The game of Survivor is one few can tackle, and even fewer can win.
Every season poses its own high stakes that have crushed even the most savage contestants, but Blood V Water may bring even more intense competition this year.
The castaways have taken a family member, friend, or partner with them into the show as an aid to help them achieve their dreams of becoming sole survivor.
Fans of the show are keen to see how former contestants Sam Gash and Mark Wales compete against MasterChef alum Khanh Ong and his sister Amy, the ‘Queen of Survivor‘ Sandra Diaz and her daughter Nina Twine, and Sam Frost’s brother Alex, who is paired with her ex-boyfriend Jay.
The show’s host, Jonathan LaPaglia, exclusively told Now To Love: “It complicates an already complicated game and that lends itself to more conflict and more drama,” he asserts.
“You start the game with a loved one and on the surface, that seems like that would be a huge advantage and it is on some level, right? Because this is someone that you can completely trust. And so that’s huge in a game where trust is the most valuable commodity.
“However, there are certain, you know, drawbacks to that. One is that your loved one knows you very well. And so, they know all your weaknesses and fears, and they can use that against you,” he warns.
And if it’s not the contestants getting to each other, the heat and terrain may dictate the last Survivor standing.
“It was even more brutal if you can believe that,” Jonathan told our sister site Who. “We had a number of players and crew collapse because of the heat.”
Here is a running list of every contestant that has left Australian Survivor: Blood vs Water.
Survivor
KJ
Sadly, Kate ‘KJ’ Austin was the last contestant to get voted out before the grand finale.
Mark had planned to vote Shay out, but he reshuffled his strategy to KJ when she won immunity.
Chrissy had tried to get Mark booted out, which led to a tied vote for KJ and Josh, so she decided to choose KJ, who then joined the Jury.
She wrote about her experience on Instagram, “To say a simple thank you doesn’t feel like enough, but I want to extend so much gratitude to those that helped make this possible.
“My family and my friends. You made this all happen. To Nick – you encouraged me to live out my dream, and our little tribe are so lucky to have you as their Daddy.
“Winning is fun but if you find a family along the way you can’t lose,” she shared.
Survivor
Jordie
Jordie Hansen, AKA the Joker, is finally booted from the tribe after weeks of attempts against him from various enemies.
He successfully cozied up to Josh Millgate the previous episode, but alliances returned to their regular programming last night. So, Jordie worked with KJ Austin and Shay Lajoie. There was Mark Wales, Chrissy Zaremba, and Josh on the other side.
Jordie’s grand plan was to convince Josh to come over to his side, but the joke was on him, and he found himself in the jury where he reunited with his brother Jesse.
“I am feeling gutted right now,” he reflected on his exit.
“They finally got The Joker, and finally Mark’s second idol was exposed. I gave it everything, I worked really hard to keep coming back, time after time, vote after vote.
Survivor
David
David Genat’s fate was sealed when Mark played his hidden Immunity Idol, and when the votes split evenly between him and Jordi, the tribe decided he was too much of a threat to keep in the game.
After he said his goodbye, he wrote on Instagram, “Juicy Dave was born in Survivor, and I’m very proud of the game I’ve played. I’ve always said it wasn’t my dream to be on Survivor, it was my daughter Briana’s, but she transferred that dream when they sent her home early. I would have loved for her to be there, that’s why I fought so hard.”
Survivor
Sam
Sam Gash’s exit is the most shocking of the season, but a least she was taken down spectacularly.
She and her husband Mark were the last couple standing, and with two idols between them, the tribe knew they had to squash their power.
Dave flipped the last vote so the Misfit Alliance could send home Jordan, Josh’s cousin and closest ally. Then Josh told his crew to play an idol for Sam, but they didn’t, so she was sent to the jury.
Sam admitted on her Instagram she saw her fate coming.
“The easiest move would be to play an idol & if I was driven by ego I would have done that. But, we were constantly weighing up what was best for our long game.
