Latest news with #ShoneeBowtell
Refinery29
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
Shonee Bowtell's Survivor: Australia V The World Strategy Changed After Becoming A Mum
When you think of iconic Australian Survivor players, you think of Shonee Bowtell and her signature floral dress. The fashion-forward player has entertained Aussie audiences for years, with over 124 days played across three seasons. Her Spice Girls alliance with winner Liz Parnov and frenemy George Mladenov was a highlight of Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains, but she's never come away victorious. It's no surprise that Channel 10 tapped her to be on the Australian tribe for Survivor: Australia v The World, but at just nine months postpartum, her decision to join the cast wasn't an easy one. There were multiple stars that aligned for Shonee to compete on Survivor: Australia v The World, and a non-negotiable was to have her partner Matt Jamieson, son Vally, and her mother-in-law fly to Samoa and live nearby. "It was definitely very difficult. But I just thought, when is my partner and baby going to have this one on one bonding time without me there, but they were also in Samoa along with my mother-in-law, so it was peace of mind for me to be like, okay, they're only one hour away from me at all times," Shonee tells Refinery29 Australia. "I don't think I could have done it without — like I couldn't leave the country without them. I'm a bit of a package deal these days." Coming into the game as a new mother also changed her strategy, because stepping away from a young family isn't a sacrifice you want to make if you're not here to win. "I'm like, I need to make this count, because this is time that I'm not going to get back from my family," she says. "So I was definitely thinking, okay... what can I do that's going to set this season apart and really just make the most of my time there? Because [it's] very hard to be away from my family." ' I need to make this count, because this is time that I'm not going to get back from my family. ' Survivor: Australia v The World is only 16 days long, compared to the usual length of 47 to 55 days. This means it's going to be fast, vicious, and that suited Shonee to a tee. "I could not do a full season of [almost] two months. Knowing it was shorter, and then also knowing that because it's shorter, you have no option but to play hard from the get-go," she says. "There's not a lot of downtime... in the full season, sometimes players might sit back because they've got a bucket list that they want to tick off. They want to make it to tribe swap, they want to make it to merge, they want to make it to jury. Whereas, when you've got 16 days and we're all experienced players that have met those milestones before, it's literally crazy from the get go, everyone is making moves." Alliances are a key part of your Survivor game, and Shonee swears she didn't reach out to any past Australian Survivor contestants to get a leg-up before filming started. "There's about five months in the lead-up. But you know, you don't know who the other players are, and I feel like it would be very frowned upon to start scheming right away," she says. "Everyone respects the rules of the game. So when you rock up on the mat, you're really looking at these people for the first time, and that's when the game starts." She was "shocked" to see some of the players in Samoa, and wasn't expecting to see David Genat, Sarah Tilleke or Janine Allis. "I think a lot of people were surprised to see me as well, because you know, I was nine months postpartum, so perhaps they didn't expect that either," she adds. ' I think a lot of people were surprised to see me, because you know, I was nine months postpartum. ' Historically, women can be underestimated on Survivor, or reduced to stereotypes. US Survivor player Parvati Shallow has had her gameplay summarised as "a flirt", when she's a challenge beast and extremely strategic. Just this year, when US host Jeff Probst was asked on the Elvis Duran show about an all-female season of Survivor, he claimed that the majority of the most interesting Survivor characters were men. "I think definitely, women can be underestimated in anything they do," Shonee laughs. "But I think that you know, when it comes to Survivor and endurance challenges, I think the women are so mentally strong that I think we get a great rap on being able to push through really hard challenges. So definitely not underestimated when it comes to that, but perhaps in other aspects." Shonee recently appeared on Parvati's podcast Nice Girls Don't Win, and many fans are hoping for an all-female alliance once we get to merge. She's tight-lipped about whether that will happen, but admits she was stunned seeing US players Parvati and Cirie Fields on the World tribe. "It was actually surreal seeing these amazing American players, because they all have such a good rep in, I guess, amongst the Survivor community and the show. So to actually be like, wow, how flattering that I have been asked to play against these incredible players," Shonee recalls. "I haven't really watched much of American Survivor, but I have seen little snippets. And when I was first going on Survivor, I actually watched some clips on Parvati on YouTube about how she's just so incredible at endurance and how she trains her mind. So yeah, of course I wanted to go on her podcast as well." After seeing how Parvati and Cirie seemed to be a step ahead of everybody on the World tribe during Episode 1, this season is only going to continue to ramp up. Jeff Probst may think strong male personalities dominate US Survivor, but Survivor: Australia v The World is poised to flip the script.
