Australian Survivor and the crazy contestant mistake that just keeps happening

One reality TV contestant’s crazy error had frustrated fans asking a simple question last night: How does this keep happening?

The Survivor franchise has been running for more than 20 years now, but incredibly, some contestants still enter the game making one simple error.

West Australian bodybuilder Kez, 25, was the latest in a long line of Survivor contestants to make the mistake in Sunday night’s premiere of Australian Survivor: Brains V Brawn.

Contestants settled in for their first night at camp in the outback near Cloncurry, Queensland. Sleeping on the ground with minimal shelter, they also hadn’t been able to get their fire started.

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Big ‘passing out at a uni house party’ vibes

As temperatures plummet to below 15C, the contestants only have each other and their few items of clothing to keep warm. For some, that was considerably less clothing than others:

Give these people a blanket! Even a light throw!

The next morning, Kez wondered aloud why she hadn’t packed a few more items of clothing.

“It’s freezing cold, and I’m just thinking: Kez, why didn’t you bring a jacket? You’re in the outback, in the freezing cold, with a singlet and short-shorts on. Good idea, Kez.”

Kez, wishing she brought a jacket.

Those watching at home agreed with her:

Survivor has been on for how many years & people still dont train months or weeks before to try know how to start a fire.
OR even think to bring a jacket?! It's the outback it's going to be cold at night omg #SurvivorAU

— j a c k i e💜 (@JackieWarner13) July 18, 2021

Home girl didn’t bring a jacket I’m dead #SurvivorAU

— rebecca (@1800hotbitch) July 18, 2021

why wouldnt you bring a jacket with you regardless of where you are #SurvivorAU

— abby (@lowkeyabby) July 18, 2021

If I was on #SurvivorAU, my one outfit would be layers on layers on layers. How can you forget to bring a jacket?! 🤯🥶

— cd (@carlinad) July 18, 2021

It’s a surprisingly common regret for players once they’ve exited the game. Back in 2018, Steve ‘Commando’ Willis told news.com.au he wished he’d packed warmer layers, instead assuming tropical Fiji would be warm 24 hours a day.

“The slightest breeze can have an effect on how well you sleep. Some of the others took a nice jumper and some trackies – that would have served me well. It gets in your head, and you overlook a lot of the beautiful things happening around you because you’re focused on being cold. You become … quite miserable,” he said after his elimination.

One player who did pack well: Crochet artist Phil, an early fan favourite who became this season’s first evictee after a bizarre tribal council twist. Phil, who uses they/them pronouns, told news.com.au that they had made sure to pack for the extreme outback weather.

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Phil’s Survivor dreams were snuffed last night.

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“I had a crochet jumper with me, so in terms of keeping warm at night, I was fine. It was just everybody else who had really minimal clothing and found it hard,” they said.

“We do have the ability to choose what we wear, so I have no idea how it keeps happening. I had a jumper, a long sleeve shirt – I made sure I packed as much clothing as possible!”

Phil was sent packing after tribemate George got to choose five other players to leave tribal council with him (as the video at the top of the page shows, that big move may yet backfire).

The few left behind were left scrambling, all their plans in tatters – and Phil was their last resort. Phil said had it not been for that unlucky turn of events, they were sure they could’ve gone far in the game.

“I’ve talked to some past players now who would’ve been in a similar archetype that I would’ve filled, and a lot of them got far once they got over that hump of a few tribal councils of safety. I think I would have made it far – I was integrating well, performing well in challenges,” they said.

“I think I would’ve been fine. At least a huge twist had to happen for me to be eliminated first.”

Australian Survivor continues 7.30pm Monday and Tuesday on Ten.