Jonathan LaPaglia May Backdoor His Way Back In as Host of 'Australian Survivor'

Many may be wondering why an American site writes so much about a version of Survivor set on another continent, but here’s why: 1) Australian Survivor is immensely fun to watch, like American Survivor, but in hard mode; 2) it’s freely available (and not illegal) to watch if you know where to look; 3) it’s late August and the news cycle is dry; and 4) there’s mess involved, and we all love mess.

Here, specifically, the mess is that Australian Survivor blindsided its popular and beloved host Jonathan LaPaglia a few weeks ago and fired him, only to replace him with David Genat, a popular Australian Survivor player who also appears this season in Australia V the World. It was a baffling decision, one most suspect was rooted in finances.

But that may not be the last we see of Jonathan LaPaglia as host of Australian Survivor. I’m not particularly well-versed in Australian television, but Woman’s Day is. They report that the contract for Channel Ten — the network that currently airs Australian Survivor — is up next year, and that Channel Nine, which apparently has a history of poaching reality series from Channel Ten, is interested in securing the rights. (Channel Nine and Channel Ten? That’s the best you can do for names over there, Australia?)

Not only that, but sources tell Woman’s Day that Channel Nine has had back-channel conversations with LaPaglia about resuming hosting duties if they secure the show. Those conversations allegedly advise LaPaglia to stay calm, remain patient, and avoid unnecessary drama. LaPaglia has also let “sources” know that while he’s publicly supportive, he doesn’t think Genat is a good choice. He’s too likely to make hosting about himself, may favor contestants he’s played with before, and — without spoiling anything — it seems unlikely Genat will gain many new fans from this season of Australia V the World.

That’s the drama. Genat, however, could theoretically shut it all down by proving himself a deft host and quieting the critics. Still, following LaPaglia will be a tough assignment.

Also, if you’re looking for an account of the most recent ep of Australian Survivor, do check out our friend over on Reality Blurred.

Source: Woman’s Day