The tribe has spoken… sort of. Jonathan LaPaglia, who has been the host of Australian Survivor for well over a decade, is well-loved by fans. He revealed in a post on his Instagram that he was blindsided by Channel 10 and has been axed from the show, as he will no longer be hosting. Fans are upset with the treatment of the former host and are begging Channel 10 not to make the change.
Jonathan LaPaglia Axed
Fans of Survivor Australia were shocked when host Jonathan LaPaglia made the announcement on his Instagram that, after ten years, he would no longer be hosting the show.
He said, “Australian Survivor has seen some of the most epic blindsides over the last 10 years, but this one might just be the craziest of them all… because it happened to me. I received a call from the Network thanking me for all my hard work and dedication to the show, but for next season, they are ‘going in a different direction’. Ratings had dipped a bit recently, and they wanted to do something drastic to shake things up. So for the first time ever, this is not a tribe swap, but a HOST SWAP®. Yes, you read that right.”
It’s clear that no one was expecting this change, especially not Jonathan LaPaglia himself. He has every right to be outraged, and fans do too.
He also said, “I have loved and will dearly miss the immensely talented crew, all the crafty players and our loyal sassy audience. I’m a huge fan of this incredible game, always have been, always will be.”
Jonathan LaPaglia continued, “It has been one of the greatest adventures of my career to helm Australian Survivor, so it is without a doubt the hardest challenge of all to snuff my own torch, but here goes; ‘JLP…..the tribe has spoken.'”
Thankfully, though, he will still be the host for the upcoming Survivor: Australia vs. the World.
Who Will Replace Him?
According to the Daily Mail, there’s already a replacement in line for Jonathan LaPaglia’s job, and that’s none other than Australian Survivor champion David Genat. He will also be appearing as a contestant on Survivor: Australia vs. the World.
If you’re not familiar with David Genat, he first competed on Champions v Contenders II in 2019. He then returned for Australian Survivor: All Stars in 2020, which he won. He also appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice and hosted Channel 9’s series, Rush. He also recently won $5.8 million on Deal or No Deal Island in the United States.
It’s clear that he has some big shoes to fill.