“🩸 v 💧 meant we had two lives at this very late stage & we wanted to give one of those lives the most potent path to the end. I said at the start of this game ‘I back myself but I back my husband more.'” she said.
Survivor
Jordan
Jordan Schmidt was unexpectedly axed from the show when an advantage saw KJ remove three members from his alliance to gain control over the vote.
Sadly, Jordan’s cousin Josh, Chrissy, and Mark were removed from the tribal council to make a three vs three on each alliance. Sam sneakily faked possession of an idol, which everyone brought, and switched their votes from her to Jordan.
But his final blow came from Juicy Dave, who put down his name to save himself. As a result, Jordan is the fifth member of the jury.
Survivor
Michelle
Michelle Chiang joined her twin Mel to become the fourth member of the jury, and after the tribe voted Mel out, she left for purgatory.
She took to Instagram to react, “Wow, what a ride!
“From someone who did not prioritise camping as her #1 choice of holiday experience to literally living out in the bush amongst the elements…this is me living out of my cushy comfort zone,” she added.
“Even though it was not an easy decision to come on the show as our father passed away unexpectedly a few weeks before filming, I am overall thankful,” she continued.
“Thankful for the experience, thankful the bonds with everyone that I’ve met and most of all, thankful for @survivorau for giving me and @mel.chiang the opportunity to be in the same place to play the game that she loves.”
Survivor
Jordie and KJ
Jordie Hansen and Kate ‘KJ’ Austin thought they were at the end of their journey after their shocking double elimination. But all was not what it seemed. Instead, the Survivors have been sent to purgatory and can earn their spots back.
They discovered their news on a stone with the message, “Your torch may have been snuffed, but your fate is not sealed follow this path to purgatory for a change to bring your game back to life.”
Survivor
Jesse
Jesse Hansen was convinced that Josh would go home, and he walked confidently into tribal with no plans to use his idol, which he trusted Sam to hold onto for him.
Little did ‘The Kid’ know that Mark’s alliance was planning to vote him out, and Sam was a swing vote, and she took her shot by writing down Jesse’s name and thanked him from the idol – it was a shocking move to vote out her closest ally, her husband.
Jesse hasn’t commented on his loss, but he posted a video featuring the cast and his wife drinking, hugging, and having a good time on his Instagram story.
Survivor
Mel
Mel Chiang was the next to leave the show after the core majority decided she was a looming threat. She was aware that there would be a split vote between her and her sister Michelle and she put up a good fight at the Tribal Council to try and break up the boys group that is cementing itself as the ones to beat.
The long-time fan celebrated her time on the series by penning her farewells in an Instagram post.
“From watching it on TV since I was 12 years old, to now watching my torch get snuffed by @jonathanlapaglia himself – still with a smile on my face! 😁
“I am so incredibly proud of myself, an inner city girl who has never been camping, living it rough for 28 days, with a fractured (not sprained like we thought!) left ankle for 21 of them! Ouch! 😱
“As a fan, I feel so fortunate to get to play this crazy game, and especially grateful to get to play it with my literal other half, @miche.chiang, I will be forever thankful. Our late father passed away weeks before filming started, and to celebrate his birthday on day 21 with her with us hugging on the mat before the reward challenge was just what we needed 💜,” she continued.
“I have met the best group of people – who i now consider my family – all 23 of them. We have memories that we can cherish and talk about for years to come.
“Even though you beat me @miche.chiang, I am so thankful and proud of you to continue on without me! I know I’ll never hear the end of it – but now you gotta go all the way!!! 💯
“Now, get me my beer and hot chips – this gal is hunnnnngry! 🍺 🍟.”
Survivor
Khanh
Khanh Ong was arguably the most exciting contestant this season as he was already beloved for his appearances on MasterChef. But unfortunately, his journey on Survivor was cut short after receiving just enough votes to get kicked out of the tribe, all while having his Immunity Idol tucked in his pocket.
Even though fans were sad to see him leave, Khanh was in good spirits, and he shared a grateful post on Instagram to mark his exit.