Refinery29
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
Everything We Know About Survivor: Australia V The World
Buckle up, Australian Survivor fans, because the biggest season yet is about to hit our screens. Channel 10 has pulled off an impossible task by bringing some of the most iconic players from the worldwide Survivor franchise to Samoa, and pitting them against our best Aussie stars in Survivor: Australia v The World. It's been billed as the "ultimate showdown", with the coveted title of World Sole Survivor up for grabs. This format has a few changes, with a shortened season and fewer contestants, levelling the playing field a bit. It's going to be fast, furious, and dramatic — exactly what you expect from top-tier reality TV. Will an Aussie take out the prize, or will one of the overseas competitors beat us to the punch? We're backing the Australia Tribe all the way. Below, we've rounded up everything we know about Survivor Australia: v The World so far, including the air date, where it was filmed, and any rule changes for this special season. When does Survivor: Australia v The World air? Survivor: Australia v The World premieres on Sunday, August 17, 2025 at 7pm on Channel 10. The 14 contestants will be competing for a prize of $250,000 (and bragging rights). Three episodes of Survivor Australia v The World will air each week on Sunday to Tuesday. Where was Survivor: Australia v The World filmed? While Australian Survivor has filmed in multiple locations, including Fiji and rural Queensland, the show returned to Samoa for this year's Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawns and Survivor: Australia v The World. The cast will compete in challenges and search for idols on the beautiful island of Upolu, Samoa, for a shortened season of just 16 days. Shonee Bowtell Coming in strong with her signature floral dress, giant hair accessories and Gucci slide, Shonee Bowtell is ready to finally cinch an Australian Survivor win. She currently holds the record for the most days of Australian Survivor played, with 124 days under her belt. "I've got my red dress on, my platforms and I'm ready to try my best. This is going to be the most insane showdown ever, it's the Olympics of Survivor," she told Channel 10. Shonee had an incredible game on Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains, but was blindsided by her alliance member George Mladenov. She might be looking for revenge this time around. David Genat Known as 'The Golden God', David Genat is back to become a two-time winner of Australian Survivor. He knows he'll have a target on his back, but is hoping to still make it far in the game. "I am in the driver's seat from this game on day one. There's nowhere for me to hide, they're all looking at the bus driver. The question is, can I dodge some of those shots when I'm not looking at them?" he told Channel 10. Kirby Bentley Kirby Bentley is a newer player, having competed in Australian Survivor: Titans V Rebels just last year. Known as the "Rebel Queen", she's ready to use her physical, strategic and social game to take out the title. Her main strategy for Survivor: Australia v The World is simple: she's going to let people think they're in control, while pulling the strings behind the scenes. "I am an Aboriginal woman in Australia, and we're not considered the top of the food chain. I've worked in mainstream construction, mining, AFL, male dominated sports and environments. So, I've always known to take a back seat and allow people to feel empowered that they're in control of what I'm doing," she told Channel 10. Sarah Tilleke Sarah Tilleke played Australian Survivor nearly a decade ago, but she's still a huge fan of the game. She's planning to change her strategy for her second time playing, and wants to put loyalty over multiple alliances. "This time, I want to nurture those authentic relationships," she told Channel 10. Where you've seen her: Australian Survivor (2017) George Mladenov King George from Bankstown is back to try and secure a crown for the first time. Known as the manipulative brain behind the "best Tribal ever" from Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains, he was pipped to the post by winner and ally Liz Parnov. " Australian Survivor v The World is going to be the best season ever," he told Channel 10. . "I'm going