• Survivor improves on its second night
• Steamy: Beauty and the Geek features first two kisses
Primetime News
Seven News 1,234,000/1,159,000
Nine News 1,222,000/1,124,000
ABC News 809,000
10 News First 485,000 (5:00pm)/ 312,000 (6:00pm)
SBS World News 205,000 (6:30pm) 188,000 (7:00pm)
Daily current affairs
A Current Affair 827,000
7.30 690,000
The Project 357,000 (6:30pm)/571,000 (7pm)
The Drum 219,000
Breakfast TV
Sunrise 275,000
Today 2225,000
Nine
A Current Affair started with a person branded a “pandemic pest” by reporter Steve Marshall. The story covered a Central Coast gym operator who snapped and threatened Marshall when he asked about the flouting of Covid lockdown regulations. The new week started on 827,000 after an average of 715,000 last week.
Beauty and the Geek had 618,000 as two couples kissed and one couple settled for an awkward hug.
Kiran and Bryanna were the first pair to kiss on the show, followed by James and Jess.
But things didn’t go so smoothly for George and Josie, who won the Sumo Slicer challenge on Today Extra and a date axe throwing but when Josie moved in for a hug, George thought they were about to kiss and ended up kissing her cheek.
Jackson and Jessica then lost the elimination challenge and became the second team to go home.
The show was slightly down on the 622,000 viewers that it had last week
Later on, Footy Classified had 132,000 viewers.
Seven
Seven was the top primary (19.3%) and network (26.3%) last night thanks to strong numbers from Home and Away (647,000) and Farmer Wants a Wife (705,000).
On Farmer, Andrew was blindsided by 27-year-old community relations worker Jess’ declaration of love, moments after he kissed 28-year-old retail manager Ash; while Will was shocked to discover 29-year-old communications director Jessica had left the farm without saying goodbye.
Earlier in the ep Rachael had decided to leave the farm after hearing Andrew’s feelings toward her. “I do really like him, but he just sees me as a mate,” said Rachael explaining this wasn’t her first unreciprocated love. “I’m feeling a bit heartbroken.”
Rob said goodbye to 38-year-old mountain guide Leah and Sam asked 25-year-old personal trainer Demi to leave. Matt also said goodbye to 25-year-old executive assistant Hayley, 25-year-old plumber Brydie and 27-year-old photographer Jacqui.
The program was the #1 non-news show nationally with a combined metro and regional audience of 1.17m.
10
The Project had 357,000 (6:30pm) and 571,000 (7:00pm) as the show continued to cover the Covid outbreak in Sydney and Victoria’s lockdown extension.
Australian Survivor‘s second episode for the year had 768,000 which was up on its premiere of 752,000, and was the top non-news program last night.
In the episode, tensions were high in the Brains tribe as resentment built to boiling point towards George after his big play at the previous tribal council that saw him play his advantage and remove 6 people from the vote.
Despite losing the rewards challenge, George was spared from the tribal council when the brains won the immunity challenge.
This instead created a power vacuum at the Brawn tribe with three names being thrown out for elimination by different factions as Janelle, Shannon and Emmett all faced going home.
Ultimately Emmett was safe only getting one vote, Shannon getting four, and Janelle going home with six.
Have You Been Paying Attention? had 744,000 viewers as Chrissie Swan filled in as quizmaster. She was working beautifully alongside her Nova 100 breakfast colleague Sam Pang. Joining Ed and Sam on the panel were Marty, Kitty and Alex Ward. This episode was up on last week’s 674,000 viewers.
10 topped all the key demos last night with Survivor #1 in 16-39 and 18-49, while HYBPA? was #1 in 25-54.
ABC
On 7.30 Paul Fletcher was the Government minister tasked with answering questions from guest host Laura Tingle about the coalition car park controversy.
Courtney Act’s One Plus One had 371,000 viewers as Act talked to Thomas King about how he wants to change the way that the world thinks about food and his love for David Attenborough. This was down on last week’s episode which featured Aweng Chuol and had 380,000 viewers.
![](https://www.mediaweek.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/courtney-act-thomas-king-.jpg)
Courtney Act and Thomas King
Four Corners (435,000) featured a special from French filmmakers Babel Doc about the deadly consequences when inexperienced climbers take on Mount Everest.
In the old Q+A timeslot, the ABC ran a BBC documentary (Bad Influencer) on fraudulent wellness blogger Belle Gibson and her fake cancer diagnosis. The filmmakers spent time with journalist Richard Guilliatt who helped expose the lies in The Australian. It also showed excerpts from Gibson’s appearance on 60 Minutes with Tara Brown. The doc had 254,000 viewers.
SBS
On SBS the top rating non-news shows were a reoeat of Secrets of The Tower of London (251,000) and Secret Scotland (287,000).