Australian Survivor is set to return for not one, but two seasons in 2025.
While details are scarce about the upcoming 10th and 11th seasons, Channel Ten and Endemol Shine have confirmed that the first season will have a Brains vs Brawns theme and feature brand-new contestants.
“Brains vs Brawns II will pose the question, what gets you further in the world’s toughest game, brute strength or intelligence? Two tribes separated by those who favour muscle and those with sharpened minds will battle it out in the hopes of becoming the next to take home the title, the glory, and $500,000,” Channel 10 wrote in a media release when announcing the news.
Will there be an Australia vs the USA season of Survivor?
In May 2024, insider sources close to production confirmed that a second season featuring former players from both Australia and the USA would also air in 2025.
A month later however fan blog Inside Survivor reported that the Australia vs USA season had been changed to Australia vs The World and would instead feature players from South Africa, Norway, New Zealand, and the USA – news that was confirmed by Channel 10 three months later.
While Australian Survivor has previously brought back past contestants, this will be the first time they face off against seasoned players from abroad with the exceptions of Russell Hantz in 2018 and Sandra Diaz-Twine in 2021.
According to Inside Survivor, the unofficial ‘all-stars’ season will run for a shorter amount of time than the standard 47 – 50 days that contestants usually play for.
Recent reports have suggested that the format will see two tribes of seven players face off against each other over a two-week period.
The regular full-length season with new players will also be filmed around the same time. It is currently unclear which season will be filmed and premiere first.
Traditionally, new seasons of Australian Survivor begin airing in late January, with the exception of All-Stars which premiered in February 2020, seven months after its predecessor Champions vs Contenders in 2019.
Who has been cast on Australian Survivor for 2025?
In mid-September 2024, Channel Ten confirmed that fan-favourite players Kirby Bentley (Titans vs Rebels, 2024), ‘King’ George Mladenov (Brains vs Brawns, 2023, and Heroes vs Villains, 2023), and Shonee Bowtell (Champions vs Contenders, 2018, All Stars, 2020, and Heroes vs Villains, 2023) would be returning to play for a second, third and record FOURTH time in Survivor: Australia vs The World.
They will face off against certified Survivor legends Parvati (US), Tony (US), and Cirie (US).
In October the remaining cast list leaked, and WOW are we excited to see these names!
The ‘Golden God’ David Genat and Luke Toki are also set to return to defend their 2020 and 2021 titles alongside fellow Aussies Janine ‘The Godmother’ Ellis and Sarah Tilleke.
Rob Bentele (South Africa), Lisa Stanger (New Zealand), Kassandre Bastarache (Quebec), and Tommi Manninen (Finland) will all round out ‘The World’ tribe.
While there has been no word yet on additional casting for both seasons, veteran players of Australian Survivor have previously revealed to our sister publication TV Week whether or not they would be keen to face off against some of the world’s best players in an international season.
Long-running US Survivor host Jeff Probst has also previously described a season of both US and Australian players as “epic.”
It is expected that both seasons will be filmed back-to-back on the shores of Upolu in Samoa with the ‘normal’ season filming from mid-July to mid-September 2024.
