The Survivor star deletes tweets that reveal the brutal reality of the show

Entertainment

By Nick Bond, News.com.au

March 16, 2023 | 14:53

“Australian Survivor” contestant Simon Mee tweeted today — and then quickly deleted — some insight into how tough life can be for those who play the game.

Responding to a fan’s meme about the show with some behind-the-scenes chat, Simon revealed that life on the beach in Samoa can get very “Lord of the Flies.”

A brief scene in a recent episode of the reality series saw fellow contestant Gerry angrily chastise Simon for where he had placed the tribe’s firewood in the camp.

It was a surprising outburst from the usually mild-mannered rescue pilot, so far one of the game’s softest players.

As fans shared the moment online, Simon – forever on the bottom this season but somehow still in the game as it enters its final phase – explained that the explosion was a symptom of bigger problems as players pushed to keep their place in the game’s fragile hierarchy.

Simon said that “Survivor’s” rudimentary sleeping arrangements, in which players huddle together for warmth under a makeshift shelter (with — if they’re lucky — a tarp to keep out the rain), revealed “a lot about the tribe’s pecking order .”

“Gerry slept in the middle of the shelter with the blanket every night. But when he was gathering firewood, he stuck down the end of the shelter,” he wrote.

“Which also happened to me at the bedside.”

In a follow-up tweet, also deleted, Simon revealed that he would have to move the firewood every time he wanted to make room for himself in his less protected area of ​​the shelter.

Former player and “Survivor” megafan Matt Tarrant responded to the tweet, saying it was “legit true” that players should “never sleep on the edge of the bed at camp” if they wanted to stay in the players’ inner circle.

“Aww thanks, Matt,” Simon said. “I remember how excited I was when I was able to fit under the tarp for the first time after Shaun left.”

Over the years, many “Survivor” contestants have spoken to news.com.au about the unique challenges they faced on the show: Intense hunger, an unexpected lack of warmth, no contact with loved ones.

But Simon’s candid (perhaps too candid since they didn’t stay online very long) tweets shed light on another danger for “Survivor” players: Managing their place in the game’s pecking order, in a situation where even a speck of sand to sleep on is jealously guarded.

This season of “Australian Survivor” continues Sunday night after Monday’s Tribal Council ended in a surprise non-elimination.

Instead, Gerry and fellow player Nina were sent to “Survivor isolation” where they stay until they compete against each other for the chance to re-enter the game.