Shock as Australian Survivor favourite exits All-Stars first

One of Survivor’s most beloved players became All-Stars’ first brutal casualty, and she’s now revealed what she did wrong.

Former Australian Survivor winner Shane Gould has revealed her big mistake after being sent packing from Survivor: All-Stars in the debut episode.

Gould suffered a surprise defeat last night, becoming the first person voted out this season.

The former Olympic champion, 63, won the 2018 season of Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders, picking up $500,000 and the title of sole Survivor after 50 days in Fiji.

No such luck second time around, with host Jonathan LaPaglia snuffing her torch at the very first tribal council.

Gould’s age, lack of cohesion with her tribemates and her status as a former winner all seemed to count against her when time came to vote.

Jonathan LaPaglia reads the votes.

Shane copped eight votes.

In the end, Gould copped eight votes from her tribe — and there was a sting in the tail from two-time tribemate Shonee Fairfax: “I already gave you half a million dollars; I think I’ve been generous enough,” she told the cameras as she cast her vote.

Speaking to news.com.au today, Gould revealed what she did wrong, saying she should have formed an alliance with Harry.

“I was a past winner so I was an easy choice to get out,” she told news.com.au. “The first vote is often the hardest because you haven’t yet worked out your alliances … sometimes you make the right call and in retrospect I probably should have aligned with Harry rather than try to get him out.”

Gould admitted she was disappointed to get voted out first, but not because it meant she had no chance of winning the prize money.

“I would have liked to have stayed in longer because I like the camping and the argy bargy of strategies and alliances,” she told news.com.au. “I really quite enjoy that.”

As for who she thinks will win, Gould said, “Harry, my money’s on him”.

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The full Survivor: All Stars cast was unveiled in tonight’s episode. Picture: Channel 10.

Elsewhere in last night’s premiere, the full All Stars cast was revealed for the first time.

Joining the previously announced former players was AFLW player Abbey Holmes, who finished in fifth place last year.

Sharn Coombes, who competed in Gould’s season, also returned to the island.

Speaking after her loss in last night’s episode, Gould said: “I have just been outwitted and outplayed by the All-Stars.

“I think people had revenge on their mind. They might have voted me out, but at this stage I’m still half a million dollars richer than they are.”

Speaking to News Corp earlier this year, Gould promised her approach to All-Stars was all about “the extreme challenge of negotiating with experienced and determined players of the past”, adding that “playing the game” was of more importance to her than the prize money.

“I’m going to try and make history by equalling the record of only one survivor player worldwide to win twice. Sandra Diaz-Twine, from Survivor USA, has won it twice. No one else has in all the Survivor franchises,” she told The Mercury.

Gould’s second Survivor stint wasn’t as successful as her first. Picture: NIGEL WRIGHT.

She may not have achieved her goal, but Gould’s Survivor credentials are not to be sniffed at: She became the oldest person to win the title of sole survivor in her first season. Not bad for someone who admitted she never wanted to compete on Survivor in the first place.

“I was very concerned that it might taint my legacy and my very good reputation,” she told news.com.au after her 2018 win.

“It took me a couple of months to decide. I quizzed the production, I examined the past episodes, I spoke to people I trusted in the industry and I listened to all the blogs and podcasts with past contestants talking about how they felt they were represented.”

“I finally decided it would be OK, that they’d represent me well — but then, however I acted and behaved, I’d have to take what came. If you don’t say it or do it, it can’t be recorded.”

Gould found All-Stars a tougher fit with her tribemates. Picture: NIGEL WRIGHT.

Australian Survivor: All-Stars continues 7:30pm Tuesday on Ten.