It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week The Light and welcome back guys to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris, and on this podcast I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television. Each episode you will get a front row seat with content makers like executive producers, writers, editors, and casting agents, plus the talent that we see on
our screens. TV Reload reloads the shows that we are all currently watching and gives you a better insight into our television industry and our streaming services. Today on the podcast, I have Nigel and Theresa from The Traders, and while both brought something different to the series, they certainly made an impact in their own way. I have been lucky enough to chat with many of the contestants as the series went on, but I certainly have been looking forward
to having some time with both of today's guests. I don't even think you need to have watched the show to get something out of these chats today. Amazing insights from Nigel and a great laugh from Terresa. Nigel's story is quite familiar to many, as prior to his time on The Traders, he was a photojournalist who was held hostage in Somalia for four hundred and sixty days. He was held ransom until his family paid six hundred and seventy five thousand US dollars to release him, and he
now works as an extortion response consultant. He joined The Traders with a backstory like no other. Teresa is an MC who can command a crowd of ten thousand people. She's a DJ, manages drag queens, runs netball clubs, is a mum and took this opportunity to join The Traders to prove something to herself and her community. We will talk about Nigel's decision to join the show, what series he was originally slated for, and we will talk about his courage to overcome his harrowing story and how he
has managed to turn his life around. Then Teresa will give us some hilarious insights into her life and her time on the show. I certainly suggest you stick around for her Tiger Watiti story, which we'll have you laughing for days. However, let's get started with today's gat. Yes, I'd like to welcome Nigel and Theresa from The Traders to TV Reload.
Would you be interested in going on a reality TV show. We've been sort of checking you out and we think you'd be a good.
Fit previously on the Traders.
Coming out of that. If you don't make it that that's your dreams on.
What you four guests descend it upon our mysterious hotel.
I'm very aware that my backstory is. You know, certainly it is quite juicy for a reality TV.
The faithful job is to banish who they think is a traitor.
You need to get rid of them so that you could concentrate.
The point of it all is to be the last person standing to win what could be And i've seen amount of money in server bars.
Maybe in series two they try that so that there is more engagement from a viewers point of view.
Hi. Hi, everybody amazing because they get to talk to you.
Oh thanks, Mane. That's kind of him.
Let me just check some technical stuff, mate.
I wish I was talking to you in a couple of day time with two hundred and fifty km my back pocket.
I know, and I don't know if you've listened to me. I've been interviewing a lot of the people coming off the show and you, I mean, my favorite has changed, but you were my current favorite. You were who I wanted to win, and I'm I'm just I'm annoyed.
Who was your original favorite? That's what I want to know.
If I wasn't there, if I wasn't the OG favorite, then I'm disappointed.
Ben.
You know, you were always there. So like for me, I liked Claire, did you? I did? And it's a funny thing because she kind of reminds me a lot of my friends in the sense that we wear our emotion on our face, and I think that she Anyway, we're going to get into this in the podcast, so we'll talk. Yeah, for sure, Sure we'll get into it. It's fine. Hi, Nigel, how are you Ben?
Thanks for having me.
I am really shocked. I mean, I'm shocked to have you here. What do you think went wrong?
Ah, there was a myriad of things. I think I'm too loyal and I'm too honest, and.
My pinky promise got me in trouble. But you know.
It's it's my little boy and I pinky promise each other things. And when you make a pinky promise, you can't break it. And even my partner was like, it's a game. You could have broken the pinky promise You're still to love you if you had a broad hand cutter on million dollars, And it's like yeah, but it's the ethics behind it. It's like it's something that I live by and I die by.
You know.
What's really interesting is that you're so popular amongst the other contestants. I've been so lucky to talk to so many of them, and everyone has spoken so well of you. I want to know, though, why do you think that people gravitate towards you so well?
Partially because of my experience obviously is a hostage I think coming out of that experience and when you are isolated from people for such a long period of time, humans do not bode well being isolated from one another because we are such social animals. And I think I love, you know, meeting new people, and I like to make
people feel comfortable and relaxed. So going into the show, it was really important, like in my kidnapping, you know, with thirteen hostage takers, wanting them to see me as a human being and someone who that they liked, so it was harder for them to kill me, you know, in that experience. I guess in this experience making them like me so that they didn't banish me, because I obviously couldn't be murdered once I was chosen as a trader.
But I really love people, and from my point of view, I think we have something to learn from every single person that comes into our life. And if you don't have that outlook in life, then you're going to miss a really important lesson.
What I kept thinking about was do you think that the experience in your kidnapping, you know, what happened in Somalia, did that help you understand people more? Or was it something that you already had.
