Channel Ten sacked ‘blindsided' Australian Survivor host Jonathan La Paglia through 'clinical and cold' email, sources reveal

Sky News AU

2 days ago

Sources have revealed the shocking truth about how Channel Ten really sacked "blindsided" Australian Survivor host Jonathan La Paglia.
A Ten spokesperson on Monday confirmed the upcoming season of Survivor: Australia V The World will be the last series hosted by La Paglia, who already filmed the show before its premiere in the coming months.
'JLP has brought a unique blend of authority, intelligence and empathy to his role as host of Australian Survivor over the last 10 years," the spokesperson told SkyNews.com.au in a statement.
"Acting as a referee and managing the intense pressure of the game while also acknowledging the human drama unfolding, JLP has been a compelling and memorable figure in the world of Survivor."
Despite no apparent signs of animosity between the network and La Paglia amid his sudden axing on Monday, the TV host appeared to suggest otherwise in a statement addressing his departure on Instagram.
"Australian Survivor has seen some of the most epic blindsides over the last 10 years, but this one might just be the craziest of them all…because it happened to me," the 55-year-old wrote in a caption on Monday.
"Whoever said a blindside is the most humane way to put someone down is an idiot. It hurts like a bitch!"
La Paglia said he found out about his sacking through a phone call from Ten informing him Survivor was "going in a different direction" next season.
However, production first told the TV veteran he was out of a job via a "clinical" and "cold" email, Daily Mail Australia reported on Wednesday.
Before Ten had a chance to break the news to La Paglia, the host received an email from Survivor's production company, Endemol Shine Australia.
"He got an email first. That was the initial comms from EndemolShine,' a source told the publication.
"Then a call came from Ten, but by then it was already done.
"It's really not how you treat someone who's been part of the show for almost a decade."
La Paglia reportedly received the sudden email before he had finished filming Survivor: Australia vs. The World, set to air mid-to-late this year.
And the decision to let him go was made well before the season began filming last year but was kept a secret to avoid overshadowing the show.
One source said the move was "locked in" for months, but production wanted to "avoid backlash during the show's filming and post-promotion."
Former model and Australian Survivor: All-Stars champion David Genant is reportedly tipped to replace La Paglia as host of the game show.
Genant recently won $8.7 million on the US TV game show Deal or No Deal Island and is set to compete in Survivor: Australia V The World.
The new season will mark the TV star's third time on the series, and he has previously hosted popular travel shows Rush and Getaway.
Neverthelss, a production insider told Daily Mail Australia not everyone is convinced he's La Paglia's best replacement.
"He doesn't fit the brief," the insider said.
"He's charismatic, sure - but Survivor needs someone with gravitas. David is not Jonathan, and viewers will notice that."
The massive shakeup at 10 comes as Australian Survivor struggles with a rating slump.
The last season, Brains vs. Brawn II, saw viewership dip to 486,000 total overnight viewers, a far cry from the many millions it attracted in its prime.
Survivor features a group of contestants known as "castaways" living in an isolated outdoor location in Samoa.
There, they must provide for themselves by gathering food, water, fire, and shelter while competing in challenges for awards and immunity.
The castaways are progressively eliminated by their peers, with the last member crowned Sole Survivor and awarded the grand prize of $500,000.