Survivor presenter Jonathan LaPaglia axed after almost a decade as host

Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia has confirmed he has been sacked by Channel 10, releasing a bombshell statement saying the decision “hurt like a b***h”.

Longtime Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia has been axed ahead of the 2026 season.

The Australian TV host, who has helmed the Channel 10 show since its revival in 2016, will not return as a presenter next year.

Taking to Instagram to address earlier reports he’d been let go, LaPaglia confirmed to fans he’d been “blindsided” over a phone call.

“Australian Survivor has seen some of the most epic blindsides over the last 10 years, but this one might just be the craziest of them all…. because it happened to me,” he began a lengthy statement.

“I received a call from the Network thanking me for all my hard work and dedication to the show but for next season they are ‘going in a different direction’. Ratings had dipped a bit recently and they wanted to do something drastic to shake things up.

“So for the first time ever this is not a tribe swap, but a HOST SWAP®️ Yes, you read that right.”

LaPaglia, 55, who has already filmed the upcoming 13th season of Survivor, titled Australia V The World, went on to say the decision “hurt like a b***h”.

“I wish I could say, ‘Before we go to vote, tonight is a little different….no one’s going home.’ But I can’t. None of that non-elim bulls**t tonight! Someone IS going home. And with no idol in my back pocket, that someone is me,” he wrote.

“I have loved and will dearly miss the immensely talented crew, all the crafty players and our loyal sassy audience. I’m a huge fan of this incredible game, always have been, always will be.

“It has been one of the greatest adventures of my career to helm Australian Survivor, so it is without a doubt the hardest challenge of all to snuff my own torch but here goes; ‘JLP…..the tribe has spoken’.

“But don’t pull out your hankies just yet, I’ll still be at the helm for Australia v World…. probably our best season EVER! (Ps. Whoever said a blindside is the most humane way to put someone down is an idiot. It hurts like a b***h!)”

Australian Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia has reportedly been axed. Picture: Channel 10/ Supplied

It’s rumoured reality TV veteran and former Australian Survivor winner David Genat will replace LaPaglia.

The 45-year-old most recently made headlines for winning a life-changing $US5.8 million ($A9.21million) - “the biggest prize in primetime history” according to NBC - on the second season of American series Deal or No Deal Island.

Ten earlier confirmed to news.com.au LaPaglia was being let go after reports began circulating of his rumoured sacking.

David Genat, who won Deal Or No Deal in the US earlier this year, is rumoured to be replacing LaPaglia. Picture: Supplied

“10 can confirm that the upcoming season of Survivor: Australia V The World will be the last series hosted by the formidable Jonathan La Paglia (JLP),” a Ten spokesperson told news.com.au.

“JLP has brought a unique blend of authority, intelligence and empathy to his role as host of Australian Survivor over the last 10 years. Acting as a referee and managing the intense pressure of the game while also acknowledging the human drama unfolding, JLP has been a compelling and memorable figure in the world of Survivor.

“We look forward to JLP hosting the next epic instalment of Survivor: Australia V World coming soon to 10. We extend our sincere gratitude to JLP for his outstanding contribution over 10 years on Survivor. We wish him continued success in his acting and presenting career.

“We will be making an announcement shortly about who will take over hosting duties for the 2026 season of Australian Survivor.”

It comes amid a turbulent period of change at Channel 10, with current affairs program The Project airing its last show Friday night after 16 years.

Regular hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, Sam Taunton and Georgie Tunny bid farewell to viewers during an emotional final episode.

“Thanks to the people who built this from nothing,” Aly said in a teary address.

“The people who made this show 4,504 times, on camera and off. People long gone and here today. Every one of you is indispensable. Thank you to our guests over the years. To those who came to play, or persuade.

“To those who came on to be challenged, to meet us in the great public square of our lives, who disagreed with us in good faith over the years: thank you so much. You made us better. And thank you to you at home. Thanks for letting us into your hearts. Cliche thing to say is to let us in your living rooms, but that is inadequate. Instead, thank you for letting us into your hearts.”

Ten has since reshuffled its evening line-up, with game show Deal or No Deal moving to 7pm and “the launch of a new national one-hour 6pm news, current affairs and insights program six days a week to complement 10’s one-hour 5pm local news bulletins.”

Major broadcasters in Australia have been grappling with an unstable economy and a mass shift to streaming among viewers in recent years.

Over at Nine, the company let go up to 200 staff members, mostly from its print divisions, in July last year after Meta sensationally ceased commercial agreements with news outlets in Australia, which previously saw the tech giant pay news companies for their reporting.

Just two months later, it was reported Nine had a microscope on their big ticket stars, or rather, their jumbo pay packets, with stalwart Liz Hayes among those rumoured to be copping a pay cut at the time (Hayes quit the network earlier this year after 44 years).

It’s been a turbulent period of change for all Australian broadcasters. Picture: AAP Image / Julian Andrews

More change came in January when the Nine Darwin bulletin was axed. Residents in the NT are now served the Queensland bulletin, while the Gold Coast-based bulletin scaled back from two newsreaders to one, with presenters Eva Milic and Paul Taylor splitting their duties across the week.

Elsewhere in entertainment, the network famously didn’t renew the long-running game show Millionaire Hot Seat in 2023 (though that gamble has also paid off with Tipping Point dominating ratings), while Australian Ninja Warrior and My Mum, Your Dad were also put on ice.

It’s been a similar story at Channel 7, with news boss Anthony De Ceglie departing the broadcaster in May after just 12 months at the helm, a stint which saw him make a raft of controversial changes.

In June last year, Seven tasked itself with cutting $100 million in costs, which led to 150 jobs being slashed and network stalwarts being tapped on the shoulder. Popular Queensland weatherman Paul Burt and veteran newsreader Sharyn Ghidella were among the high-profile departures.

More recently, its new reality show narrated by Jackie ‘O’ Henderson Stranded on Honeymoon Island failed to resonate among viewers following its debut last Monday, dropping drastically in ratings for the rest of the week, all but confirming it won’t be renewed for another season.

Originally published as Survivor presenter Jonathan LaPaglia axed after almost a decade as host