Australian Survivor‘s long-time host Jonathan LaPaglia has revealed his job’s “toughest” part.
Jonathan — who has been referred to as “JLP” since his inaugural season in 2016 — is beloved by fans, particularly for the way he conducts Tribal Council in a way that makes them entertaining every episode.
However, while it may seem like a cruisy gig to occasional Survivor viewers, the 54-year-old said Tribal Councils are the “toughest” part of his role.
“Tribals can go for a couple of hours,” he explained to Yahoo! Lifestyle. “Keeping track of 24 different stories and trying to extract the right information without blowing up the players’ games is incredibly difficult.
“But when you land on the right question and suddenly the tribal opens up, it’s so fun to sit back and enjoy the show.”
Jonathan LaPagliaon reveals whether the Australian Survivor theme impacts the game
Jonathan was intrigued by the season’s Titans V Rebels theme when it was announced, although he doesn’t think it will impact the game.
“It almost doesn’t matter what we call the tribes because the players invariably fully embrace their namesake and go head to head to deliver conflict and high drama — which is what we want to see!” he said.
“We have 24 brand new players who are keen to leave their mark on the game and come out swinging for the fences the minute they land on the beach.
“The gameplay is hard and fast and makes for another cracking season.”
Jonathan LaPaglia discusses the ‘extreme’ environment where Australian Survivor 2024 is filmed
For the second year in a row, Australian Survivor has returned to Samoa after stints in Fiji and rural Queensland.
Unsurprisingly, Samoa’s unpredictable weather has a HUGE effect on players as they try to outlast 47 days on the island.
“The weather is the issue; it really is extreme,” Jonathan shared. “Blistering hot and humid most days, it can rain a lot and become cold at night, which is no fun when you’re camping on a beach with only a banana leaf for protection.
“Over time, this becomes very exhausting and, combined with hunger, can greatly impact their judgement when it comes to gameplay.”
Contrary to the US franchise that has filmed in a litany of countries, JLP doesn’t think different locations are imperative to the competition.
“That might be exciting for the crew, but the truth is the game is so strong that it really can be set anywhere.”
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