Hunted Australia 2023 has kicked off, and while it’s edge-of-your-seat viewing, it seems the rules are a little ~aMbIgUoUs~.
After the series first premiered in 2022, fans were confused AF as to why the Hunters couldn’t raid a house.
They also questioned why Fugitives couldn’t just stay put in one place, and why on earth they could put a GPS in a car but not get around a crazy tall fence…
Of course, the series — which sees 18 fugitives set into the wild — is meant for entertainment. But given that the hunters are made up of real lyfe military and intelligence operatives, you’d be forgiven for questioning every tiny detail.
To help you out a little, we’ve gone deep into the world of Hunted to find out precisely what the rules are.
Official rules for the Fugitives on Hunted Australia 2023
Hunted Australia 2023 contestants are allowed to bring an overnight bag, sunglasses and a map of Victoria.
They can also have a black cap, disguises, contact addresses, running shoes and food.
They do not, however, have access to their mobile phone. Being “crims”, the detectives are given a head start for intel after the fugitives surrender their devices.
When it comes to money, each fugitive is given $150 on a bank card and $250 cash, making it $500 per team.
And unlike their overseas counterparts who can go anywhere in the UK, escapees cannot leave the state of Victoria.
One team member must also wear a personal camera device at all times, with each team having a cameraman following their every move.
Yes, we see the issue here, but how can we watch if they aren’t being filmed?
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, there was also mandatory overnight downtime for Hunters and Fugitives, with everyone working 10-hour days, seven days a week over several weeks of filming.
And finally, the cast is not allowed to commit any actual criminal offences, i.e. changing their number plates or robbing a bank. That type of thing!
As for the Hunters, they seem to be able to pay off “people of interest” for information. Not behd!
Additional rules from Hunted worldwide
While Australia is only entering its second season, worldwide, there have been numerous iterations.
The UK and the US have already hosted several seasons and it seems there are blanket rules across the board.
In a radio interview with B98.5’s Tad and Melissa, Emiley Cox and David Windecher from a US series revealed several rules that haven’t been officially announced here.
These include:
- Fugitive teams must move every 48 hours.
- They cannot return to the same place twice.
- The competitors cannot be helped by the same person twice.
- Teams have to use the ATM twice during the competition.
- Teams cannot take out more than $100 from an ATM at one time and cannot visit an ATM more than once a day — as we all know, it’s a different amount here!
- Friends and family are allowed to provide fugitives with money, however, only $100 maximum.
- Producers “can create or take away a rule at any point”. Lol. Wut?!
What have other past contestants said about the Hunted Rules?
According to Magid Magid, who was a fugitive in 2018’s Hunted UK, you’d be mistaken if you think they can hide in one place.
“If you’re one of the many people that think you would evade capture by just hiding in your mate Barry’s basement wearing a balaclava for 25 days, sadly, that would all be a breach of the rules, and you would be penalised,” he said in a Twitter thread after he was captured.
He also revealed that (unsurprisingly) the producers wear the pants on this show!
“It’s the executive producers that know everything on both sides and can manipulate things,” he said.
A thread about my honest experience of being a fugitive on #Hunted
— 🚀MΛG!D (@MagicMagid) February 1, 2018
“Without going into details. There was only so much lying, intimidation & threats 2 tell the Hunters where I was I could take from the exec producers. All because I challenged them when they wanted me 2 do some ridiculous things (produced) which weren’t part of the original rules. [sic]”
It seems that the mandates are designed to keep the teams moving, so they’re not just switching between two hiding places…. ya know, gotta make exciting TV!
Obviously, this makes sense now, but would have been excellent for clarification!
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