Australian Survivor is reportedly on the chopping block at Channel 10 after its next season, with Channel Nine showing interest in taking the format if one condition is met: Jonathan LaPaglia must come back as host.
Endemol Shine has already pitched the series to Nine, according to the report, and insiders say the network would only move if LaPaglia returned to the front of the show. He was axed last year and replaced by David Genat, whose arrival came after a drop in ratings during the Redemption season.
The 2027 season is still going ahead, and filming for the next run is scheduled to take place in Malaysia from mid-July to early September. But the show’s future beyond that is now in question, with one source close to production saying there is a real sense this could be the last one for Ten.
If Nine does secure the format, the plan would be to revive Australian Survivor with a refreshed strategy built around stronger storytelling, tighter casting and a return to the show’s earlier style. One insider said the network loves the format, but made clear that JLP is part of its DNA, and added that if the show moves, they want him front and centre again.
That is the tension now hanging over the franchise. LaPaglia’s exit last year was supposed to mark a reset, yet the reported dip in ratings since then has only sharpened the case for bringing him back. The next season will go ahead either way, but the real question is whether it airs as the end of Australian Survivor on Ten or the opening move in a restart somewhere else.