Ever since he was a kid, Simon has been a massive fan of Survivor.
So he was surprised to find that a lot of his Brawn tribemates hadn’t actually watched the show before going on Australian Survivor: Brains V Brawn.
“People were clueless at times,” Simon, 31, tells TV WEEK.
Simon came into Survivor: Brains V Brawn with a clear strategy.
(Credit: Ten)“So many people didn’t know what was going on. They’d look to me and ask me questions because they didn’t know what was coming up.”
As viewers will see, knowing what to expect on Survivor gives Simon a definite advantage.
But the apprentice carpenter from Brisbane says it also worked against him, as his tribemates had even more reason to see him as a threat.
“It does put a target on your back: ‘This guy knows what’s going on, and then he’s a physical threat, he’s a social threat, he does have the brains…'” Simon says.
“Which seemed to be lacking a bit in the Brawn tribe, which is another good thing I brought.”
Simon, who spent 10 years in media, advertising and marketing before a COVID-inspired career change, has been focused on winning Survivor from the outset.
Simon says he doesn’t care if he’s viewed as a villain.
(Credit: Ten)Most recently, there was the reward challenge where he came across as playing dirty, then the tribal council, where he admits he threw tribemate Benny under the bus. But he thinks that was justified.
“At the end of the day, I’m a massive fan of the show and this is so important to me,” he says.
“I deserved to be there, compared to Benny, who had never watched an episode.”
Simon says he did what he had to do to keep himself alive in the game.
“If that means that I’m going to come across as the villain, then so be it,” he says.
“People can make up their own minds. I don’t really care.”
One person who Simon can always count on for support is his fiancée Bec. The couple got engaged just before filming started.
Simon had been planning to propose at a romantic picnic in WA’s Margaret River, but as they were flying from Brisbane to Perth, border restrictions were brought in.
Simon proposed to Bec not long before filming began.
(Credit: Instagram)They arrived and spent a night in hotel quarantine before heading back home to Queensland again.
“Bec was crying the whole way to the airport,” Simon explains.
“When we got to the drop-off zone, I got down on one knee there and made the 48-hour trip to Perth very memorable.”
Survivors ready? Get more info on the Brains V Brawn season here
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