drama aside, you’re not on MKR for the right reasons. Ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s about the food and how you can cook, and what you plate up, and that’s what should be judged.
“We have definitely never strategically scored… if I’m going to win, I want to win where it’s based on good merits and it was warranted.”
The MKR cast during Rielli and Michael’s Instant Restaurant. Image: Seven
Did MKR’s Jacinta get caught in a lie?
When Jacinta was giving feedback on Rielli and Michael’s raspberry gel with chocolate dome dessert, she said that it wasn’t “rich” enough for her tastebuds and claimed not to enjoy it.
However, she previously mentioned at Anne and Maree‘s Instant Kitchen that she doesn’t enjoy finishing a meal that’s too heavy, decadent and rich.
“It’s not making sense… now it’s the other way around?” Rielli points out.
Michael says Jacinta is “constantly shifting the goalpost”, and it certainly seems like she has a grudge against this duo.
Will Jacinta and Mel score higher than Michael and Rielli when they finally put on their MKR aprons? That’s bound to be a fiery Instant Restaurant episode.
Watch My Kitchen Rules (MKR) 2025 on Channel 7 and 7Plus.
My Kitchen Rules2025(MKR) couple Rielli and Michael shocked Australia by serving a fine-dining dish consisting of buttered beef tongue and cabbage during their Instant Restaurant cook. However, two contestants were particularly irked — Mel and her vegetarian cousin Jacinta. Mel made comments about how she was “gagging” and “throwing up” when eating the dish, and Jacinta refused to touch the beef tongue.
Rielli and Michael tell Chattr they never expected to be cooking for “picky eaters” on a cooking show, and they believe Jacinta shouldn’t be competing on MKR.
“I do not think that vegetarians or vegans should be on MKR. I think that if they want to go on a cooking show, they should make MKR Vegetarian,” Michael explains. “This will sound crazy, but when I was growing up, I actually experimented with a lot of diets and I was vegetarian and I was also vegan, and then I just realised that I love meat, and meat [is] good for you.
“I’ve got the most utmost respect for anyone trying any diet out there. I just feel like, on a cooking competition, you should be trying the food that the people put their blood, sweat and tears into to prepare.”
Rielli agrees, and adds it can be “disheartening” when you spend hours cooking in the kitchen only to see fellow contestants not touching the final dish.
“Whether we want to admit it or not, it’s a cooking show, and if we’re not all eating the same thing, ultimately it’s not fair,” Rielli says. “I feel like there should be another version of MKR where it’s like MKR Vegetarian or MKR Vegan.”
Michael and Rielli’s Instant Restaurant. Image: Seven
Did Michael and Rielli expect backlash for their buttered beef tongue?
Michael and Rielli didn’t score well for their buttered beef tongue. While Michael cooked the cut of meat perfectly, it was lacking in flavour and depth, without any sauce. Nobody at the table enjoyed the dish, but Lol and Lil found it particularly hard to stomach.
This hit Michael and Rielli hard, because they had spent hours cooking for their Instant Restaurant challenge.
“I did not expect the backlash. I mean, we’re on a cooking show. I expected everyone on the show to be able to eat all foods. I didn’t think that I would have picky eaters on the show,” Michael tells us.
“Being a foodie myself, I absolutely love trying all different types of foods, and I always keep my mind open. But to have people going, ‘ew’, it was just really disheartening to see.”
Rielli admits that the pair thought about pairing the beef tongue with a sauce, but the couple were worried they would be accused of trying to hide the tongue amongst heavy flavours.
“If I put sauce [on] it, people would be like, ‘Oh, I couldn’t even taste the tongue’. I feel like we were damned if we did, damned if we don’t,” Rielli says. “I was [also] putting a lot of pressure on us to strive for perfection, and I feel like that really affected us and put me in a really bad mindset.”
The couple are the lowest on the MKR leaderboard at this stage, with a total of 65 out of 100. However, there are still three duos who are yet to cook in the Instant Restaurant challenge, so Michael and Rielli might still make it through this round.
Watch My Kitchen Rules (MKR) 2025 on Channel 7 and 7Plus.
The Survivor: Australia v The World finale is approaching, and it sounds like there will be a final three pitching their cases to the Jury, who will vote for the winner.
For the uninitiated, eliminated players form the jury. After being voted out, they still attend Tribal Councils and later question the finalists at the grand finale. With only four contenders left — Luke Toki, Parvati Shallow, Cirie Fields, and Janine Allis — the next elimination will be determined by a vote from the remaining castaways.
