It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week, don't I welcome back guys to TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris and on this podcast I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television.
Yeah, great questions. The show's about the game. There's a lot of great television out there in Australia.
But I've also got to go behind the scenes with writers. The truth is, when I started writing it, it wasn't had nothing to do with the news and casting agents.
They know from a casting point of view what they need.
And editors because that's what we do as editors where storytellers. Not to forget some incredible executive producers who are making some of the best TV in Australia.
I have been on the program since the beginning and it's kind of in my DNA.
So thanks for joining me each week and I hope the podcast continues to give you real insight into the magic of television today. On the podcast, I have cahn Ong, who is the eleventh person to be eliminated from Australian Survivor twenty twenty two. Channel ten didn't have to look far with this reality TV Superstar, having come competed in two seasons of Australian Master Chef, and I don't even think the producers at EndemolShine Australia had any idea how
great a player Khan would prove to be. While he won sixty thousand dollars before being eliminated last night, Khan walked away with his handheld high and a nickname commonly used to a super player, that being a King. We talk about what the game would have looked like had his sister Amy survived a little longer, what he thinks about Sam not giving him the heads up a secret injury,
and who he thinks will win. There's plenty more to come in out chat and without further ado, let's welcome King Khan to TV Reload.
I tried really hard to speak to the fans previously on Australian Survivor. I tore a muscle in my shoulder and I didn't even know when to my left.
Master Chef alumni can't on team enough to take on the ultimate game of Survivor.
Yeah, she could have told me, but that would have jeopardized her relationship with the other people we have MAJORI I told you that. What on earth would you say? We can't wait? Did you write a makeup artist into your contract? When I first voted out of Blood versus Water first member of our jury? Can't wait a minute? Are you all blindsiding me?
Congratulations on such an impressive time on Australian Survivor. How do you feel now that you can fully talk about it.
I'm happy that I can tweet about it properly, I can watch it, I can talk about him as a fan now. Before this, I was like, oh my god, what can I say? Why can't I say? I don't want to offend anyone, but I've been such a massive fan of the series for so long when I just like, I just wanted to be there.
You know, I think you were very active on Twitter, and I think that you were fantastic for fans to interact with. Even for me, it was really surreal because I wanted to write to you all the time and ask you lots of questions, but I just thought that was totally unprofessional, so I just had to wait until this time.
I tried really hard to speak to the fans and kind of dissect certain things, but not give too much away either, because there's obviously reasons why we don't see certain scenes or see certain relationships or conversations. So sometimes it's best if I don't talk about it. But then there are certain little things where I'm like, Okay, this is what happened, and this is why that worked out that way.
Is there a time where you're thinking, wow, this is not how it happened in my mind, because think about it, we can all walk into a room and see something and walk out and have a different interpretation of it, and then you've got reality television, which means that it could be edited a certain way or from a different person's narrative. How much of your experience was like what the TV showed us?
The majority of my experience is exactly what you see on the TV. But there were moments where like, for example, there was a vote where the vote didn't happen because Alex went home, and the way that we saw on that episode because he left was that I was going to get blindsided, but that wasn't going to happen because that was what we wanted Sophie to think was happening. So we were seeing that side of the story where it's like, Okay, if one's voting on Calm this one day,
but that wasn't actually the case. We were doing that to kind of make Sophie feel like I was leaving. But we're only seeing one side of that because we're all acting like do you know what I mean? Like, we're all trying to like trying to protect Sophie's idea of the game. But that was what we ended up seeing. But for one minute there, I went, wait a minute, are you all blind siding men? So I was texting people I was watching it, be like was I going
home this night? And Anyone's like, no, no, no, no, no, we guarantee you were not going. And I was like, okay, so I had to like double check.
Isn't it strange though, that Survivor you are allowed to get away with so much that on other reality shows you'd be absolutely crucified for.
Yeah, I think that again, like Survivor, you can't do it. You can't be a fan, you can't watch it, and you can't play it without understanding that people will lie to you, you'll get stabbed in the back, and people will make really hard decisions because that's how you get further. The whole idea is to be the sole survivor. The idea isn't to protect relationship. Obviously, there are ways that you can play the game where it's not super offensive or aggressive. That's how I think I chose to play
the game. But I can't get annoyed. I can't get annoyed about someone doing better than me. Like the tribe got rid of me yesterday because I'm a threat, and that's great, but they outplayed me.