I got to ask quite a lot of people say how did you Why do you think you survived experience? And I said, well, look, there's a lot of things I think. You know, I grew up on a large broad acre farm in between Maury and Gunderlin in northwest New South Wales, and I guess coming off the land you learn to deal with I guess difficulties and things
don't always go to plan. You know, as a farmer, you're reliant on the rain, so you have good seasons, you have really bad seasons, but you just do with what you get dealt I also think the fact that I had two older brothers. But I also think then going to boarding school, like I went to a country boarding school in Abada because we were one hundred kilometers
from the nearest high school. So having that separation from my family was something that I had learned from a young age to deal with, Like I went to boarding school when I was twelve. So those sorts of things I think allowed me to put me on I guess, a path to survive my kidnapping. But I think also because I have a love of trouble and a love of culture, and you know, I guess when you get trawn into to a group of thirteen people that driven by grades. For me, it was about trying to survive
that experience. And I can remember coming out of it and talking to the psychologist from the ADF that the Australian government had brought across to Kenny once I was released, and he'd said, like, you know, what survival skills did you put in? I was like, man zero, and he's like, well, did you talk to your captains? I was like yeah, of course. He's like, well, that's a survival skill. He's like, did you share food with him? I was like yeah,
because I were hungry. He's like, so that's a survival skill. He's like, did you convert to Islam's like yeah, and he's like, well, there's a survival So he started telling me all of those survival skills that I didn't even
realize that I had implemented. So I think as humans were very adaptable if you're open to it as well, and I think for me, I would like to think that I'm a very open person, and you know, when something new comes across my marado, I was like, well, what is that, Let's investigate that and see what it is. And you know, when thereportunity arose to go on Traders, it was like absolutely like first series, no expectation, not going to be able to take any gameplay in other
than our personalities. That was really exciting to sort of walk into a show knowing that we're going to be you know, upwards of twenty other people, not really knowing the rules of the game either. Until we'd sort of all landed in Sydney and then we're given a rule book two days before we actually went in. It was
just like, right, this is going to be mental. There's going to be some carnage along the way and hopefully I can just dodge some bullets at the start, and hopefully I can be picked as a trader, you know, And that was one of my absolute goals, is I wanted to be one of the bad guys.
It's just such a role reversal. It means a lot of things. I want to get into a little bit about why you said yes to doing the show in a minute, but I also just wanted to say you've been able to make a career out of a terrible, terrible situation that gives That gave me pause for thought on how we all need to get on the our lives even when the most unthinkable things can happen to us.
Is that one of the reasons why you've been able to share your story so easily is to encourage other people to get on with their lives when sometimes we all have something horrible things happen to us.
We all face traumas and that's just part of life. And it's like, when I speak as a public speaker, I talk about trauma in a way, it's like having to eat a shit sandwich. All of us is going to have to do it at some point in our lives, whether it's a loss of the parent or a child, or a job, or trauma affects us all differently, but you can't run away from it. You have to face it. You have to embrace it, and when you come out the other side, you have the potential to grow from
that and grow in a great way. For me, you know, I lost fifteen months of my life, a lot of it's sitting in a room shackled like an animal. And I came out of that experience and it was like, well,
I've really got two options here. I can have a pity party and sit in the corner and say, wow, it's made my life was parable, or it's like I can actually just pull up my socks and say right, let's get on with it, like I'm alive, I'm back home with my family, Like, let's see what opportunities come out of this.
I'm so glad that you took this opportunity to take this story to another level and let more people hear your story. I think that currency of sharing our experiences is so important, it's so potent, and it can touch people in so many different ways. The Traders was probably the last place that I was going to find something that I needed in my life right now, which was you just keep going. And I learned that from you,
which I want to say thank you for. And I'm sure that there's plenty of people watching the show that you know would feel the same way because you are an inspirational survivor.
Thank you.
That's very kind of you look And it's weird, like you know, coming into the show. For me, I guess my kidnapping is a very defining thing in my life, and going into the show, I didn't want that to be because it can overtake any sort of social situation where people are like, oh my god, you've been kidnapped, let's talk about it, and it's just for me. It was like, I don't I don't want that in this experience. What I want to do is to be able to
use that skill set that I've learned. If it is a Hail Mary that I need, then I can pull it out and pull it out.
Of my hat at the end.
But I didn't want that to be what this experience was about. I wanted to sort of go in there with a clean sheet, no one knowing who I was. You know, obviously, if I was outed by someone that recognized me. Then I was going to deal with it, but it never happened.
Do you think if everyone had known your story, that maybe empathy or maybe other emotions might have clouded their judgment. I mean, and they might not have wanted to go after you. I just wondered whether or not it might have been a tactic that looking at it from a different angle, that's all.