Traditionally, ahead of the finale castaways will usually vote out the person who could beat them in a pitch, and keep the less threatening players in the game — who are unofficially dubbed ‘goats’.
This season, all four players have some big moves on their resumes, so we asked a Survivor expert who they thought would be the least risky person to take through to the finale.
GlobalSurvivor podcast hostShannon Guss — known for her deep-dive interviews with eliminated Australian Survivor contestants — told Chattr she believes if Boost Juice owner Janine, whose net worth is estimated at $66 million, makes it to the final three, she will struggle to get jury votes.
“I never know if Janine is someone a jury would vote for. Her real-life success (and our national tall poppy syndrome) always taints her chances for me, much like it did for The White Lotus creator Mike White in the US. She also may seem to be a bit in Luke’s louder shadow – despite her fantastic work in rounds like the Kirby vote,” she told Chattr.
Janine on Survivor: Australia v The World. Image: Ten.Shannon with Australian Survivor’s Kirby. Image: Instagram.
Who does Shannon Guss think will win Survivor: Australia v The World
In line with most fans, Shannon points to Parvati as the standout player.
“Parvati has put on a masterclass, in contention for her best game of all time – and that’s a high bar,” she told Chattr.
“Coming in as a massive name and threat when so many titans left early, drawing allies toward her with her inimitable charisma and aura and pushing out the right threats at the right time – challenge beast Kass was the ideal target to get out of her way – has cemented this lofty praise.
“The cherry on top has been her quick thinking in a fast game. She bluffed her idol steal advantage to bend Kass’ idol play to her will and blindside her to the jury, in a move I’m sure we will talk about for many years to come.”
Parvati and Janine. Image: Ten.
Interestingly, Shannon pointed out that with such huge names on Survivor: Australia v The World, some of the players’ egos may be clouding their judgment of who to stand next to at the final Tribal Council.
“My theory is that some of the game’s biggest personalities who have never made it to Final Tribal Council, such as Luke, Shonee, Kirby, Janine or even Cirie, can’t imagine themselves losing at the end at all, something that is unlikely to have happened in any of their prior seasons. It’s an error I think they’ll pay for, in favour of the Black Widow,” she said.
“It has shocked me how many people are willing to sit with Parvati – a brave choice that I, myself, would not make. We have even seen Luke and Janine choose to go with her time and time again, without even attempting to take a shot at 7, 6 or 5.”
Bring on the Survivor: Australia v The World finale!
Survivor: Australia v The World airs at 7pm on Sundays, and 7:30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays on Channel 10 and 10Play.
Every My Kitchen Rules (MKR)season needs a controversial duo and this season it looks like Michael and Rielli are here to fill that void, dubbed as the “opinionated couple”.
Already Michael has taken that title and run with it, with the self-confessed ‘Meat-master’ making comments about Jacinta being in the competition because she doesn’t eat meat, and branding Lol and Lil the ‘Logan Bogans’.
So what else do we know about MKR’s controversial couple Michael and Rielli? Let’s dive in
Michael is a meat-loving civil engineer with a passion for self-improvement, while Rielli is a graphic designer with a playful energy and serious baking skills.
The couple have been together for five years, and met at a Santa Claus pub crawl. Rielli hopes to take out the MKR prize money and launch her own baking business.
The couple have already found themselves in controversy with fellow participants Jacinta and Mel, with Michael taking umbrage at the fact that Jacinta doesn’t eat meat, arguing that she shouldn’t be on the show.
“Are you kidding me? Why is she here?” he remarked in his piece-to-camera interview. “You can’t eat it, you can’t taste it, she’s not able to judge the dish.”
In episode two, tension continued to grow between the two teams, after Rielli pointed a butter knife at Mel during a back-and-forth debate, saying, “What are you gonna do bitch?”
Rielli pointing her butter knife at Mel. Image: Seven
Reilli was quick to call it a joke, but Mel felt differently, telling cameras she felt unsettled by the behaviour and that it had “crossed a line”.
Reilli later apologised, but Michael had already made things worse by calling Mel and Jacinta “sooks” for being upset.
With Michael and Rielli set to cook in tonight’s episode, we can only imagine the drama will continue to build! Stay tuned.
Who else is competing in MKR 2025?
