Network 10 announced the line-up on Sunday, several months before the season airs, confirming a cast built around 12 direct rival pairings.

Each player has been matched against someone on the opposite tribe with a similar background, competitive edge, personality type or public profile, meaning the rivalry starts before anyone even lights a torch.

David Genat will return as host after taking over the series for Australian Survivor: Redemption.

Meet The Australian Survivor: Rivals Cast

The full Australian Survivor: Rivals cast is:

  • Adam Ashley-Cooper, 42, NSW
  • Adam Cooney, 40, VIC
  • Alisa Fraser, 42, SA
  • Bernard Curry, 52, QLD
  • Christian Wilkins, 31, NSW
  • Danielle Scott, 36, NSW
  • Ellie Gonsalves, 35, QLD
  • Emily Jones, 34, NSW
  • Eva Bantin, 51, NSW
  • Heath Shaw, 40, VIC
  • Jorden Tually, 32, NSW
  • Josh Robinson, 26, VIC
  • Kaitlyn Souksamlane-Tan, 36, NSW
  • Kate Allan, 36, NSW
  • Kerri Pottharst, 61, NSW
  • Lincoln Lewis, 38, QLD
  • Louie Liu, 37, NSW
  • Lysandra Fraser, 42, SA
  • Mitch Churi, 30, NSW
  • Portia Ferdinand, 27, NSW
  • Robbie Farah, 42, NSW
  • Sarah Yatim, 31, NSW
  • Sharni Layton, 38, WA
  • Yusuf Omar, 36, QLD

Every Australian Survivor: Rivals Pairing

Adam Ashley-Cooper and Robbie Farah are the Rugby Union v Rugby League pairing. Ashley-Cooper is one of Australia's most capped Wallabies, while Farah is a Wests Tigers legend and former Australian, Lebanese and NSW representative.

Heath Shaw and Adam Cooney bring an AFL rivalry into the game, with Shaw representing Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney across his career and Cooney winning the 2008 Brownlow Medal after his time with the Western Bulldogs.

Alisa Fraser and Lysandra Fraser are the Twin v Twin pairing. The sisters won The Block: Sky High in 2013, returned for The Block: Fans v Faves in 2014, and will now be split into direct competition.

Christian Wilkins and Mitch Churi are the Red Carpet Rivals, bringing fashion, media, radio and entertainment industry experience into the season.

Kerri Pottharst and Danielle Scott are the Olympians pairing. Pottharst won beach volleyball gold at Sydney 2000, while Scott is a four-time Winter Olympian in aerial skiing.

Sharni Layton and Sarah Yatim are the Netball v Football match-up. Layton represented the Australian Diamonds and later played AFLW, while Yatim has a background across futsal and football.

Lincoln Lewis and Bernard Curry are the Actors pairing, with both bringing long Australian television careers into the game. Lewis is best known for Home and Away and Tomorrow, When The War Began, while Curry has appeared in Neighbours, Home and Away and Wentworth.

Jorden Tually and Yusuf Omar are the Vloggers pairing, matching Tually's travel creator background with Omar's journalism and digital storytelling experience.

Josh Robinson and Louie Liu are the Rebels pairing. Robinson is a 26-year-old Victorian castaway, while Liu is a 37-year-old NSW contestant, with Network 10 keeping their wider backgrounds more under wraps than some of the celebrity-heavy match-ups.

Portia Ferdinand and Emily Jones are the Lawyers pairing. Ferdinand has a legal background that included involvement with the Australian Pro Bono Centre while studying at UNSW, where she also served as editor-in-chief of the UNSW Law Society's Court of Conscience, while Jones brings her own legal experience into a rivalry built around strategy and sharp reads.

Ellie Gonsalves and Kaitlyn Souksamlane-Tan are the Divas pairing. Gonsalves is a model, actor and media personality who competed on Big Brother VIP in 2021 and appeared in Fighting with My Family, while Souksamlane-Tan is a NSW castaway being introduced to viewers through one of the season's more personality-led rivalries.

Kate Allan and Eva Bantin round out the cast as the Power Mums. Bantin is a recruitment specialist with almost 30 years of industry experience, while Allan is a 36-year-old NSW contestant who gives the pair a direct mum-versus-mum match-up heading into the Malaysian season.

A New Era In Malaysia

Australian Survivor: Rivals marks another major shift for the franchise, with the game moving to Malaysia and the cast forced to navigate both tribal politics and their own direct match-up.

The format still comes down to Outwit, Outplay and Outlast, but the Rivals twist gives every contestant an obvious measuring stick from day one.

Australian Survivor: Rivals will premiere on 10 in 2027, with an exact premiere date yet to be announced.