Australian Survivor contestant Rogue slammed for ‘outrageous’ claim

Survivor viewers have turned on one player after her jaw-dropping comment to a fellow contestant in last night’s premiere.

One player’s shocking comment during Monday night’s Australian Survivor premiere has seen her cop a thunderous backlash from fans of the show – and from one of the game’s best-loved players.

Melbourne film director and animal activist Rogue Rubin is one of the players on the Heroes tribe, due to her efforts working in animal conservation in Africa.

But in last night’s premiere, she also revealed a competitive habit of one-upmanship that rubbed many of her teammates up the wrong way. When 62-year-old pilot Gerry joked that he was the closest to death in the group, she insisted that she was in fact closer to death than him because she had been bitted by a lion before.

Rogue is making few friends on Survivor … Picture: Nigel Wright

… including Nina (right) and her mum Sandra (left), watching from home. Picture: Network Ten

But it was her comments to returning player Nina Twine that stopped viewers in their tracks.

Nina, who is Black and was born in Florida, previously played in the last season of Australian Survivor, alongside her mother Sandra Diaz-Twine – a two-time US Survivor winner.

Making conversation around camp, Nina told Rogue which part of the US she was from.

“North Carolina. On the east coast. All the way on the other side,” she said.

Just wait, it gets worse.

“Because I live there half the time, I don’t need you to explain it to me like I’m an idiot,” Rogue shot back, putting her hand on Twine’s shoulder. “I work in the US all the time.”

And then the kicker, from Rogue: “I’m more African-American than you are, you need to understand that. Because I’m from Africa.” (Rubin was born in Cape Town, South Africa.)

This was hard to watch.

“Mmm …” Twine responded, showing remarkable restraint.

Viewers at home didn’t hold back – among them, Nina’s mother Sandra, who labelled Rogue’s comments “ignorant” and “outrageous”:

Rogue B*tc*, ✨this is outrageous. How are you so ignorant! Didn’t you say you had a sense of right & wrong. #survivorau B*tc* ✨ Please. Adios Mate https://t.co/mF9bUiKVWf

— Sandra Diaz-Twine (@SandraDTwine) January 30, 2023

Me figuring out how Rogue is more African American than Nina #SurvivorAUpic.twitter.com/lgT0pCNFCB

— Brendan Carroll (@Brendan55141728) January 30, 2023

Still in shock over what Rogue said to Nina about being more “African American” than her, that was easily one of the most insensitive things I’ve seen a Survivor contestant say on any version of the show😡 #SurvivorAU

— Reality Hawk🪶 (@RealityHawk) January 30, 2023

I cannot believe Rogue said what she just said to Nina #SurvivorAUpic.twitter.com/XPOrMeo22j

— Anthony (@anthoenywinters) January 30, 2023

Rogue just said what???? #SurvivorAU

— Yvie Jones (@yviejones) January 30, 2023

And with that, we are taking her off the stan list #SurvivorAUpic.twitter.com/hxB0fQznXe

— Dylan Heta (@TheDylanHeta) January 30, 2023

This part where Rogue literally goes rogue towards @Nina_UnTwined was uncomfortable watching. Nina handled this well considering how inappropriate Rogue was here. #SurvivorAUpic.twitter.com/ud5H3cPFUx

— Anth W. 🌏 (@anth0888) January 30, 2023

Elsewhere in Monday’s Survivor premiere, the season’s first Immunity Challenge ended in disaster for two players, who were hospitalised after taking brutal falls in a mud-filled obstacle course.

In hard-to-watch scenes, two contestants from the ‘Villains’ tribe – returning players Jackie Glazier and ‘King’ George Mladenov – both suffered injuries at the same moment, as they attempted to pass a difficult section of the first immunity challenge.

Jackie’s out of the game with a broken collarbone – but will George be allowed to continue? All will be revealed when Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains continues 7:30pm tonight on Ten.