There will be six teams competing in MKR 2025; best mates Justin and Will, mother-daughter duo Anne and Maree, feisty cousins Mel and Jacinta, ambitious friends Maria and Bailey, and lifelong besties Lol and Lil. Read more about them here.
My Kitchen Rules (MKR) airs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7:30pm on Channel 7 and 7Plus.
Robby and Mat found themselves in a tight spot on The Block 2025 this week, after they were informed that Emma and Ben from House 2 had taken some of their herringbone floorboards.
Robby was left with the tough spot of working with his tradies to figure out how to fix the problem, but what really happened? Did Emma and Ben steal their floorboards to sabotage Mat and Robby?
“Obviously, we ordered our floorboards a long time before, we knew we had enough, we actually over-ordered a little bit,” Robby tells Chattr. “Unfortunately, it just came down to poor communication from [the flooring] business.”
According to Robby and Mat, they knew House 2 was taking floorboards from them, but didn’t expect there to be a shortage.
“They ran out of floorboards, and were taking floorboards from us, but we were promised that we will have enough floorboards to finish the house,” Robby adds.
However, the pair believe it was the flooring company rather than Emma and Ben.
“They might take something in the future, but I’ll tell you what. What they’re taking this week might not be that big a deal,” Matt chimes in.
Why was it such a disaster for Robby and Mat to run out of floorboards?
During The Block episode, Robby chatted to the Flooring Xtra boss, who said the pair would put in a “breaker” if they ran out of timber.
However, Robby and Mat were furious at this idea.
“It would be disrespectful to the buyer,” Mat said. “Otherwise, as soon as you walk in, you’re gonna have a fat ugly beam, and you’re going to have herringbone going different higgledy-piggledy, it’s not a high-end, premium home then.”
Mat and Robby on The Block. Image: Nine
Robby expanded on this in our interview, saying: “We wanted to connect our lounge room, and then we wanted to flow into all the rooms that were floorboarded. And you don’t want to sort of start in the corner and work your way back to the living room.
“It needs to flow from the living room. So we knew from [the] start we were going to do that, and the Flooring Xtra team were aware of that.”
So much drama over some pieces of wood! That’s what The Block is all about.
The Block 2025 airs on Sundays at 7:30pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
While Robby’s family’s visit was beautiful, some viewers have questioned why the other contestants — like Sonny and Alicia, who have three kids, and Britt and Taz, who have two — weren’t extended the same courtesy.
“Why is one child allowed on set when the other two families can’t?” one person wrote on Facebook. Another commented, “Why is his family allowed to be there and no one else’s family is there?”
During an interview with Chattr, Robby explained that he was at breaking point missing his family, and The Block producers recognised how much he was battling, which is why they bought in Alyssa and Brooks.
“I was just really struggling to be honest. And the best thing about The Block and the people behind the scenes — you can see why it’s been a successful show for 21 seasons — is that they care. I was struggling, and I missed my son. I’m a new dad,” he said.
Robby, Alyssa and Brooks. Image: Nine.
“I felt bad for leaving Alyssa alone. She’s a new mum, and it’s always tough for her, and it put me in a situation where I was like, second-guessing, should I be here? And I just wanted to be around him. And the show said, ‘Tell you what, Rob, you say it, and we’ll get him here,’ and then they’re behind the scenes and worked it out, and he walked in, and I was very happy. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the experience much longer if I didn’t see him.”
Robby added that it was hard to put into words how he felt when Alyssa and Brooks walked into his and Mat’s half-finished kitchen and living room.
“It was one of those amazing moments,” he said. “Being away from him for a week before I went on the show — So it was about 45 days where I didn’t see him, and then for him to just walk in and see his little face, and it changed so much. I had no words. I was broken.”
“I was just so happy…Brooks is my screensaver, and I FaceTime every morning and every bath time, but to see him and have that reminder of this is why we’re here. I’m telling you right now, if we did not see Brooks and Alyssa on that Saturday, there is no way Mat and I would have got that room done.”
Mat praises The Block producers for prioritising contestants’ mental health
Mat pointed out that The Block producers and crew were constantly checking in with the contestants and making sure they were coping well.
“As Rob said, you can see why [the show has] lasted for so long, because it is a family on site, and yes, they’re there to make a TV show, but fucking hell, they looked after us like,” he told Chattr.
“We became a family very quickly, with all the people behind the scenes and that sort of stuff… We were made to feel loved and cared for and our mental health and our well being. And you know, with the fact that they brought Brooks and Alyssa in so Rob could keep going. It was just amazing.”
