Fan favourite and WA local Harry Hills returns for new season of Aussie Survivor

Fan favourite and WA local Harry Hills is returning for another tilt at Survivor. He joins returning players Brooke Jowett (2020), Simon Mee (2021 and 2023) and Mark Warnock (2024), alongside 18 new “civilian” players.

We sat down with everyone’s favourite ‘Dirty Harry’ to chat about his return to the world’s toughest game, how his strategy has evolved, and what it’s like to have a massive target on his back from day one.

You entered your first season intending to be a lovable villain. Now that you’re a veteran, how has playing the game changed for you?

Being a veteran, you learn how to “shift gears” with the play; sometimes it’s better to really pull back and let someone else make a mistake.

But if I’m in danger I can go from zero to 100 and really amp the pressure up. I’m hoping audiences will get to see both of these sides from me. Getting older has also deepened my love and appreciation for the game — I’ll be looking to enjoy every moment I have out there.

How was it seeing David Genat as host for the first time this season? You’re friends after competing together, right?

Honestly, David is a pick that makes sense. He’s a lot more calm and measured in real life than the ‘Golden God’ persona you see as a player. I definitely consider David a friend and wish him all the best with the new gig.

It’s been years since the infamous fake son lie in season four. Do you have a new “creative truth” ready for the Redemption cast? Or does your reputation make it impossible to pull off any more stunts?

With age comes (a little) wisdom! I still plan on making fun and crazy things happen. I’m just aiming to not get caught this time.

Any ex-players you’re likely to align with?

Simon is definitely top of the list to align with — we’re both extroverted nerds and he knows how to play hard. I think in combination, we’re a force to be reckoned with.

What was your highlight playing this time around?

Trust me when you watch it, you will know . . .

What was most challenging?

My answer will never change: rain ruins everything, and Samoa has it in ABUNDANCE. Rain deprives you of meals, sleep is more difficult and rain generally makes everyone miserable — it’s the toughest thing Survivor can throw at you.

Did anything surprise you while playing?

How much faster everything felt! We had less hours of strategic game-time during each day and the newbies liked to race around like crazy. I felt like an old man trying to keep up sometimes!

Did you go into this season with a strategy? You’ve got a massive target on your back . . .

There’s no ignoring the target, so why not see if it can be flipped into something positive? I went into the season trying to suggest the idea of “big player shields” and encouraging other players to have fun and sneak around with their favourite survivor, Dirty Harry!

How has life changed personally since you first played the game of Survivor? Still selling ice-cream?

Unfortunately myself and Kuld Creamery parted ways a few years ago. I’ve moved onto becoming a dietitian working in aged care. It’s the perfect career for me, because it combines the medical aspects of nutrition with my hospitality background, so that we can make older people happy and healthy.

Double the fun for Survivor fans

Survivor fans are in for a treat this month. Not one, but two iterations of the globally popular franchise are hitting screens, with Survivor 50: In The Hands Of The Fans — the latest US season — landing on Stan on February 26, three days after Australian Survivor: Redemption hits screens on Ten.

It’s a celebration of 50 seasons (yes, there have been THAT many) of the US version of the show, which has been on air for 25 years.

The game will see 24 returning players, including fan faves Cirie Fields, The White Lotus creator Mike White and Jenna Lewis from season one, alongside celebrities like MrBeast, Billie Eilish and Jimmy Fallon, who’ll be popping up in cameo roles. Longtime US host Jeff Probst returns to oversee the game.

Eilis, Fallon and YouTube megastar MrBeast (real name Jimmy Donaldson) are mega-fans, and as Probst recently told media, he wanted to find a way for them to be involved in the landmark 50th season.

“One of the cool things we did was we had Billie Eilish be a part of the season,” Probst said.

“It was really fun to communicate with her about how she can be involved. And she wanted to be involved with an idol. So we have this ‘Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol’.”

This season is arguably the biggest ever, and with $1US million up for grabs, there’s plenty at stake.

Australian Survivor: Redemption premieres on February 23 at 7.30pm on Ten and 10Play. Survivor 50: In The Hands Of The Fans premieres on February 26 on Stan.