Well, let's start at the start. The last time I spoke to you, you mentioned that you were interested in a few upcoming reality shows. How long has this one been cooking for in the background.
I've been wanting this for so long. I've been wanting this for so long. I literally, I think last year I basically said this is the one I'm going for. I'm saying no to every single other show. I will not do anything until I get survival because this is what I wanted and I didn't want to jeopardize it
by doing anything else. I was like, no, No, I applied, and they went through the whole audition process and once we got the okay and and they're like, oh, we want someone else to come with you, And I was like, oh, great, Amy's not going to come with me. She hates things on TV, she doesn't like attention, She's not going to do this, and then she ended up falling in love with it and like and being totally obsessed with the game. She wants to play again.
I was obsessed with Amy on the show, like I honestly, I really enjoyed her time, and I think there's some kind of proof that people who don't really want to go on reality are perfect for reality.
I just couldn't get over how fun sure that she was. I'm like, why did you why did you do that move? And why did you go home? And I got really bored because no one was doing anything that is such a herb and her skin when we talk about the fact that my sister's skin got better every single day she was out there, and I'm like, wait, did you write a makeup artist into your contract? Like, what's going on here?
You both did. Actually, let's just talk about that fairly. I was like last night watching your like looking at your skin and looking how fit and healthy you looked. I think you both really blossomed through the whole experience.
It's probably the lack of toxins that were going into that body. No alcohol, no bad fat, no bad cups, no process anything like my body was. He was like, Yep, we like this kind of lifestyle. Literally, I left and that skiller I need to shove to heal.
A as What does the audition process look like for someone like yourself who has already been on something as big as Master Chef? I mean, do you think that holds you back or did it make the producers think, Oh, I don't know if this is going to work, or do you think it worked in your favor?
I don't know if it worked in my favor. I thought that it wasn't going to I thought that being on this Chef already, that people would be like, no, that we're not bringing him on another show. And then I was really worried that the fans would think the same thing. I thought that they would go, Okay, he's done Master Chef, he only just wants to jump into another show. But that wasn't the case. Like Survivor, I
wanted to play. And I'm really happy that the viewers at home when they watched it, they kind of understood that and they were super supportive of it, and that they could see that no, no, I was there to play. I wasn't there to just be on TV.
Well, you can't fake the truth, you know, I think authentically, once you turn up on television, it would have been written all over your face if that's all it was. If you were so out of place because you shouldn't have been there, and it was just a grab at something else. Fewers would have known that. But from the moment that you turn up on that show, I realized you were a Super Survivor fan. What was that feeling like to finally get the yes and then be playing for realsies.
I'm telling you now. As soon as I got that yes, I was like, Okay, the workouts have to happen. I've got to practice my puzzles. But I was training so hard for it. I flew my sister and I to Darwin to learn how to make fire with a survival expert because I was like, we need to know how to do these things, Amy, and we need to know now. I was so pumped for it. I was like, even me thinking about it now, like it was the best,
the best feeling. I just couldn't believe that I actually got the chance to do it and they said yes to me.
Well, you know, a source leaked you to so dramatic really early on. I don't know if you realized that, but even before you even started filming, Meghan Monstetto had that you know you were going to be on the show. How hard is it to keep something like this a secret from the thirsty universe that is the people behind you know, television commentary.
Look, I just didn't take notices. I just didn't talk about it. I just didn't. I didn't even comment on it, like as in like when it got leaked, I was like I just pretended that it didn't exist in my life. Like it was just it's better to just not feed the machine. So I'm just like, yeah, if you don't say anything, nothing can be said.
Well, I think your strength and contribution to the tribe was phenomenal. By the way, Like I just personally, I've seen you fall down a flight of stairs accidentally, so I know you have not do you have not? Uh the security footage of that, by the way, which I still have on my phone. It's about ten years ago, But I will say it's so phenomenal. How fit you were, you know to be on this show? How was the training overall? And was it as dramatic as it appeared for the show.
Yeah, it was really really difficult. The challenges were were hard. I knew that they were going to be hot. I injured myself second day or something like that. I tore. I tore a muscle in my shoulder and I didn't even know into my.
Left Oh my gosh.
Yes, I went and got like stance afterwards, and there was a tear in my shoulder that I didn't even know about because I was just like, no, I'm not leaving, I'm not getting tested for anything. I want to keep playing.
