Jonathan LaPaglia’s shock COVID discovery: ‘I almost had PTSD’

Australian Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia discusses the perils of shooting reality TV in Queensland, whether he or his brother Anthony would be voted off first – and why his daughter has had to give him a few lectures.

You live in LA with your wife Ursula Brooks and daughter Tilly. Since you were in lockdown for much of last year, did you find yourself completely hooked on the news cycle – sometimes to your detriment?

Oh, totally. That’s all I did. I mean, obviously work completely stopped for me as an actor because there was no production going on. So I was just there at home and obsessed by the news. I was practically held hostage by the news cycle. That’s all I was doing all day long.

And it’s not healthy on some levels, but I just couldn’t help myself. I just couldn’t – I was so consumed by it. There were times I got sucked into a rabbit hole and it was an unhealthy place.

“There’s still a part of me that’s a little wary because I feel on some level we here in Australia have been so removed from what’s been going on elsewhere.” (Picture: Daniel Nadel)

How did you break away from it?

I have a mentally intensive hobby: watchmaking. During that time, I did a lot of [that] and it requires a tremendous amount of focus. That was how I tried to balance the madness of the news cycle during the pandemic. In a way, that was my meditation; my yoga of the mind.

Having your family around probably helped, too. My dad was obsessed with the news during lockdown and I said to him, “Dad, you need to stop because it’s going to drive you nuts.”

Oh, yeah. My 16-year-old daughter gave me a lecture a couple times [laughs].

That’s what daughters are for: to tell our dads when they’re being a little bit crazy.

[Laughs] I was like, “But I can’t believe you guys aren’t interested in this!”

“Every year, you think you know who is going to win… no-one ever gets it right.” (Picture: Daniel Nadel)

You’re back in Australia now, shooting the new season of Australian Survivor. Have you experienced any culture shock because of how different the pandemic is being treated in LA versus here?

After I quarantined here and I got out and [saw] no-one’s social distancing, no-one’s wearing masks… I almost had PTSD. I was freaked out for quite a number of weeks. People would want to shake my hand and I was like, “What are you doing?” [Laughs].

It really did have an impact on me. And even now, there’s still a part of me that’s a little wary because I feel on some level we [here in Australia] have been so removed from what’s been going on elsewhere. COVID has had such a huge impact in the rest of the world.

On top of that, in the US, there has been huge political upheaval. That’s all been going on concurrently with the pandemic. There were the US elections and Black Lives Matter and the Capitol Riots. It’s been quite a crazy year.

Jonathan LaPaglia with his daughter Tilly in January. (Picture: Supplied)

Survivor is normally shot in Fiji but due to the pandemic, the reality show is being shot in north-west Queensland. What has it been like to shoot in Australia instead?

It’s actually been more difficult than I originally thought it would be. Not only for production, but also for the contestants. The conditions are much harsher than Fiji. It’s really quite brutal in the heat. After an hour out here in a challenge, my brain is melted and I can barely see.

And the contestants are out here all day long. Then at night it’s the complete opposite and it becomes extremely cold. So they’re really dealing with the extremes. On top of that, there isn’t much for them in terms of natural resources.

There are no coconuts or bananas or papayas like we get in Fiji. And of course, there’s the collection of dangerous animals and insects out here that can kill you in an instant.

Jonathan LaPaglia hosting the new season of Australian Survivor. (Picture: Supplied)

But not as deadly as those blindsides…

Oh, we have some really good blindsides this year! One that will be extremely satisfying. The internet will be on fire.

This year’s theme is Brains vs Brawn. What can you tell us about it?

We divided the tribes into those who have “brains” and those who have “brawn”, but they’re loose categories. We have some people who are academically well accomplished and well thought through. And then we have other people in that category who are street smart.

And then you have the brawn tribe, who are personal trainers and bodybuilders, and then we have pro-surfers and correctional officers in that tribe, too. And what you’ll see is that as time progresses, things start to overlap.

One of the best things about the show is that it doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, brainy or brawny, or a mix of some or none of those – anyone can take out the top prize.

That’s what I love about it, too. Every year, you think you know who is going to win… no-one ever gets it right. There’s one prize at the end and there’s an infinite number of pathways to get there. That’s what makes it exciting to watch and that’s why it has been such a successful franchise these 20-plus years.

Jonathan LaPaglia features in this Sunday’s Stellar.

This is the sixth season you’re hosting. Now that you’ve been doing this for a while, does anything surprise you anymore?

I’m always surprised. I’m never able to predict it.

I interviewed your brother [fellow actor Anthony LaPaglia] a few years ago and I said to him, “Anthony, your brother Jonathan hosts Australian Survivor. If you were both contestants, who would be voted off the island first?”

And he laughed and said, “Jonathan would definitely get voted off first. On the first day.” I think it’s only fair I ask you the same question. [Laughs].

Well, he may be right. I don’t think that I play well with others… so maybe I would get voted off first.

Australian Survivor: Brains V Brawn is coming soon to Network Ten.