Luke Toki is currently living it up in the Big Brother VIP Hotel, but most remember him slogging it out as the fan-favourite on Australian Survivor in 2017 and Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders in 2019.
WATCH: Survivor’s Luke Toki opens up about his family
Ending his first stint on Survivor in 7th place, Luke was determined to take home the crown two years later when he reappeared on the show for the Champions v Contenders season.
Throughout his fight for the $500,000 prize money, Luke reiterated that he entered the competition for his kids, Lennox, 10, Nate, 8, and Madeline, 2, whom he shares with his wife, Mary.
His two eldest boys, Lennox and Nate, grapple with autism, while his youngest daughter, Madeline, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis shortly after being born – just six weeks before Luke left for Survivor.
“If I win $500,000 it would be life-changing for my family. It’ll give my kids a future that I want to give them so that’s why I’m doing it,” Luke said during his time on the show.
Despite being knocked out in fourth place, fans quickly cooked up a GoFundMe campaign in the hopes to raise the equivalent sum of the Survivor first prize to help Luke look after his three kids.
So determined fans were to lend a helping hand to the Perth-based star that the numbers kept climbing until eventually surpassing the $500,000 goal – the excess of which Luke and his wife kindly donated to charity.
WATCH: Survivor’s Luke Toki thanks fans for donating to GoFundMe
Now in the vastly different reality TV world of Big Brother VIP, Luke has never forgotten the kindness of the Australian public in helping out his beautiful family.
Speaking candidly to Big Brother in Tuesday’s episode, the King of the Jungle became emotional as he discussed the massive support from the Australian public in the weeks following his second Survivor appearance.
“When I played the second time I left a sick daughter at home and it was the most gut-wrenching thing in the world, but I wanted to win the money to support my family,” Luke told Big Brother in the Diary Room.
Luke continued, “Big Brother, I’ve come from nothing – I’ve worked pretty much my whole life and I risked everything to become the King of the Jungle.
“I tried my hardest, and even though I lost again the Australian public were amazing to me and gifted me the money.”
“It’s hard talking about it,” Luke said as he became visibly emotional, adding, “I hate talking myself up.”
Big Brother asked, “Do you not believe what the Australian public see?” to which Luke replied, “I don’t know – I just try my hardest and just try to win.”
Big Brother VIP continues Wednesday at 7:30 pm on Channel Seven and 7plus.
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