Watching you, I just thought you were at the You were so fit and so able the whole way through, like just even right to the very end. Your ability to win these challenges or participate in these challenges was just so amazing to watch.
I thank you. I think it's with the challenges on Survivor, it's more about your mental strength and your body. I think physically, I feel like I feel like it's just how strong can you be? How much? How how much do you want it? Because I wanted that sixty K.
Well, you found an idol and you kept it in your back pocket, which I felt so nervous about every single episode because, as you know, that puts a target on your back. Could you have played this idol earlier?
There was definitely no need earlier. I knew every single vote where they were going. I knew all two or three that they were in place. I knew exactly what was going to happen. The only time that I didn't know the votes was yesterday when I got eliminated. That I only heard one plan, and I was suspicious a little bit because I was like, there's always more than one plan. So when I thought I was like, oh, maybe it is just a straight out vote. That's probably
because I was the other plan. But I didn't think like that. I was like, oh, we're all working together, we're just doing this, and then we're going to keep the idol for the next vote. Very naive, very trusting, very me.
What made you so sure each of those tribal councils that you didn't think you were going to go on home?
A lot of them were very circumstantial. It was who we wanted to move forward with, what relationships I had in place, And yeah, I know sometimes it's hard to trust every single relationship, but you don't really have a choice. You either trust it or you get paranoid and you make dumb moves. But then when you sometimes when you don't trust in a relationship and it is a real relationship, you'd end up losing that person because they're like, well, you didn't trust me, so why should I. So I
went in blind with a lot of my relationships. But that's that's how I am, which is like, so dumb, but it's just kind of what Yeah, it's just who I am.
Why didn't Sam tell you to play the idol last night? Like I felt really disappointed for you because I could see how much you had invested in that friendship and relationship the way you did, you know, But why didn't she tell you? So?
Sam, Well, I think what the viewers are forgetting at home is Sam not playing her myself. She's playing with her husband that go home. They're together, they have a child together, they have a mortgage together. Like they are playing as one unit. You're not watching that because you see two people, but you need to understand that they are going to do what is best for them in
the long run. Yeah, she could have told me, but that would have jeopardized possibly her relationship or max relationship with the other people that he's already in an alliance with. So if they think that me not knowing me going home is best for them and best for them to win, it makes total sense. Like and I don't hate her for it. I don't feel bad about it. I think that it's the smartest move for her if she wants to win. They're playing to win.
Well, you walked away from the revelation of your time on the show being cut short with such grace and humility. I don't even know where that kind of humility comes from, because you took it so well.
I think for me, Survivor Is was always a bucket listing, But I also did it for myself. I know that sounds kind of selfish, but like a lot of the time, we should be led by how we want to feel. And I wanted to know that I could do this. I wanted to play, and I wanted to do everything. And I feel like I achieved everything. I found the idol. I got blindsided, I conducted bryandized I want challenges. The only thing I didn't do was win. And sometimes it's
not about winning. Sometimes it's like, am I proud of the person that I was throughout this, and I'm like, yeah, I am, like, like, I made a dumb decision, but at least I'm okay with that.
You bought the Ultimate Survivor showbag is how I like to think of it. Do you think that there could or should have been a twist to save you? As I think that you know, you being Gonde's going to leave a massive hole in the story line.
I think that twists and things like that are all night a lot earlier than on the day that the person leaves. I think that there should not never be any kind of preferential treatment for anyone, And it doesn't matter how big of a hole you may think that I leave, There's going to be other people's game plays that are going to take over that will be super interesting. And also I haven't gone. I'm on the jury, Like my outfits are absolute fire this season, so just like hang out for that?
What did you get to stick around until the filming ends? Then? Like, so you're on the final jury? Does that mean that you didn't fly home to Melbourne? Like were you still sitting there in the wings for that?
Yeah? Yeah, I was still there. Where we're at the jury of Villa so you can watch those of you at home can watch that on templay. Yes, yeah, so it's a little side show. First episode is me. You'll see my first outfit of the night. It's where you get to get all glammed and you get to shower and you get to eat real food, and then you come back and watch them boat each other wrong and you're just like, ah, this is fun. I'm full, and you're hungry and you're starving.
It sucked in. If Amy had made it to the merge, do you think that things would have been different for you?
