Only the most iconic of Survivor players earn the prestige of being given a nickname thanks to their gameplay.
Harry Hills is one such player. Dubbed “Dirty Harry” for his sneaky tactics and strategic lies and “the Cockroach” for his canny ability to avoid being killed off, the 30-year-old built a legacy as a lovable villain in season four as well as All Stars.
Though he reached third place last time he was on the island, Harry’s run on All Stars came to a premature end post-merge and he became the second Jury Villa member, joining Locky Gilbert.
But competing on the show came at a cost and following his elimination, Harry tells Now To Love how the game affected his relationship with fiancée Jordan, the mental and physical exhaustion he faced playing Survivor seasons back to back and spills what he thinks about Locky being announced as 2020’s Bachelor.
How are you feeling after your big elimination, were you gutted to go out earlier than you did last time?
I feel pretty good. I’m pretty chill about the whole thing. I was [upset] at the time. I was a bit upset that I couldn’t really push through more. At the same time, I think it’s good to just acknowledge that it is a game, and like, a lot of people you end up losing. I actually feel quite good about it because if you’re not going to win then this actually meant that I got the full experience. Because the first time [when he came third last season] I didn’t really get to go to Jury Villa. So, this meant that I actually got to go to Jury Villa, I got to go to watch the other players play. So, if I wasn’t going to win, being a jury member was actually pretty ideal. It is very fun. You get to work out, you get food, you get sun, you’ve got TV. It’s a little bit of a relaxation getaway.
Harry was feeling “pretty chill” about his Australian Survivor exit.
(Image: Network Ten)What’s great about your game is that where a lot of people would give up knowing they’re going home, you keep scrambling until the end. Were you confident of getting the others across the line tonight before you were eliminated?
It’s always hard to say. I would always try anyway, and then if it didn’t work I wouldn’t take it personally, I would just sort of reload and have another go. Because the last thing you really want to do is get upset, because that will lock you into certain things. If you don’t get upset, you can always just come back. To be honest, I thought that I had a pretty good shot at actually getting across the line, particularly because strategically if you’re that seven, you kind of want to wait until there’s maybe two people, or maybe three people, before you start flipping. But I was kind of banking on the idea that getting Jacqui out was appealing, in terms of camp life. Particularly because her and Zach haven’t got on as the best of friends.
David was out for revenge and was partly responsible for your exit. Are you surprised that no one has really targeted him yet?
I’m very surprised. It’s a testament to his social game. We sort of went in thinking the same thing. I mean, me and David have both been back here with Pia [Miranda, who won last season], and she was such an elite social gamer. She could make everyone love her and it made you question getting rid of her. And, we both went in with that mentality. It was just unfortunate that he was doing it better than I could. So, it was very surprising to see no one really gunning for him, especially after that Idol show off.
WATCH: Australian Survivor’s Dirty Harry refuses to tell the other All Stars what his big advantage is. Story continues below…
Praising David’s social game, Harry admitted he was surprised the villain wasn’t a bigger target yet.
(Image: Network Ten)Do you think the tide will turn soon or do you think he’ll be able to keep playing that way until the end?
Well, I mean, being out there and seeing the way he was playing, like actually at camp, he was being quite subtle and social. He wasn’t being quite flashy and abrasive which is what he was doing when he’s in private. So he was actually going quite well in term of hiding the fact that he was in charge. At least to a lot of people. I sort of knew that he was a big player with Mo that was in charge. But the thing is, you kind of want to take those players out late. So, I didn’t think it was the time for me to target him.
A lot of players have mentioned that some things have been edited differently to how it played out in real life, and you’ve clarified what really happened in certain situations on your Instagram. Is there anything in particular with the edit that you found frustrating?
Look, I’m just a big Survivor fan, so, I just really want to provide that experience for other viewers and if that means me just clarifying a few things… I’m just kind of hoping to give people that extra experience, of knowing exactly how it went down. I think there are some people out there that are looking for that extra bit of information. I’m not really frustrated with anything. I’m more just trying to provide a little bit of insight, because if I’m a viewer, I want those extra little bits.
