Survivor star Jordie Hansen opens up about his whirlwind romance with pregnant fiance, Sam Frost

In the year since starring on Australian Survivor, Queensland’s Jordie Hansen found love with Sam Frost, got engaged, and found out they were having a baby. Then he had to leave it behind.

Queensland’s Jordie Hansen had just discovered fiance Sam Frost was pregnant with their first child when he was offered the chance to return to Australian Survivor.

Hansen’s life was completely changed by his first appearance on the reality show early last year, meeting Frost through fellow competitor Alex, her younger brother, getting engaged and discovering they were expecting a child.

Suddenly, he was being offered a chance to compete again on the new Survivor: Heroes V Villains in Samoa less than a year since he returned from the game.

“I found out (Frost was pregnant) not long before leaving so that made the decision even harder,” Hansen said. “I was leaving everything I ever wanted at home. The beautiful world I had built was just sitting at home waiting for me. So it was definitely difficult … why am I leaving this to go starve myself in the jungle?”

Sam Frost and partner Jordie Hansen live in Noosa. Photo: Instagram

But for Hansen he couldn’t turn down the opportunity to return to the show that changed his life.

“It all sweeps you up so fast and you don’t even realise it’s happened. Sometimes Sam and I stop and look back on the last 12 months and go far out, how lucky are we,” he said.

“To have been given the opportunity of Survivor the first time, to meet Sam through her brother, having played, what a coincidence, and then next thing we know we are engaged and having a baby and then they ask me back. And you go, when does this train stop?

“We are having such an amazing time. We are very lucky and we feel very grateful and we feel like you’ve got to make the most of the opportunity, and enjoy every opportunity.”

After learning they were expecting a child, the couple decided to a move from Melbourne to Noosa late last year to start their family.

Jordie Hansen is returning for Australian Survivor: Heroes V Villains. Photo: Nigel Wright/ Channel 10

“I’m so excited (to be a dad). And to be doing it up here on the Sunny Coast, we couldn’t be in a better place to raise a child – for us anyway,” he said. “We were living eastern suburbs of Melbourne when we first found out Sam was pregnant. While Melbourne is a fantastic city, for us we need to be near the ocean, be where it’s warm. So why not come to the Sunshine Coast.”

Hansen knew his reputation as the joker from last season would put a target on his back for the new Heroes V Villains format.

He said learning he would soon be a father had impacted how he played the game.

“The one thing I noticed that was different, it was about setting an example for my boy,” he said. “One day he is going to watch this back. Is it all about winning? Or are you going to make the most of that whole opportunity?”

“A lot of returning players in the past have hidden in the shadows but for me if I walked away having hidden tin the shadows, I would never be OK with that, so for me it was about just playing hard and having fun, and just shoot for the stars and see what happens.”

Australian Survivor premieres January 30 on Channel 10.