Australian Survivor: Blood Vs. Water kicked off on Monday, and we’re absolutely loving it so far!
We got a great blindside in the very first episode, when the Princess of Survivor, Nina Twine, aka Sandra Diaz-Twine‘s daughter, convinced the Water tribe to vote out returning contender Andy Meldrum.
We’ve also met Chrissy, who’s won hearts and charmed viewers with her complete lack of knowledge about what Survivor is actually about, even asking at one point “do we all have to vote?” before that night’s Tribal Council.
Of course, there’s also the big draw-card of watching the first two-time winner of Survivor, Sandra, come out of retirement to play Blood Vs. Water.
Not only is it great to see her back onscreen because she’s great entertainment and an absolute legend in the world of Survivor, it’s interesting to see how she’s changing her approach to playing with Aussies, given her reputation for being a villainous player.
Speaking to The Latch, Sandra said that she felt that Aussie players are “really, really nice!” compared to some of the seasons she’s played in the US, so she had to play a more “under-the-radar kind of game”.
“Coming out there, everyone is so nice, but then they know who I am, and I’m like, ‘oh my God, how do I make them forget who I am!’” she laughed.
Her reputation wasn’t the only thing Sandra had to contend with this season, though.
Despite playing four times before, and mentoring a season with Boston Rob Mariano, Sandra said that her experience playing Australian Survivor: Blood Vs. Water was “by far the most brutal”.
Speaking to POPSUGAR Australia, Sandra said that “the heat [in Australia] was so intense”.
“I could feel my arms burning, I could feel like, a sizzling of my skin,” she shared, adding that the nights “were the most brutal, cold nights” she’d ever experienced.
“You don’t have blankets, you don’t have all those layers that you need when you’re going out into the cold weather,” she explained. “The ground just takes the heat right out. My nose would feel so cold, my feet would be so cold, and I would sleep with my two pairs of socks on, my shoes stayed on my feet, and I would still wake up just shivering.”
This season was filmed in the North Queensland town of Charter Towers, which is approximately eight hours east of the Brains Vs. Brawn filming location of Cloncurry.
So, when and where can we all tune in?
For the rest of the season, Australian Survivor: Blood Vs. Water will air Sunday and Monday evenings at 7.30pm, on 10 and 10 Play on Demand.
If anything changes we’ll let you know. In the meantime, if you’ve missed an ep and just want to know who went home, we’ve got you covered.
Want more Australian Survivor? Read all of our stories here.
