Reality TV

Survivor Australia’s Jonathan LaPaglia says the show may have cost him big Hollywood roles

'How did I get here?'
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He’s the face of Australian Survivor, but host Jonathan LaPaglia says that taking on this role may have cost him a few big roles overseas in Hollywood.

“Sometimes you wake up and think ‘How did I get here’, but I’m sure everyone has those thoughts,” the 49 year-old told The Daily Telegraph.

Does Jonathan secretly wish he’d traded the Fiji beaches for the Hollywood Hills?

While he has scored roles on Aussie dramas including The Slap and Love Child, the Australian Survivor host says presenting the ultimate reality show was a tough gig.

“I was exhausted by the end of the first season,” told TV WEEK.

“I mean, I’ve never, ever done a job like this before. I learned that it’s much harder than it looks. [US host] Jeff [Probst] is so good at it that he makes it look very simple. I didn’t find it simple at all. So it was a very steep learning curve.”

“It’s easy to sit back and say, ‘Ah, you should’ve done this and you should’ve done that.’ Everyone’s an armchair expert.”

READ MORE: Did you know Jonathan LaPaglia tests all of the Survivor challenges before the contestants?

But if Jonathan wasn’t the host and went off to Hollywood, who would be able to say wise statements like this?

It’s coming down to the wire on this year’s Australian Survivor with just five contestants left: four champions, and one contender.

“To be honest, when I first heard the concept, I was a little wary, because they hadn’t decided who the champions were going to be,” Jonathan admitted at the beginning of the year to TV WEEK.

“I didn’t want to tip into a celebrity version of Survivor. I’m kind of a purist and I think the format is so strong, we don’t need to do that. But when I saw who they’d cast, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed.”

WATCH: Fenella is eliminated on Australian Survivor.

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