Have other families been bought in on The Block before?
It’s not a rare occurrence for The Block crew to bring in family members to help contestants who are having a rough time.
On The Block 2022, Tom & Sarah-Jane’s daughter Cleo was bought in for her first birthday after the couple had were struggling with the idea of missing out on it. More recently, Eliza recieved a surprise visit from her parents and other sister who greeted her after a challenge with a champagne shower for her birthday.
Tom and Sarah-Jane seeing their daughter. Image: Nine.
The Block 2021 saw visits from Tanya and Vito’s kids, and the 2020 season had George‘s parents surprise him during the painting week for an emotional boost.
Each season, The Block also sets aside a special day for family, friends — and sometimes even pets — to join the contestants for some fun on site.
The Block 2025 airs on Sundays at 7:30pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
After Han and Can were caught red-handed lying to Foreman Dan about washing their paint containers where they weren’t supposed to, some fans have called for the pair to be “canned” and kicked off The Block2025.
The ‘villains’ of The Block have been followed by controversy, from allegedly copying Alicia and Sonny‘s heated seat design, to refusing to join the other contestants for dinner. Over on Reddit, fans have been busy discussing whether Han and Can have been getting away scot-free with their crimes, and some believe they should be “disqualified”.
“I think they have been playing with a dodgy hand for the whole season, they should be gone,” one fan wrote. “They need to really go back to basics, hard enforcement of rules and focus on renovation.”
“I think they definitely should be disqualified for this week’s competition at least, and at the very least they should’ve been closed down for at least two hours like other people have been for less,” another added.
“Don’t know why there hasn’t been at least site shutdowns in response? After being caught out with clear footage and then called out for not owning up to it, she then reluctantly says she’ll own up to it… and says it’s the first time she’s been caught,” a third wrote.
Many fans believe that kicking Han and Can off The Block completely would be far too harsh.
“I’m certain they’re being edited poorly in comparison to others, to be the villains of this series…. they stupidly lied about cutting corners and washing some paintbrushes off into the dirt, but that’s hardly the crime of the century,” one person pointed out.
“[Kicking them off is] a little extreme. They are my least favourite couple by some way, but they haven’t done anything that warrants them being kicked off the show. They’ve ignored some direct instructions from Dan, but that happens every season,” another added.
“I don’t think they should be canned, there’s been previous contestants who have done worse and survived to the end of the show. But they should definitely get penalised in my opinion,” a third chimed in.
Han and Can on The Block. Image: Nine
Do Han and Can quit The Block 2025?
There have been some rumours swirling that Han and Can leave The Block early, but the pair’s interview with Chattr suggested they make it all the way to the end.
“We genuinely got along with everyone and see the cast as a little family. We even stayed together in an Airbnb after filming and got matching tattoos at the launch,” Can said.
“Later in the season, we became especially close with Sonny and Leesh. We supported each other through the highs and lows and built a bond based on genuine care.”
Love them or hate them, Han and Can are making sure The Block2025 is filled with drama — and isn’t that what reality TV is all about?
The Block 2025 airs on Sundays at 7:30pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Survivor New Zealand winner Lisa Holmes (nee Stanger) has provided plenty of entertainment on Survivor: Australia v The World. From trying to quit the show so Tommi Manninen could win for the international contingent, to getting emotional over Cirie Fields (she’s a superfan, didn’t you hear?) and finally letting her claws come out during a last-minute scramble, she certainly baffled fans with her odd strategy.
We finally have some inside intel about why she approached Survivor: Australia v The World in such a messy way, and it comes down to her win on Survivor New Zealand.
“I know Lisa a little in real life, being from her hometown. When she went on Survivor [New Zealand], she didn’t come in thinking she could win, but more for the experience… then she got to a point after merge where she realised that she could win against 99 per cent of people. Most of which were new to Survivor, weren’t strategic etc. Her only barrier was her closest ally. She blindsided her ally, without remorse, and went on to win,” the source spilled on Reddit.
“The problem was after her win she got a fair amount of hate from the casual NZ audience who are not Survivor literate, and just saw a nerdy weirdo snake win against people they believed were more physical or fan favourites.”
Survivor: Australia v The World’s Top 6. Image: 10
The insider went on to say they believe Lisa’s Survivor: Australia v The World gameplay was “shaped” by her past experience, and wanted to prove that she could be a loyal player.
