• 50 days. 12 Champions. 12 everyday Aussies. One Sole Survivor.
Just three days from its 2019 season launch, Network 10 has revealed the complete list of castaways competing in season four of Australian Survivor.
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.
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.
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.
Rounding out the hungry tribe of Contenders are Ad Executive Andy Meldrum; Student Baden Gilbert; Educator Casey Hawkins; Police Officer Hannah Pentreath; Ice-cream Maker Harry Hills; Digital Marketing Manager Laura Choong and VIP Gaming Manager Sam Schoers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The full cast list for Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders 2019 is:
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.
Premiering on Wednesday, 24 July at 7.30pm, the fourth season of Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders is hosted by Jonathan LaPaglia and is made for Network 10 by Endemol Shine Australia.