How physically exhausting was filming season four and All Stars back to back?
Hugely exhausting. I mean, I went into my first season at about 100, or 98 kilos, and I went down to about 81 when I came out. So I lost a huge chunk of weight, and then to try and have to get that back in about six weeks is nearly impossible. I was just eating everything, lifting weights as hard as I could, swimming, and I only managed to get myself back up to about 90kg, and at no where near the same strength. So, you’re definitely going in with a handicap. I think the thing that got me more though was the mental things, because you don’t really have time to mentally rest or prepare in those six weeks. Then going straight back in it kind of felt like I wasn’t doing day one, it felt like I was doing day 50, and then it starts to grind on you a bit. So, by the end I was getting a little bit angry at things that I shouldn’t have, or upset at things that were said. I think the mental side of it is really what you don’t see it all the time on TV, because, like, Survivor is a 24/7 game and it grates on you.
How did your partner Jordan react to you being away from home for so long?
It was really difficult for her to be honest. I remember actually asking her, in Fiji [after season four], if it was okay for me to play again, and I was being deadly serious. If she had have told me that she really didn’t want me to go, I wouldn’t have gone to play the second time. But she gave me the okay and it was a very difficult time for us and we’re still trying to get everything back to the way it was. It’s hard to actually explain, but there’s that sort of disconnect. I mean, I was gone for four out of six months, and it kind of affects the way you engage each other. It’s huge, especially for someone that you’re used to seeing every single day, texting every single day. To not hear their voice, to not see them, to not touch them, it was very, very difficult for me.
Harry said Survivor was tough on his relationship with fiancee Jordan (right).
(Image: Instagram)Last season you made up a son to connect with your fellow tribemates. Did you tell any big lies in All Stars that didn’t get to air?
No, well… I couldn’t because everyone from day one was like ‘Aww that Harry’s sneaky’. They knew that I’d got to third and they knew how much I had lied about everything. I kind of just had to deal with that target on my back straight away so I couldn’t lie very much. I almost had to sort of go into good guy mode and try to provide for the tribe, be honest to everyone. It was kind of difficult. I did enjoy having our little banana secret though. We had our little banana stash that we would eat secretly away from everyone. But no, no real outrageous lies.
What are your thoughts on Locky being announced as new Bachelor?
I love it, to be honest! It actually makes more sense the more I think about it. The dude’s handsome, super tall, he’s an adventurer. He’s pretty laid-back and down-to-earth when you actually get to know him pretty well. So I actually think it makes a lot of sense. He will really connect with a lot of people.
Locky’s appointment as the new Bachelor “makes a lot of sense” according to Harry.
(Image: Network Ten)Nick was pretty keen for you, him and Shonee to take the Little Rascals gang to compete together on *The Amazing Race.* Would you go another reality show like that?
Yep, I would actually if we could get a deal to get together and go on. I would never go on MasterChef though, because I’ve heard the filming for that goes for a very long time. I think The Amazing Race is absolutely the top, because it’s like a great adventure. I think that’s what all Survivor players are really chasing, is that sense of adventure. I would love to go on The Circle, if Australia was ever to do The Circle. I think it’s an amazing concept, and I would love to be on that.
It’s a Survivor-esque game except everyone is in separate apartments and they only communicate to each other via social media. And so you can lie about who you are, what you are, what you’re doing. You can lie about everything. So, for that I could actually really get behind it because then I could lie about everything.
Would you ever do Survivor again or are you kind of done now?
If I was asked I would definitely consider it. I would definitely do U.S Survivor if I could get a green card.
Want more Australian Survivor: All Stars content? Check out these links below!
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The heartbreaking reason Australian Survivor’s Nick Iadanza almost said no to All Stars
Where is Australian Survivor filmed? Well, not in Australia
Australian Survivor winners: Where are they now?
How much do Survivor contestants get paid? The answer may shock you
They’re back! Inside the battle of the alpha males on Australian Survivor All Stars 2020
Who is Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia’s wife? Here’s what we know
