He’s the shrewd political operative who came tantalisingly close to winning Australian Survivor: Brains V Brawn.
So how is it that the other players on Heroes vs Villains haven’t voted out George Mladenov yet?
”Sometimes if you burn so bright, you’re like the sun and you drag people into your orbit,” the self-proclaimed ‘King George’ tells TV WEEK.
”That’s what got me to the merge.”
King George believes himself to be one of (if not) THE greatest player in Survivor history.
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This week is the most shocking week of Heroes vs Villains yet. Friends betray friends, and there’s the biggest blindside of the season so far. Fans won’t want to miss a minute.
”The fact that everybody’s calling this the best season makes me really proud of my work,” George, 32, says.
From the first episode, George believes, ”every single facet” of the game has involved him.
”When you’re able to predict human behaviour like I do quite easily – because everybody’s targeting me non-stop – that’s when I can strike on the counterattack,” he explains.
”That’s part of the reason I’m the best-ever Australian Survivor player and probably the best Survivor player worldwide.”
George’s biggest rival is Hayley.
(IMAGE: Channel 10)In that first episode, George had to face the possibility he might have to leave when he was injured in a challenge.
That was ”devastating” to him, having spent months working out and putting on 5kg of muscle.
He says he ”didn’t return at 100 per cent” – and he still bears a mark on his forehead.
”I’m happy to call that a battle scar,” he says.
George’s fans have loved seeing him in the Spice Girls alliance with Shonee Bowtell and Liz Parnov, who he says are ”by far my closest two friends in the game”.
”Shonee likes to get her hands dirty; I like to get my hands dirty,” he says.
Shonee is in an alliance with George.
(IMAGE: Channel 10)He says they bonded over little things, like walking around the Villains’ camp, humming Drake’s ”God’s Plan” together.
”If, in the early part of the game, Shonee and I weren’t there, you probably wouldn’t be calling this the best season of Australian Survivor ever,” he says.
For George, his greatest rival is Hayley Leake, who beat him to the $500,000 in Brains vs Brawn.
Although he feels the jury robbed him, he regards himself and Hayley as “phenomenal” players.
Simon (above) has an audience in Hayley, George and Shonee.
(IMAGE: Channel 10)”If I can control Hayley and make sure she doesn’t work against me, I hope I can propel myself forward in the game,” he explains.
As numbers are whittled down, everyone is looking to make the big moves that will score them the jury votes at the end.
”I’m willing to slice and dice my way through the game,” George declares.
”But I’m also willing to go into bat to protect the people closest to me.”
Will confident George slice and dice this week – or end up on the chopping block himself?