“It’s not all sad,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a video of himself swinging the idol he left with.
“@amyonng sent me a lot of amazing outfits so you wait for jury fashions,” he shared.
“Thank you so much for everyone’s kind words. I’ve been wanting to play @survivorau for so long and I was able to be part of blindsides, I won challenges, I got an idol, I got to play with my best friend @amyonng, I’ve met great humans and I went out with a bang. So thank you for allowing me to play this amazing game and be a part of this experience.”
Survivor
Ben
Ben Watson was the next stranded contestant to get blindsided by his tribe. After he played a big part in Croc’s elimination, Chrissy announced she planned to avenge him by bringing Ben down, but the red team wanted to bring Mel down.
In the end, Ben and Mel battled it out in a fire challenge which Mel won.
In discussion with The Courier Mail, Ben shared his reaction to being blindsided. “I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. It’s a surreal feeling [being blindsided],” he said. “To be honest my mindset changed when [host] Jonathan [LaPaglia] came out with his spiel about lemons being bitter.”
Survivor
Michael
Michael Crocker was yet another Survivor to fall victim to a blindside. The former athlete tried to form an alliance with Ben to eliminate Jesse. However, Jesse was working with Ben too but to boot Michael out.
The NRL star admitted to the Courier Mail that he even had an immunity idol in his pocket at the tribal council, but he never had the opportunity to play his hand.
“I had plans to use that idol once we got to merge, and I think I was too focused on that point, and I should’ve been more in tune with what was going on around me,” he admitted.
While focused on trying to play his best hand, he noticed Khanh and Michelle couldn’t look him in the eye at tribal, but he put it all down to “paranoia,” and ultimately it led to his demise.
Survivor
Nina
A week after her mum, Sandra, was eliminated from the competition, Nina was forced to leave after injuring herself while going down a slide.
JLP broke the news after the show’s medical team discovered she had sustained an avulsion fracture, which is when a ligament in the ankle attached to the bone comes away with a small part of the bone.
Nina took to her Instagram Stories to reveal how she felt about her untimely departure. She wrote, “Thank you so much for all the love. I cried for about a week straight after that.”
Survivor
Amy
She was a fan favourite, but Amy Ong, who entered the show with her MasterChef alum brother Khanh Ong was booted after the Blood Tribe pulled off what Amy called “a magnificent blindside.”
She took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the experience and the challenges she faced.
“I am so proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone and going on this amazing adventure of a lifetime,” she shared.
“Playing Survivor was one of the best things I’ve ever experienced and I’m so grateful for all the wonderful connections and lifelong friends I’ve made along the way. Unfortunately this time wasn’t for me and sadly I didn’t get to play with my brother, Khanh.
“Thank you to every single person who has supported me on this journey. I love you all.
“Now go win this thing for us @khanhong.”
Survivor
Sophie
A well-known businesswoman and Influencer, Sophie Cachia, said goodbye to the show after the blue tribe voted her out.
She was even blindsided by her sister, KJ, who wrote down her name, but despite the shock of her ‘betrayal,’ she embraced her sister and promised she would take care of her children while KJ seizes her “big moment.”
After her exit, she shared a few photos from her moments on the series, writing, “Kate I was so emotional watching you make such a tough decision. You’re so incredibly brave. In your absolute element, and I love watching you in this game.”
Sandra
Sandra
The possibility of THIS Survivor getting eliminated was highly anticipated – if it were to happen at all!
After the season’s toughest test, the two-time US Survivor winner Sandra Diaz-Twine was voted out by her tribemates and her daughter, Nina, in a savage twist.
However, perhaps fans should have seen the exit coming because Sandra has a “curse,” which has seen her get eliminated on day 16 of the show, which is exactly what happened for the third time.
A tribe swap saw the contestants reunite with their original playing partner after getting separated on the first day of the competition. Nina had promised her mum she wouldn’t write down her name, but after Jonathan LaPaglia asked her about her alliance with Sandra, she was struggled to answer him, which made her mum suspicious.
