'It's not about me': David Genat announced as Jonathan La Paglia's replacement on Australian Survivor

West Australian

2 days ago

The worst-kept secret in Aussie TV has now been confirmed: two-time survivor player and Perth local David Genat has officially been announced as Jonathan La Paglia's replacement as host of Australian Survivor.
The news came after Genat, or 'The Golden God' as he's referred to on the show, was eliminated during last night's episode of the most recent series of Australian Survivor: Australia V The World, in which he was competing.
Fellow competitors were quick to recognise the powerhouse player as a threat, dealing him a swift blow at Tribal Council.
His appearance — though short-lived — marks the third time the Perth-raised star has appeared on the Australian version of the globally-popular show, after previously competing in Champions V Contenders in 2019, placing tenth, before returning the following year to claim victory on Australian Survivor: All Stars.
Genat was quick to pull focus from himself when the announcement was made.
'I love Australian Survivor. It truly is the greatest game on earth so getting to come back as host after playing three times is such an honour,' he said in a statement.
'But Survivor is not about me; it's about the incredible players who put everything on the line to outwit, outplay, and outlast.
'I am pumped for the fans to meet the new crop of Survivors next season.'
Filming is now underway in Samoa for the 12th season of the show, with Genat sliding into the vacant hosting shoes left by La Paglia, who headed up the series for nine consecutive seasons from 2016.
La Paglia famously announced he had been axed as host in a now-infamous Instagram post, where he told followers Ten's decision to replace him had left him 'blind-sided.'
Daniel Monaghan, SVP Content and Programming, Paramount Australia, said she was excited for fans to see Genet in action as host: 'As Australian Survivor moves into its 12th season, it's no secret there's been a change at the helm,' she said.
'As we step into this exciting new era, there was simply no better person to pass the baton to — David's track record, not just on Survivor but across reality TV worldwide, is unrivalled, and there's no one with more real-time experience and game knowledge to help steer this epic season.'
As well as winning Australian Survivor in 2020, Genet recently took home a staggering $US5.8 million dollars — the most money ever given away on US Network television — after winning the US game-show hybrid series Deal or No Deal Island earlier this year.