Pia Miranda has dominated this season of Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders, but not even she could anticipate the toll her attempts to “outwit, outplay and outlast” would have.
In fact, the show left the Looking For Alibrandi actress with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms when she returned to her day-to-day life. Eek!
Chatting to NW as the final tribal council approaches, Pia, 46, shares the harsh realities of starring on the series – and confesses she struggled to use a proper loo!
Hi, Pia! What was the hardest part about coming home?
I honestly felt like I had a bit of PTSD. It took me a long time to relax – I thought everyone was plotting against me! I told myself, “My family isn’t plotting against me,” but some days I’d struggle to look them in the eye. I kept saying, “I have to keep an eye on everyone.” But I was just being paranoid.
What was the weirdest thing you did when you got home?
I began to go outside to go to the toilet behind a tree! I thought, “What am I doing?” I didn’t feel comfortable using a toilet – I felt too fancy and up myself.
READ NEXT: Will Pia Miranda be crowned Sole Survivor of 2019?
Pia reveals it took her a long time to relax after Survivor.
(Source: Network Ten)That’s hilarious! What was the toughest part about being on Survivor?
The cold and the lack of sleep. I’d be lucky to get two hours a night. Also, it was always raining so we were always wet. We had upset stomachs from eating coconut and after a reward challenge, you’d be really sick afterwards.
What’s something viewers didn’t see?
How starving we all were. It’s weird they didn’t want to show that, but we’d talk about food 24/7! We’d ask each other, “OK, what are you going to get from Coles?” and go on a pretend shopping trip. We’d give each other budgets and talk about what we were going to buy. So the first day I went to Coles when I got home, I just went crazy. I got things I would never usually buy, like waffles and Pop Tarts!
Australian Survivor airs 7.30pm Monday September 16 and the finale airs 7.30pm Tuesday September 17 on Channel 10.
WATCH NEXT: Pia Miranda and Matthew Newton in Looking For Alibrandi.
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