to win by being glorious like I've always been." Janine Allis The "Godmother" is back. Janine Allis is the founder of Boost Juice and Retail Zoo, so she has no problem taking charge. "I'm going to win this game like I do in business — I just try harder and never give up. I have the grit to get to the end," she told Channel 10. Luke "King of the Jungle" Toki is seeking "redemption" rather than "revenge". He has a close friendship with David, so their alliance will be one to watch. "I'm very fortunate to be able to play this game, it's changed my life," he told Channel 10. "The one thing that will not change is I will be going out to have as much fun as possible — at other people's expense." Parvati Shallow Parvati Shallow is one of the most notorious players from Survivor USA. Known as "The Black Widow", she formed the first all-female alliance and created a lasting legacy. "I think I might be the most dangerous player out here because I think I will be underestimated and overestimated simultaneously," she told Channel 10. Cirie Fields Cirie Fields is playing Survivor for the fifth time, and while she's known for her great strategic and social gameplay, she's never won. Cirie isn't underestimating anyone, but she's here to play hard. "This season will by no means be a breeze, this lineup will be huge and it's going to be a battle every day out here," she told Channel 10. Where you've seen her: Survivor US: Panama Survivor US: Micronesia - Fans v Favourites Survivor US: Heroes v Villains Survivor US: Game Changers Tony Vlachos Tony Vlachos has already won Survivor USA twice, but third time's a charm. The New Jersey native is outspoken, confident and sneaky. "I absolutely see Australian Survivor players as a threat because they have called us here for a challenge. They're going to give their best performance and I'm hoping they do," he told Channel 10. Runner-up of Survivor Quebec, Kass Bastarache plans to play the role of a "sweet little Canadian girl". Her season was set in the Phillipines, so moving to Samoa will shake things up. "It's going to be fast, it's going to be intense and it's going to be fun," Kass told Channel 10. Lisa Holmes Lisa Holmes won Survivor New Zealand and is a self-proclaimed Survivor superfan. "In my season, a lot of the people were playing Candyland and I was playing Checkers. Now a lot of people are going to be playing Chess and I've got to see if I can up my game," she told Channel 10. Where you've seen her: Survivor New Zealand Rob Bentele Known as a challenge beast, Rob Bentele will use his physical power to his advantage. He's already won Survivor South Africa, and now he's coming for the world title. "There's no question Australians are tough in Survivor, but they've never come across an African. And that will be their downfall," Rob told Channel 10. Tommi Manninen Rounding out the Survivor World Tribe is Tommi Manninen, who came runner-up on Survivor Finland. "I want to go a little bit under the radar because no one knows this guy from Finland. Like, you have seen all the US and Australian seasons, but you're going to be surprised by me," he told Channel 10. Where you've seen him: Survivor Finland Who is the host of Survivor: Australia V The World? This is the last season that Jonathan LaPaglia will host Australian Survivor, after he was axed by Channel 10 recently. While his replacement has not been officially announced, there are rumours that it will be Survivor: Australia V The World contestant David Genat. Channel 10 has released a trailer for Survivor: Australia v The World, and it looks intriguing. You can watch it below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Channel 10 (@channel10au) Have there been any spoilers or leaks for Survivor: Australia V The World? As of yet, there haven't been any big spoilers or leaks for Survivor: Australia v The World, but Shonee did appear on Parvati's podcast Nice Girls Don't Win to speak about their experience recently. This has fans theorising that Shonee ends up aligning with Parvati, meaning both make it to merge. If strong women dominate this season, it will definitely make for a great watch. David and Parvati also worked together on Deal or No Deal Island, which filmed right before Survivor: Australia v The World. David walked away with a $9.2 million prize, so Parvati could be out for revenge.
