Survivor Australia 2021: real estate agent Cara Atchison, Joey McCann, model Shannon Lawson

A Potts Point model, a Double Bay real estate agent and a North Bondi financial services guru have taken on the ultimate challenge as castaways in Australian Survivor 2021: Brains V Brawn

Three well known eastern suburbs residents will appear as contestants in the highly anticipated new series of Australian Survivor.

This year’s show will have two tribes, Brains and Brawn, and our local corporate hot shots do not disappointment.

Australian Survivor 2021 castaways.

1st City Real Estate director Cara Atchison was dubbed the Duchess of Double Bay by Channel 10 producers.

Ms Atchison, 47, a mother of three who is married to fellow real estate agent Brad Caldwell-Eyles, said she realised years ago she was an empath and she showcased her supernatural power on the show.

“I can definitely tune into people. I can hold their hand and can literally feel the physical pain of their body in my body,” Ms Atchison said.

Cara Atchison. PHOTOGRAPH BY NIGEL WRIGHT. Source: Channel 10.

“I can feel words come to me, like for example that they need to feel like a perfectionist. They’re words that might not make sense to me but if they’re telling me the truth, they will make sense to them.

“I can feel historical things like I they have mother issues or father issues. I make a lot of people cry by the way, and I become the trusted person they share their feelings with.

“I definitely didn’t manipulate people with it, that’s not what I’m about, but I would read people and get a sense of who I should perhaps be leaning towards.”

Also in the Brains tribe was North Bondi’s Joey McCann who is head of growth and partnerships at Count Financial.

North Bondi financial services manager Joey McCann. Source: Channel 10.

However, with 140 marathons under his belt, Mr McCann arguably has an element of brawn as well.

“I’m a comet of energy just shooting at the earth,” Mr McCann said.

“People said to me, ‘Joey, maybe go a bit under the radar’ but I thought, why go under the radar when you can go over it?

“I’m going to make it impossible, inconceivable, for anyone to want to vote me off.

“Did it work? Would I do anything differently? We will have to see.”

Mr McCann said he was playing to win from the very beginning.

“It’s very much a social game. It’s all about interpersonal skills – it’s all about your read of others,” Mr McCann said.

“In my professional life that’s what I do – I’m the guy who builds those relationships and builds them quickly so it was the people side of things that appealed to me.

“For me, it is a game. I mentioned the social side of it, but there’s also the deception side of it. I knew times have to go against my natural instincts.

“It’s a dog eat dog world so I knew at some point I’d have to turn on people – even people I had been working closely with because there’s only one winner in Survivor.”

Potts Point model Shannon Lawson brings both the brawn and beauty to the table.

Potts Point model Shannon Lawson.

The Instagram influencer who boasts more than 150,000 followers trained five days a week for the past year in order to hone her body into peak castaway condition ahead of filming in April and May.

“I’m constantly under estimated as a model and I love proving people wrong,” Ms Lawson said.

“Last time, a model won it. Could we have two from two? Who knows?”

Ms Lawson said she was recognised for the first time this week while walking her dog in Rushcutters Bay Park by a member of the public who had been eagerly watching the Survivor trailers.

However she said it was the desire to conquer the show she’s watched since childhood rather than gain new followers on social media that motivated her.

“I did the show to test my mind and body in the full capacity that is Survivor,” Ms Lawson said.

“I walked out of there with my head held high. I’m really proud to watch this season but also a bit cringey.

“There was a bit of a slapstick moment where I spelt ‘Survivor’ wrong in a challenge but it wasn’t my fault! But yes, I was that model.”

Australian Survivor: Brains V Brawn premieres this Sunday, 18 July at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and the 10 Play On Demand app.