“She came back wanting to redeem herself and for the experience of playing with big players. I think the second she saw Cirie on that beach… she realised she just wanted Cirie to win as a fan, her winning twice was less important than Cirie getting her deserved first win,” they added.
“We saw glimpses [in her boot episode] of how she could turn it on and be ruthless if she wanted to be. But I think her reactions to be called sketch really highlighted [that] her intentions [were] pure.”
Another Reddit user claiming to work with Lisa in New Zealand also jumped in and said she’s a “lovely” person.
Lisa’s wild pre-game Survivor: Australia v The World strategy
While it seemed like Lisa went into Survivor: Australia v The World relatively clueless and without much strategic prowess, in reality, she spent the months prior to landing in Samoa trying to lower her threat level.
A YouTube video titled “How Survivor New Zealand Was Almost RUINED (Before It Even Began)”, aimed at tearing down Lisa’s gameplay, was uploaded on September 11, 2024.
The YouTuber, Henry Hickman, has since revealed that Lisa asked him to create this video before she went on the show.
“This is a video Lisa requested I make in order to lower her threat level going into Survivor: Australia v The World. What an insane and wild life I live,” he wrote. “She is playing on levels other players can’t even conceive. She is mildly lucky to be friends with a random small-time Survivor YouTuber to put her plan into action.”
If only we were able to see more of this strategy play out on screen, but Lisa sure made this season extremely entertaining.
Survivor: Australia v The World airs at 7pm on Sundays, and 7:30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays on Channel 10 and 10Play.
My Kitchen Rules (MKR)fans have spotted a potential spoiler for the upcoming episodes, taking to social media to question if former controversial judge Pete Evans is making an appearance in the 2025 season.
“Have I gone mad or did Channel 7 just air an MKR ad with Pete Evans?” one person asked on Reddit, with others confirming they also spotted the former judge.
One person even uploaded some screenshots of the brief cameo.
Is Pete back on MKR? Image: Seven
“No way they are going to show Paleo Pete,” one fan said, with another rebutting, “Yes way, they definitely aired his mugshot… To the tune of Barry White’s ‘Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe’. 7+ live stream, could be regional (Wide Bay) or even more targeted, just to mess with my head.”
What happened with Pete Evans’ MKR role and why is he so controversial?
Pete served as a judge (and co-host alongside Manu Feildel) on My Kitchen Rules from its debut in 2010 up until 2020.
Manu and Pete were the original MKR judges and co-hosts. Image: Seven
In May 2020, Pete parted ways with the show and Channel Seven, after he had found himself in some previous controversies. Pete was fined $25,000 by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in April of the same year, after promoting a $15,000 BioCharger light device as a Covid-19 treatment.
He had also started vocally opposing COVID-19 vaccines, masks, and mainstream science and was being heavily criticised by the public. At the time, it was rumoured Pete was earning $800,000 a season for MKR.
Previous to leaving MKR and his stance on vaccines, Pete had already been a controversial figure within the Australian media industry. In 2014, the nickname ‘Paleo Pete’ took off when he became a high-profile champion of the paleo diet, publishing cookbooks and frequently advising people in interviews about the benefits of eliminating dairy, grains, and processed foods.
In 2015, he co-authored the cookbook Bubba Yum Yum, which included a DIY bone broth baby formula but the recipe was pulled before release due to health grounds. Pete continued to lean harder into paleo and alternative health messaging, giving him the seemingly permanent nickname of Paleo Pete.
Colin Fassnidge addresses Pete Evans
Previous to this season of MKR airing, Colin Fassnidge sat down with the Confessions of a Reality Star podcast and shed some insight into his relationship with Pete as well as if he ever thought Pete Evans could come back on MKR.
“Pete doesn’t need to do TV anymore,” Colin said. “I think Pete’s got to where everyone wants to get in life, he got there in a tough way, and he got cancelled, but whatever, I’m still friends with Pete. And I think Pete’s having a good old time on his farm up in Byron and he’s surfing and cooking. He’s not in the rat race.”
In a statement to Chattr, Channel Seven said any promo of Pete was an “error”. “I can confirm that Pete Evans is not returning to MKR and he did not appear in last night’s episode,” a representative for the show said.
My Kitchen Rules (MKR) airs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7:30pm on Channel 7 and 7Plus.
Survivor: Australia v The World has delivered shock early exits, denying some big names a spot in Jury Villa.
