Former contestant David Genat has been confirmed as the new host of Australian Survivor.
Network 10 announced the news in a statement on Monday night.
David Genat, known as the Golden God, has been confirmed as the new host of Australian Survivor.
Widely rumoured for weeks, the confirmation comes after the controversial sacking of long-time host Jonathan LaPaglia, which confused and devastated many fans of the show.
“It’s no secret there’s been a change at the helm,” Paramount Australia’s SVP Content and Programming Daniel Monaghan said after Genat was eliminated in the new season of Survivor: Australia v the World.
“As we step into this exciting new era, there was simply no better person to pass the baton to – David’s track record, not just on Survivor but across reality TV worldwide, is unrivalled, and there’s no one with more real-time experience and game knowledge to help steer this epic season.”
Australia v The World – a special event season that has brought together the biggest players from around the world – was Genat’s third time on the show, having previously competed on Champions v Contenders in 2019 and All Stars in 2020 (a season he won). Earlier this year, he also won one of the biggest prizes in reality TV history, taking home $9.2 million as the victor of US series Deal or No Deal Island. Genat, a former model known as the “Golden God” for his charisma and self-confidence on screen, also hosted the 2023 travel adventure series Rush.
But, in his statement announcing the news, Genat deflected attention from himself.
“I love Australian Survivor. It truly is the greatest game on earth, so getting to come back as host after playing three times is such an honour,” he said. “But Survivor is not about me; it’s about the incredible players who put everything on the line to outwit, outplay, and outlast.”
Jonathan LaPaglia hosted Australian Survivor for 10 years.
