Australian Survivor has always pitted strangers against each other. Its 2027 season goes one step further and pits each castaway against the person most like them. Australian Survivor: Rivals premieres on Monday 11 January 2027 at 7.30pm on 10, and streams free on 10, Paramount Australia & New Zealand has confirmed.
David Genat returns as host, with the season shot in Malaysia. Network 10 is billing the theme as a “global-first” for the format.
How the rivals format works
The premise is simple and a little cruel. Two evenly matched tribes go head to head, and within them every player faces off against “someone who possesses the same strengths, talents, drive, charisma, and hunger,” in the release’s words. The prize remains A$500,000 and the title of Sole Survivor.
Paramount Australia & New Zealand / Network 10
Genat, in the release, calls it “intense and surprising.” The more practical promise is that strategy now starts before the first tribal council: knowing exactly who your mirror image is changes the alliance maths from day one.
Who is in the cast
Paramount named the full cast of 24 in September, and seven of the rivalries are spelled out:
- Robbie Farah v Adam Ashley-Cooper: rugby league against rugby union.
- Heath Shaw v Adam Cooney: former Collingwood and Essendon AFL players.
- Alisa Fraser v Lysandra Fraser: twin interior designers from The Block.
- Kerri Pottharst v Danielle Scott: two Olympic champions.
- Bernard Curry v Lincoln Lewis: two actors.
- Mitch Churi v Christian Wilkins: two red carpet regulars.
- Sharni Layton v Sarah Yatim: two athletes.
The rest of the cast are Ellie Gonsalves, Emily Jones, Eva Bantin, Jorden Tually, Josh Robinson, Kaitlyn Souksamlane-Tan, Kate Allan, Louie Liu, Portia Ferdinand and Yusuf Omar. The cast release also promises two top lawyers, a pair of vloggers and two “power mums,” without yet saying which castaways fill those roles; their pairings are left for the show to reveal.
A familiar January slot
The 11 January start puts Australian Survivor at the front of 10’s 2027 schedule, part of the slate the network unveiled at its upfront in late October. Endemol Shine Australia, part of Banijay Entertainment, produces.
For viewers planning the summer, our guide to what is New on Streaming in Australia this month covers the lead-in, and ABC’s 2027 slate shows what the public broadcaster is lining up against it. For the policy backdrop to local production on screen, see our explainer on Australia’s streaming content quota.
Where to watch
- Australian Survivor: Rivals: 10 (broadcast) and 10’s free streaming service · AU · from Monday 11 January 2027, 7.30pm
- New Zealand: no New Zealand broadcaster has been confirmed in Paramount’s announcements; check local listings closer to air.
- CA, US, UK: no availability announced.
Sources
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