Typically, on Australian Survivor, the last ten remaining players are sent to the Jury Villa, where they will live together while the rest of the season is filmed and attend each Tribal Council. At the end of the season, those jury members vote for the winner.
Because Australia v The World is a shorter season, players started joining the jury immediately after Merge, meaning there will be six or seven players voting at the end — depending on whether the finale is made up of a final two or final three.
Read on to find out who’s in the Survivor: Australia v The World Jury Villa so far, and what they’re looking for in a winner.
Shonee Bowtell
Shonee. Image: Ten.
Aussie icon Shonee Bowtell missed out on a spot at Final Tribal Council again, after she struggled to find a footing in the game in the form of a number one ally.
Shonee predicts that Cirie could miss out on a spot in the Final 3, meaning Luke, Janine and Parvati will be sitting pretty at the end. “I think the game’s going to have to change because they’ve made a promise,” she told the Drop Your Buffs podcast. “Perhaps Janine and Cirie might go to a fire challenge, sending Cirie home.”
So, who will Shonee be voting for? “Definitely willing to hear what people are saying, but at the moment, I will be voting for Parvati,” she revealed. “And that would be iconic as well, because you know, she’s back in Samoa, like I feel like it would be a really full circle, healing moment for her.”
Lisa Holmes
Lisa. Image: ten.
Survivor New Zealand winner Lisa Holmes (nee Stanger) was added to the jury after her elimination during episode 8. It’s the first time Lisa’s weighed in on the final decision, considering she won her season with a vote of 4-3-0.
It sounds like if Cirie makes it to the finale, she’ll have Lisa’s vote.
“If Cirie wins, it might be better than me winning,” Lisa said in her Drop Your Buffs interview. “I know it’s a ridiculous thing to say, and maybe people don’t understand.”
“I absolutely loved her from her first season, and every time she’s come back, she’s managed to do magic. I’m a bit like her — she’s not like me — I’m a bit like her, we’re both not super physical, people underestimate us,” she explained.
Tommi Manninen
Tommi Manninen. Image: Ten.
Tommi Manninen was the fourth person to join the jury after receiving a unanimous vote against him during a double elimination episode.
During his Drop Your Buffs episode on 10Play, he said that despite not making any massive moves, Lisa has a slight chance of receiving Jury votes and winning the season if she makes it to the finale.
“Everyone loves underdogs, and Lisa is now the biggest underdog, so if she can pull some kind of miracle out of it and she’s going to be the one who is choosing someone to come with her to the final, then maybe, but it’s a big if,” he said.
Kassandre Bastarache
Kassandre Bastarache was the third person to join the Survivor: Australia v The World Jury after using her Immunity Idol to protect her alliance member, Lisa.
Kirby Bentley
Kirby on Survivor: Australia v The World. Image: Ten.
Kirby Bentleybecame the second castaway sent to the Survivor: Australia v The World Jury Villa, where she was joined by her former ride-or-die turned rival, Sarah — a pairing that likely made for an awkward stay.
During an interview with Chattr, Kirby said that as a jury member, she won’t hold any personal grudges and will vote for who she thinks has played the smartest.
“[I’m looking for the] best game, big moves, whatever that looks like. You’ve got big targets and if you can get through it without somebody mentioning your name, that’s an incredible achievement in itself. But yeah, no grudges.”
Sarah Tileke
Sarah on Survivor: Australia v The World. Image: Ten.
Sarah Tileke was the fifth person eliminated from Survivor: Australia v The World and the first jury member. During her Drop Your Buffs interview, Sarah said she already knows exactly what she’s looking for in a winner.
“What I want in a winner is what I was trying to set out to do at the start — not very well — but to set some rules. I want players to get to the end who had some rules for themselves set up at the start, and then I want to see how they really strategically stayed true to those initial kind of no-go zones, but then also played outside of the box, and didn’t just ride the easy vote to the end,” she said.
Who missed out on being part of the Australian Survivor Jury?
The first four players eliminated from Survivor: Australia v The World missed out on joining the Jury Villa. They were Survivor South Africa winner Rob Bentele, Australian Survivor winner David Genat, self-proclaimed king of the jungle George Mladenov and two-time SurvivorUS winner Tony Vlachos.
Survivor: Australia v The World airs at 7pm on Sundays, and 7:30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays on Channel 10 and 10Play.
My Kitchen Rules 2025 is back to show us homegrown cooks can do it just as good as professional chefs, and one team ready to compete for the $100,000 prize money is mother-daughter duo Anne and Maree.
