Australian Survivor host Jonathan La Paglia 'blindsided' after Channel Ten abruptly axed him from reality series ahead of 14th season
A 10 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."
'We look forward to JLP hosting the next epic instalment of Survivor: Australia V World coming soon to 10."
The spokesperson on behalf of the network thanked La Paglia for his "outstanding contribution" to hosting the game show since 2016 and wished him "continued success in his acting and presenting career".
'We will be making an announcement shortly about who will take over hosting duties for the 2026 season of Australian Survivor.'
Despite no apparent signs of animosity between the network and La Paglia amid his sudden axing, the TV host appeared to suggest otherwise in a lengthy 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 on Monday.
He further doubled down on his claim 10 brutally surprised him by stripping him of his arguably most recognisable TV role.
"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 continued by saying he recently received a "call from the Network thanking me for all my hard work and dedication to the show."
"But for next season, they are 'going in a different direction'," the TV host said of the conversation.
"Ratings had dipped a bit recently, and they wanted to do something drastic to shake things up.
"So, for the first time ever, this is not a tribe swap but a host swap. Yes, you read that right."
Survivor features a group of contestants known as "castaways" living in an isolated outdoor location in Samoa.
Its 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.
Former model and Australian Survivor: All-Stars champion David Genant is tipped to replace La Paglia as host, according to Daily Mail Australia on Sunday.
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.
Despite Genant's impressive TV record, a production insider told Daily Mail Australia not everyone is convinced he's La Paglia 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.
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