Hayley Leake vows to become the only two-time winner of Australian Survivor

If anyone is a hero, it’s Hayley Leake.

But as the winner of season six (Survivor: Brains vs Brawns), Hayley knows going into Heroes vs Villains that she will have a HUGE target on her back from day one.

”A few winners of Australian Survivor have played a second time and none have lasted past the third tribal council (rip Jericho and Shane) so I had to use my weakness as my greatest strength….if I’m such a big target then why don’t you keep me around and use me as a shield to propel yourself further in the game?,” Hayley tells TV Week.

”It feels great coming back to play Survivor, this time on an island and not the outback. I’m really excited, I see myself planning blindsides, sipping coconuts on the beach [laughs].”

Speaking on what it was like playing in the tropics and not in rural Queensland, Hayley said shocked us when she admitted the outback was actually ”easier”.

”The outback and Samoa are so different. It rains in Samoa and that’s so difficult, you can go a long time without being dry.”

”There’s lot’s of crabs and creepy crawlies and places where people can hide and listen in to your conversations and look for idols so it kinda all levels up with all the rain.”

Honestly, it really doesn’t sound pleasant….but with half a million dollars on the line, these contestants really are just grinning and bearing it.

”The prize money makes it worth it, when do you ever get a 1 in 24 chance at 500,000?,” Hayley says. And she isn’t wrong.

So what was it like seeing rival George (or should we say King George) on day one?

”When I got the call I felt a little nervous because I thought if George is coming back too he will be gunning for me strongly because I beat him last time and knew he would want to one up me,” Hayley admits.

”He’s an excellent player of the game, don’t underestimate him.

”He has this way of coming across as someone who will not make it past the first tribal council and then he finds a way, he always finds a way. So I’ve learned not to underestimate George.”

Hayley also shared that she was ”nervous” to see Simon Mee on the beach with her.

”I voted him out with two idols in his pocket so that was quite scary.”

Profile Elizabeth Gracie

Elizabeth is an entertainment and lifestyle writer with Now To Love, WHO, New Idea, and a whole stack more of your favourite titles. You can find her curled up with a good book, on the dance floor, or in a karaoke booth.