The Greek goddesses are bringing a splash of Europe to the MKR dining experience, ready to embrace all of Australia into their big Greek family.
Everything we know about My Kitchen Rules’ Anne and Maree
To Anne and Maree, cooking is more than just a tradition: it’s “love, legacy and a tribute” to their family.
Expect high energy and entertainment from the mother and daughter, with their dynamic described as “non-stop singing, dancing, and laughing”.
Anne is a former beautician who won’t settle for anything less than perfect. Maree, is a mum of three and an accomplished singer, who describes her mum and her Yia-yia as her “biggest role models”.
Their secret weapon is a handwritten cookbook passed down from Anne’s late mother, with the team ready to pay tribute to Yia-yia’s legacy. And if Colin Fassnidge’s words are anything to go by in the promo, we have high hopes for the pair. “This is seasoned with love… I thought I was in Greece,” Colin is seen saying.
The dynamic duo dream of turning Yia-yia’s traditional Greek recipes into a cookbook to share with the world one day.
What happened during Anne and Maree’s cook on MKR?
Anne and Maree started strong. Image: Seven
Anne and Maree picked up the first 10 of the competition, with Colin praising their entrée of Chargrilled Octopus with Spanakorizo as a “perfect” dish.
After a strong start, unfortunately for the duo their main dish of Chicken and Lamb Souvlakia with Pita and Tzatziki, didn’t hit the same mark, with the judges both thinking there were too many elements. And Anne’s dessert, handed down from her mother, scored a six from both judges.
The Orange Semolina Cake with Chocolate and Candied Orange held deep sentimental value, and while the judges appreciated the simplicity and lightness of the dish, they questioned whether it was a competitive enough dessert.
Anne and Maree ended up scoring 44/60 from Colin and Manu, and 34/50 from the other MKR participants, bringing their total to 78/110, falling one point short ofJustin and Will’s debut cook.
Watch Anne and Maree’s MKR promo below:
Who else is competing in MKR 2025?
There will be six teams competing in MKR 2025; Justin and Will, Anne and Maree, feisty cousins Mel and Jacinta, ambitious friends Maria and Bailey, lifelong besties Lol and Lil, and couple Michael and Reilli. Read more about them here.
My Kitchen Rules (MKR) airs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7:30pm on Channel 7 and 7Plus.
My Kitchen Rules 2025 has kicked off with a bang with the first cooking duo Justin Rolleston and Will Mataka taking centre stage.
The pair first met through their wives and became fast friends, bonded by their love of family, sport and food. The best mates were the first MKR contestants of 2025 to impress judges Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel, as well as the rest of the contestants, with their home cooking.
Everything we know about My Kitchen Rules’ Will and Justin
Justin and Will have been mates for over a decade. Image: Seven
Some fans may recognise Will! He’s a former NRL player, who used to play for the West Tigers and Sydney Roosters and also represented Tonga in 2009.
Will brings a calm and collected energy to the kitchen and is inspired by his Tongan heritage, ready to craft dishes that reflect his culture.
Justin is a gym owner and foodie who gained an Instagram presence after creating videos for his gym clients. He’s described as “delightfully messy” in the kitchen, so is the chaos to Will’s calm, but is ready to shake things up by incorporating his South African heritage.
The two dads met over 12 years ago, forming a friendship after their wives introduced them. Justin describes the duo as “passionate and competitive, but in sync” while Will says, “Love one day, hate the next, but always committed to each other in the kitchen”.
What happened during Will and Justin’s cook on MKR?
As the first cab off the rank, the duo had a tough job in front of them, vying to impress the judges as wel as the other new contestants.
The best mates served up Ota Ika (Ceviche) with Taro crisps as their entreé, before spicing things up with their main of Red Duck Curry with Coconut rice. For dessert, Justin sourced it straight from his roots, with the duo opting for a Cape Malay Koeksister (South African fried doughnut) with spice syrup.
The entreé was praised for the texture, but the judges were looking for more “heat”, both awarding it a score of six. However, the curry took centre focus, with Colin calling it “near perfect” and Manu saying it was a “wonderful, ballsy curry”. Both judges scored the dish a 9.
The traditional dessert divided opinions, but Justin and Will’s total score from the judges was 42/60, with the teams giving them a score of 37, for a grand total of 79/110.
Watch My Kitchen Rules (MKR) 2025 on Channel 7 and 7Plus.
