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Australian Survivor shock: ‘So Harry just killed a child for nothing?’

Jonathan LaPaglia was stunned as Survivor’s biggest lie was exposed — but now a contestant has revealed they all knew for weeks.

Nick BondNick Bond
@bondnickbond
3 min read
August 12, 2019 - 2:19PM
Australian Survivor contestant Harry's big lie (Survivor)

For several episodes now, Australian Survivor viewers have been let in on a little secret: Contestant Harry Hills’ young son back at home is actually entirely fictional.

The ice cream maker, 30, was shown waxing lyrical about his beloved only child after the tribe swap last week meant he had a few new tribemates he needed to bond with quickly.

Hills noted that his new tribemates all had children — and thus, Oscar Hudson Hills was born.

No, wait: Oscar Nathan Hills.

Survivor fans have watched through their fingers as Hills dug deeper into the lie, telling anyone who’d listen about his love for his young (pretend) son and how (fictional) fatherhood had changed his life.

Speaking to news.com.au today, Hills’ Contenders tribemate Shaun Hampson revealed that the lie had actually started from the moment they’d arrived on Survivor.

“He told the same thing to us on day one – ‘Hi, I’m Harry, I work in an ice-creamery, and I’ve got a son, Oscar, who’s three’. I think it was three days into the game, me and a few other people had worked out Oscar was probably fake,” father-of-two Hampson revealed.

Harry's big lie is discovered.
Harry's big lie is discovered.
Shaun says they all knew weeks ago.
Shaun says they all knew weeks ago.

“As a dad, talking to him about children, it just didn’t feel right... but at the same time I couldn’t go ‘Harry, Oscar’s fake.’ On the off chance that he’s real, that’s an insulting thing to say to somebody!”

Hamspon says the suspicions became a running gag at camp — and were privately shared with Champions tribe member and pro wave surfer Ross Clarke-Jones, who ended up exposing Hills last night.

“Ross was just obsessed with it going forward, trying to catch Harry out,” said Hampson.

“I think (Harry) had the perception that parents seem more trustworthy, and it’d be a good way for him to relate to older people. He’d tell us stories about him, his date of birth, his middle name… he had everything worked out, but we quickly realised something didn’t add up.”

How the lie unravelled

Hills’ bizarre lie came crashing down during last night’s tribal council, as he was confronted by his tribemates — and immediately admitted that Oscar did not exist.

The usually mild-mannered Hills entered tribal council with a target on his back and a brand new attitude, earning him the nickname ‘Dirty Harry’ from tribemate Pia Miranda as he brazenly called out the secret power struggles he saw forming in his tribe.

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But with this new-found honesty in the air — and with the other tribe watching on — tribemate Clarke-Jones decided to turn the tables on Hills and finally air his suspicions.

“Can I ask you one question — do you even really have a child?” he asked.

“Nuh,” said Hills with a sheepish giggle — an admission that even seemed to shock host Jonathan LaPaglia:

Harry seemed pretty pleased with himself.
Harry seemed pretty pleased with himself.
Even Jonathan wasn't expecting that.
Even Jonathan wasn't expecting that.

“I kind of needed something to talk to the mums and dads … so I kind of made up a child,” Hills shrugged.

“So Oscar’s not real? Oscar’s fake?” asked his horrified tribemates.

“I think what we’ve realised tonight is that anything that comes out of Harry’s mouth is something you’ve got to take with a grain of salt,” said Hills’ biggest adversary in the game, Janine Allis.

Making up a child — then admitting so readily it had been a lie — was a bizarre move, and self-confessed Survivor nerd Pia Miranda even appealed to Hills as a fellow fan of the show.

“Harry! As a fan, and as, like, a big player … there’s better ways to play!” she told him. ‘You’re not being very clever right now.”

And in the end, Hills showed his hand for nothing: LaPaglia then revealed the tribe would not be voting someone out, but instead voting to poach a player from the opposing tribe (they picked Hampson, nicknamed ‘horse’ due to his size and strength in physical challenges).

So Hills had to return to camp, not having voted anyone out but having revealed to his entire tribe that he’s capable of an enormous lie. Ouch.

RIP Oscar Nathan Hills, we hardly knew ye …

Australian Survivor airs Sundays to Tuesdays, 7:30pm on Ten.

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/reality-tv/australian-survivor/australian-survivor-shock-so-harry-just-killed-a-child-for-nothing/news-story/aa2544ae3c2a917b3779f755a6f2ac0d