After her exit, Sandra revealed to New Idea her true feelings about her daughter voting her off the show.
“There are no hard feelings at all, no hard feelings to Nina, none to Jordie, who was the mastermind of the episode. Not one bit!” she declared.
However, she wasn’t so happy about failing to pass her 16th day.
“And I was not happy about it, I was dreading it and I was fearing for my life in the game.
“I could sense that something was wrong during Tribal. Every time I said something, everyone would say, ‘Guys stick to the plan.’ And I’m thinking, ‘What plan? Oh my God, I am the plan!”
Even though she was annoyed leaving on such a low note, she told the publication that Australian Survivor contestants are kinder than the American players.
“While the competitors are definitely nicer, they definitely value strength a lot more and what you bring to the table and what you can do for the tribe,” Sandra explained.
Survivor
Jay Bruno
He had made a strong alliance with Amy, Jay, and David, but in the end, Sam Frost’s ex was blindsided.
The trio had tried to vote out Sandra, but the tribe stayed loyal to her, which forced Amy to play her idol and stacking the split vote on Jay.
While shocked, Jay took the news well.
“That was one HELL OF A RIDE,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I’ll miss you Jonathan and my tribe!” he added.
Jay is now part of the second coupling to be gone from the game, with siblings Andy and Kate leaving first and Jay’s friend, Alex, leaving in Monday’s episode.
Survivor
Alex Frost
He suffered an unlucky injury on day one, which left him vulnerable throughout the competition, so he decided to withdraw from the series in a shock twist.
Alex asked his team to vote him out instead of their chosen play, Sophie or Kahnh, but they refused, so he chose to leave, and no vote went ahead.
On Instagram, Alex shared that he was “sad to leave the world’s greatest game, but I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”
Alex’s older sister and former Bachelorette Sam Frost wrote him a sweet tribute, saying, “you are hands down the biggest legend with the softest and kindest soul.”
Kate
Kate
Chaos was imminent when Brianna’s Dad, Dave, was out for revenge after his daughter was kicked off the night before.
While the split tribes meant he couldn’t exact revenge on Water, he decided to try his luck picking off Sandra, which was a brave choice.
However, his move wasn’t smooth, leading Sandra to turn a decent amount of castaways to vote against him. And when he accused Sam of throwing out his name for vote, when she considered them close friends, she started walking around Tribal Council and telling people to write Dave’s name down.
Dave did play an immunity idol, and while it was looking like the end of things for Sandra, just enough people put Kate’s name down to have her sent home instead.
At the end of the show, she said she hoped Andy was happy she at least got to spend a bit of time with Sandra, his Survivor hero, before she followed him on home.
Brianna
Brianna
An immunity idol was for grabs at the Tribal Council, but Brianna found herself promptly ousted by a majority vote.
When she entered the competition, Brianna had hoped to make big moves, but in the end, she was too intense for the group, and because she was a threat, they let her go.
Brianna took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the experience.
“I live boldly, I #riskitforthebiscuit 🍪… I may not have the biscuit but I have invaluable lessons I have learnt and memories I will cherish for a lifetime,” she wrote.
“But one thing is for certain… I don’t think I’m done with the game… And I don’t think the game is done with me. WE HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS.”
Brianna’s father, David, is still playing in the Blood Tribe.
Andy
Andy
Andy came into the competition with his sister Kate, but it wasn’t long until she had to say her goodbyes after he was blindsided.
The Survivor superfan and Champions Vs Contenders alumni attempted to move onto Alex’s perceived weakness after he sustained an injury, and Andy asked the tribe to vote him out.
Meanwhile, Sandra Diaz-Twine’s daughter Nina made silent plans against Andy because she wasn’t a fan of his overconfidence and found him untrustworthy.
Andy was visibly shocked when he was ousted, and after it aired, he took to Instagram to comment on his loss.
“My siblings just told me that maybe if I’d been wearing my glasses, I would have seen it coming! 😂,” he wrote.