When Shonee Bowtell was blindsided by mastermind George Mladenov fans wanted Shonee’s BFF, Liz Parnov, to get her revenge.
It’s been two weeks since the blindside went to air on Australian Survivor: Heroes V Villains, but don’t worry – Liz hasn’t forgotten about it.
”Getting my revenge on George was a move that I was waiting to make,” Liz tells TV WEEK.
”It was just a matter of when I struck and if I could pull it off.
”I felt like it was my mission to avenge Shonee and honour her name within Survivor. He did the dirty on my bestie – I obviously had to get him back.”
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Liz is tipped to win this season of Survivor.
(IMAGE: Ten)Russian-born Liz, 28, is no stranger to high-stakes competition. From a family of champion pole vaulters – her aunt, Tatiana Grigorieva, won silver for Australia at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney – she competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
But she says Survivor is ”so much harder.”
”I think Survivor was, by far, the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life,” she says.
Fans will remember Liz’s fun moments: the dance she did during an immunity challenge when her rival, Flick Palmateer, dropped out (“I’m always doing weird dances in real life”) and the look of shock and delight on her face when 62-year-old food delivery driver Stevie Khouw beat her in a reward challenge (”I was so, so happy for him”).
This former Olympian is out for revenge…
(IMAGE: Ten)But although she had some “awesome” days in Samoa, she says there were also days she would cry non-stop.
”It rained for, like, a week and we were just constantly damp and everyone had trench foot,” she remembers.
”The other thing is the food. I’m a big eater, and not having enough food to eat really killed me.”
When she was crying, Liz always tried to keep her distance from the other tribe members.
”I felt like if they could see you so emotionally broken it was a sign of weakness and they could potentially pounce,” she explains.
Liz is ready to rumble with King George.
(IMAGE: Ten)Survivor marks the beginning of a new chapter for Liz.
Having been a pole vaulter from “as early as I can remember”, she set a world age best of 3.15m when she was just 11.
”Pole vaulting was my life,” she says.
”I lived and breathed it for such a long time.”
But after Tokyo, she felt a shift.
”I just didn’t have that burning fire within me to give it 110 per cent.”
Liz comes from a long line of professional athletes.
(IMAGE: Ten)Now finishing off a degree in media and communications, Liz says she’d love to do more TV – ideally, hosting or sports reporting.
With all the attention her facial expressions have been getting on social media, she might even try acting.
”I always thought I had a resting b—h face, but just seeing it in real life and how expressive I am is quite funny,” she says.
”Home And Away, I’m coming for you!”
Liz and Shonee were Survivor BFFs.
(IMAGE: Ten)Liz also has plans to collaborate with Shonee on something, perhaps a TV appearance or a podcast.
”The Shiz alliance has to stay alive,” she says.
”I feel we’re going to be really good friends forever.”
