13 hours ago
Nova radio show Jase & Lauren's 'Hide and Seek' competition is branded 'rigged' after $94,000 cash prize is won by reality TV star
Thousands of Nova listeners were disappointed on Monday when they missed out on winning $250,000 in Jase & Lauren's Hide and Seek competition.
Eyebrows were quickly raised when Melbourne Dad Charles was unveiled as the successful seeker of hosts Jason Hawkins and Lauren Phillips, taking home $94,000.
Internet sleuths quickly called the game 'rigged' when they uncovered the father-of-two was actually Charles Noonan from season nine of Australian Survivor last year.
On Sunday, Charles, 35, discovered Jase and Lauren, along with their radio team, were hiding at 16 Sandilands Street in South Melbourne.
The Ormond local said he found the radio duo using only Google Maps and the difficult clues provided by the team on air.
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He spent several days deciphering the clues before discovering where the hosts were concealed and winning a potion of the $250,000 prize.
The game began with $250,000 up for grabs, but decreased by $1 per second until the hosts were found, leaving $94,000 for Charles to take home.
'I was like an absolute madman… up all night Googling,' Charles said.
However, one Reddit user claimed the competition was 'rigged', saying there was no way Charles found the location based on the cryptic clues provided.
'Was anyone else trying to play Jase and Laurens Hide and Seek for $250,000, and more importantly, was the whole thing rigged?' they began.
'Let's look at the available clues and see if they could actually take anyone to 16 Sandilands Street in South Melbourne.
'Oh, and before we even do that, let's take a moment to look at two fishy details if you want a reason to be suspicious.
'The prize was won by Melbourne Dad Charles, but every news website fails to mention this isn't some random bloke.'
'This is an Australian Survivor contestant Charles Noonan. Red Flag?' they added.
The disgruntled fan went on to list every single clue given by Jase and Lauren, explaining why it was impossible for people to use them to find the hiding spot.
They took particular exception with the clue 'Is nonna making sushi for dinner?', which was meant to lead listeners to the nearby restaurant Nana's Place.
'There's actually not sushi nearby. If you see this clue, you are looking for somewhere near sushi, and this will make you less likely to go to this address,' they said.
The clue 'What do Specsavers and 32 have in common?' was also meant to lead listeners to the building number 16.
'You divide both by 50%… to get Specsavers' current sale and to get 16 from 32,' was the apparent answer.
But the Reddit user said: 'Sorry, what? We're told 32 and Specsavers have something in common and it's the number 16?
'That's not how maths works, and surely this isn't the way he found the street number? What even is this one?'
One Reddit user has claimed the competition was 'rigged', saying there was no way Charles found the location based on the cryptic clues provided
Other listeners flocked to the comments to voice their agreement
Other listeners flocked to the comments to voice their agreement.
'Just watched the clip on how Charles finds them and it seems very off, like it was all staged,' one person wrote.
'Yes, clues are very vague and they don't even lead you down one path but several. Rigged,' another said.
A third added: 'It certainly does smell like industry folks were flapping their gums.'
'Partner and I spent the better part of the last four days searching. The clues were s***, weakly associated, and no way would have led you to that address,' fumed one.
Another disgruntled user has gone so far as to start a petition to 'demand a fair redo' of the competition, saying they 'wasted precious hours' and car 'fuel' on the game.
