Brooke and Locky’s connection was obvious from the start on Australian Survivor: All Stars, and as the weeks went on, it developed into something more.
“It was instant, like, you’re my person,” Brooke, 27, admits of meeting Locky for the first time on the island.
“We’d chatted a bit through Instagram beforehand – nothing crazy, just talking about travel – but I thought he was cute too. [Laughs] As soon as we got there, we were joined at the hip.”
Brooke opens up.
(Network Ten)The Melbourne-based personal trainer admits they tried to keep their growing connection “on the downlow, but it was hard”.
“I’d think, ‘Does he like me? Or is just using me [in the game]?'” she says. “And he’s thinking the same about me!”
Locky captioned this photo on his Instagram: “Always take care of the ones close to you xoxo #myrideordie #powercouple #livetofightanotherday”.
Locklan “Locky” Gilbert on Instagram (@locklangilbert)“But really, I trusted him from the start, and it was nice to have someone who made you feel good and not miss home so much.”
Despite efforts to disguise their connection, everyone knew what was going on.
“We were given several names out there,” Brooke says. “The king and queen, husband and wife… we copped it for sure.”
At one point, Brooke was worried about the relationship affecting her game on Survivor, so encouraged Locky to tone things down.
But he had other ideas. “He built us a double bed out of bamboo!” she recalls with a laugh.
“I was like, ‘This isn’t what I had in mind. I told you we need to tone it down and you built us a bed!”
But since filming wrapped in September last year, the realities of real life have become more stark. The biggest obstacle for the pair? Distance.
“We live on opposite sides of the country,” Brooke says.
“He’s in Perth and Bali, and I’m in Melbourne. His work means he’d want me to go to him, but I won’t leave my family and my dog. I’m also really focused on my career.”
Brooke poses with her golden retriever.
Brooke Jowett on Instagram (@brookejowett)“It’s a lot more difficult in the real world than it was out there.”
While the situation screams “it’s complicated”, Brooke insists they both identity as “single”.
Might that change in the future?
“I think he’s great,” she says. “I won’t be having his child anytime soon, like Sam and Mark [the season-two competitors on Australian Survivor who fell in love, had a baby and got married in 2019], though.
“It’s still on the cards. We haven’t completely written it off, it’s just very complicated with the distance. It’s such an obstacle.”
