How Australian Survivor's Keeley feels about the online hate

Australian Survivor’s Keeley confesses: ‘I only applied because my brother said I couldn’t do it’

Keeley talks to TV WEEK about why she didn't recognise the Australian Survivor returnees - and what TV show she wouldn't mind doing next

Loading the player...

From the beginning of Australian Survivor: Redemption, Keeley has played a confident game, teaming up with the returnees and making big strategic moves. But she’s not a superfan, and tells TV WEEK she only went on Survivor “because my brother said that I couldn’t do it”.

Before going on the show herself, Keeley hadn’t watched a full season – and she didn’t recognise any of the returning players.

Keeley is holding on in Survivor. (Credit: 10)

“My first day on Survivor, I thought Loz, Caleb and Lyndl were the returnees,” she admits.

But Keeley thinks not recognising players like Mark and Brooke might have helped her in the game.

“They were normal people to me. They were just other players.”

Keeley believes her job as a fraud prevention specialist prepared her for the high-stakes, high-pressure environment of Survivor.

“It’s just adding sand and taking away coffee,” she explains.

As this week’s episodes begin, Keeley and Brooke have just returned from tribal council – against the odds, having managed to keep themselves both in the game.

“It was an absolutely huge tidal wave of adrenaline,” Keeley remembers. “But I also knew that we were still the minority.”

She says Survivor isn’t just about numbers.

“It’s how people behave under pressure. After this vote, it was time to put pressure on people and see if I could convince them to join me.”

Keeley hit it off with Brooke. (Credit: 10)

With filming having finished months ago, Keeley has been enjoying reading Survivor fans’ comments on social media. She says there are people who love her and people who hate her.

“When I see the hate online… They love their players, if and you remove them from the game, they’re not going to like you for it. And I’m accepting of that.”

Having taken up running and lifting weights to prepare for the physical challenges of Survivor, Keeley has kept up the exercise since finishing on the show.

“I am at my fittest that I have ever been.”

Keeley says she’d “never say no” to another season of Survivor, and she’d also be open to going on The Traitors or a revival of The Mole.

“I mean, Mark called me a mole in tribal council,” she laughs. “Is that not my referral into that show?”

You can tune into Survivor Australia on 10 and 10Play.