A producer on SBS survival reality series Alone Australia has revealed the surprising reason why the show is filmed in colder climates.
In the first season of the grueling reality show, 10 survivors braved the rugged terrain of south-west Tasmania, while in the current season another group falls into the wilderness of New Zealand’s South Island.
While shows like Survivor are typically filmed in warm, tropical locations, executive producer Riima Daher says Alone Australia has chosen a different tack.
‘[Alone Australia wants conditions to] get harder and harder, to really test [contestants] so that nature ups the ante as they go… Normally, winter is the biggest seller,” Daher said. TV tonight on Sunday.
‘You can actually watch the season change rather than relying on the contestants to tell you. “It’s wonderful that nature squeezes it out and makes it harder and harder, so that only the toughest survive to the end,” she added.
An Alone Australia producer has a surprising reason why the survival show is filming in colder climates. (Pictured: Alone Australia season two cast)
In last week’s episode, personal trainer Andreas became the first in the 2024 season to acquire red meat after catching a possum and beating it to death on the seventh night of the competition.
Andeas, 42, was sitting by his campfire when he heard a sound in the bush.
Silently, he headed into the desert to investigate, armed only with his shovel, before finding his prey and killing the animal.
Speaking to TV Tonight, executive producer Riima Daher said Alone Australia wants the conditions to “get tougher and tougher, to really test” [contestants] so that nature ups the ante as they go… Typically, winter is the best seller.
‘You can actually watch the season change rather than relying on the contestants to tell you. “It’s wonderful that nature squeezes it and makes it harder and harder, so that only the toughest survive to the end,” the producer added.
‘Oh shit, I got it. I’ve got food,’ the New South Wales contestant said, before turning his camera around to show the little marsupial’s body.
By obtaining a common possum, Andreas is the first contestant to obtain red meat in the competition, while the others have relied on fish or berries for sustenance.
“It’s my first possum,” the Swedish-Australian participant announced. “I never thought I’d catch my first possum with a shovel.”
Only Andreas, from Australia, has become the first in the 2024 season to acquire red meat after catching a possum and beating it to death. In the photo
On Wednesday night’s episode, the personal trainer was sitting by his campfire when he heard a sound in the bush. Silently, he went into the desert to investigate, armed only with his shovel, before finding his prey and killing the animal.
Andreas then hung the animal and skinned it so he could cook and store the meat, which he believed would last a few days.
The show has been billed as the most brutal and authentic reality show in history, as contestants are left alone in the wilderness and must film themselves as they try to survive the competition for a chance to win $250,000.
Alone Australia contestants can “tap” at any time, until there is one contestant left to collect the prize money.
The first season of Alone Australia made headlines last year after becoming SBS’s most-watched original series.
Based on an American format, the Australian version garnered more than a million viewers for half of its 11 episodes.
In the season one finale, Gina Chick was crowned the winner of the series, after braving the elements to survive in the grueling wilderness for 67 days.
Only Australia is currently available to stream exclusively on SBS on Demand.