Obviously, because then I'll have someone that like is one hundred percent of my mess. But also she's so cutthroat that I reckon if that was like her vote, she would have been Liken's going anyway, I'll lead this, You're going as you know why, she would actually do it and get rid of my idol as well.
Oh and then you'd have to go home and you know the fight would continue. The title of King Khan was almost a little too soon in my mind, considering King George last series was so prominent. Do you just have to wear these nicknames that you that you're given, Babe?
I literally wanted to share that said like pig the patriarchy After how I knew that was my name? Because I was like, what is this? I had no idea I was King Khan. I did not even have a nickname. I was like really upset for a while, being like, no one wants to name me anything fun? Like done nothing fun, not realizing that Mark and Chrissy had that for my day two.
It's a common nickname for survivor. So again, it's quite impressive that you're able to get that. Is there any way that you can pick up any hints from the producers when they're doing those pieces to camera? I can imagine you knowing you as well as I do. You have an amazing social game in the real world, like you read people unbelievably well. Were you trying to read what the producers were saying, or could you try and pick up any accidental clues?
They are so good at their jobs. They are so good they wouldn't even acknowledge it. When I gave I handed Shaye an idol that was hers that she had found, and in the interviews, unless I spoke about Shane's idol, they would not ask me about Shae's idol because they're like, we don't know what you know. We can't leave you on anything. It's all up to you. And I was like, and that is so different from Master Chef because one
Master Chef you get questions about things that you're doing. Here, it's not like it's like we don't know what you're doing, we don't know what's going on. We don't know just in case you ruin gameplay. So they are so great at their job. I like the only thing that I thought I was strange was when you know, when they asked you if you want to use your idol, I can ask you if you want to do you know? I felt like I went for extra long. I was like, wait, did he just leave like a two minute gap? Like?
And then I was like maybe that was trying to make me use But then I'm like, did I just think that afterwards because it was like so good?
No. I think that they knew because the viewers, they knew ahead of time that Australia would be watching you going use the goddamn idol, and I think they needed to capture certain looks on your face.
I went through it all. I can't hid anything on my face. I went through it all.
Well, I really love it, and I have to ask you, you know, being such a big Survivor fan, being there and seeing it at this point of the game, you know that we're at who did you think was going to win?
Jesse and Josh at that point when I had left, they were very very well placed. They had made enough moves, but they kept it quiet. They were in control, but they weren't threats yet, which means that they they had a resume at the end, but they could actually get to the end.
Well. Master Chef is coming back this year, you know, and it's an old stomping ground for you and some of these shows on Telly, you know, have been on for so long, you know, do you think that as they try and spruce the moose with these formats, you know, is there anything that you'd like to see Channel ten do differently for the twenty twenty two series of Mastershef.
I think they're doing something that's very interesting and I'm already really excited for us. I don't think they can do anything differently, Like I've been hearing a little little whispers about the season, and I'm super excited for what's about to happen.
Oh, come on, you can tell us what do you think, Like, tell us a little clue, give us something.
There may be some middle faces, Okay, yeah, and I think that's really cool. That's really really cool.
Yeah. Well it worked when you came back for you know, the All Stars for Master Chef. I mean that series just rated and proved that, you know, there is a real thirst out there to sort of look back and see people and see where people are at reinvest and find out where people have gone since the last time.
That maybe time I'll win. No, I'm joking. I'm joking.
Yeah, you're going to have to get a phone call from the people at Survivor. I don't think your Survivor's story is over. What is something This is something I ask everyone on the podcast. What is something from behind the scenes that we as an audience would appreciate that we might not have seen during your time on Survivor.
A lot of them this is put on our mental health. Yeah, and I feel like that's something that I don't think that everyone would assume would be super important. But there's literally a psychologist there if we ever needed it. So there's a lot of support for us. So, like you know, obviously we got a check ups after challenges to see through the word fifty ok. But there's always that question are you mentally okay? And I think that's really important.
That's probably why Survivor is so well loved. And how many seasons dereck and there is all up like all around the world Familia seventy.
I reckon yeah, because there's like forty two or something in American.
With I mean, you have to protect the brand, and so you've got to be able to have those people there. I just want to say, can't. I absolutely loved watching you on the show. I went in watching it being like, I'm glad that you're there because I knew you, so I had sort of this emotion attached to that. But then I ended up which is surreal. I just ended up loving you on the show, even if I hadn't have ever known anything about you. So you should be very proud.
That's very sweet. Thank you so much.