“The weather in Malaysia is nuts,” David told New Idea. He described island conditions complicated by storms and tides, with crew carrying equipment above their heads through chest-deep water.
David put it among the hardest seasons the production has filmed, while arguing that the difficulty helped make the competition compelling. The crew, it seems, were getting their own endurance challenge.
There were opportunists beyond the contestants, too. He said monkeys entered camp and stole food while the players were away, and described elephants approaching camp and tigers in the surrounding area.
The rival pairings were another highlight for him. David said the players embraced the theme, bringing a direct, personal competitive energy to their match-ups.
Rivals puts each castaway opposite a competitor with comparable strengths on the other tribe. The line-up includes sporting opponents Robbie Farah and Adam Ashley-Cooper, actors Bernard Curry and Lincoln Lewis, and The Block twins Alisa and Lysandra Fraser.
The 24 players are competing for $500,000 and the title of Sole Survivor. The January premiere will give viewers their first look at how those rivalries play out in the Malaysian setting.
Australian Survivor: Rivals premieres Monday, 11 January 2027 at 7.30pm on 10.