Look absolutely, And I thought about that, like, you know, I could have I pulled the the poor me I was, you know, I was taken as a hostage in my family, had to play six hundred and seventy five thousand US dollars. And the reason I'm coming on to the show is to basically pay back some debts. It felt icky to do that, so for me, it wasn't really and it wasn't true like I've spent the last decade, you know, working to pay back people that I felt that I need it to pay back.
Did you apply for the show? What did they come after you? I mean, your story lends so well and is so fascinating and so interesting. For some reason, I can't imagine you're sitting there on Facebook or seeing and ad for this show and going, okay, I'm going to do this to me, it seems like something that would have been sought out.
Look two years ago, when I was I would call it headhunted. I guess, so it was weird. I was sitting in a ten day silent retreat for passner meditation, which I quite like doing, and that's a good reboot for the body, mind and soul and your mind sort of wonders, and I was like, I just imagine if I went on Survivor and one of the challenges was like, who can sit, meditate.
Not move for the longest. I was like, I would smash that. I would crush it.
And about four days after coming out, I got a phone call and they're like, Hi, is this Nigel. I was like yeah, and they're like, hey, would you be interested in going on a reality TV show? We've been sort of checking you out and we think you'd be a good fit. And I was like, oh, look, really not my thing unless it was Survivor and they're like,
that's what we're calling for. And that was the Brains Versus Braun series and I had to obviously regretfully say no because my partner had just given birth three months earlier, and look, I kept in contact with Endemol was I was really can to do another Survivor, you know series if one came up, And then my contact at Endemol said, look, Survivor's really tough because if you don't fit the theme, it's very specific. So I'd actually applied for the Blood
Verst Water with my brother. You know, in hindsight, I probably should have done it with my sister because she was at the hostage and the negotiating. It would have been great television. But they said, look, we're not sure what the next series is, but there's another series that we're thinking about that we're about to basically buy and going for it. And they said, look, have a look,
have a look at the application. If you're interested, then you know, we'd certainly love to talk to you about it.
Looked at it, looked at the.
Application, threw some stuff together and sent it off to them, and they said, look, we think you're going to be brilliant at this. Your skill set and your story and look, I'm very aware that my backstories you know, certainly is quite juicy for reality TV. But you know, I'd like to also think that what I brought to the Traders was more than just my backstory, and I think I sort of showed that in the show.
It didn't feel like it was being exploited either, which I thought was really well done by EndemolShine Australia, you know, which I thought is really important to saying yes. But I had wondered whether you being in a high pressure situation might be too triggering for you.
Look, I don't really, I guess after my experience, I did a lot of work and it was funny, like the only thing that I found triggering in the whole thing was the swim challenge, you know, when when anger sort.
Of pulled me under, and not that it scared me, but it.
Actually triggered me back to my childhood having two older brothers, you know, on and above ground pool that used to dunk you all the time and I hold.
You under water.
But look, I love I think when you put yourself into high pressure situations, you really you know, it is a sort of sink or swim situation.
You know.
I came out of my hostage experience and had sort of three years to recover. And John Chase, who my family ended up bringing on after twelve months of my kidnapp ordeal, private kidnapp for ants some experts. I'd obviously spent some time after my release with John and his wife and had gone to the UK and so got to meet his kids and stuff. And I rang John and I said I want a job with you, and he sort of laughed and he's like, what do you mean you want a job? I said, well, I want
to be a hostage negotiator. And he's like, mate, it's just because you were taking and as a hostage doesn't mean you can.
Do what I do.
And he sort of laughed at me, and I said, well, look at it the other way, like the knowledge that I can bring and you know, going into an executive suite, into a family and sort of saying well, look I've had an experience firsthand and I've survived fifteen months as a hostage could be absolutely amazing for the company. And he sort of thought about it. He's like, actually, yeah,
I can see where you're coming from. And he said, look, I'm going to put you through a fairly intense training scenarios and if you come through that, then we'll look at bringing you on board. And obviously past that and John had sort of said to me, look, you know we'll slowly bleed you in as a third responder and then second responder, and we'll work you up to a first responder.
And I've got a.
Phone call a couple of months later and John said, we've got a case. Are you're interested? And I was like, well, what's the case and he said, well, it's a hostage taken in Syria by Isis by the Beatles.
And it's just like, it's not a good news story, is it, John?
He said, well, no, like the likelihood of survival is pretty low, but what do you think And I was like, well, it's it's pretty much a sink or swim, isn't it. He said, well, yeah, if you don't take it, I probably won't offer you again. And it was just like right out, well let's jump in. Let's you know, let's put my skills set to work, and you know I can learn stuff from John and from the first responder. So I sort of basically slipped straight into a second
responder roll. And you know, worked on that case for sixty days and it was it was intense, and you know, we didn't get the outcome when we wanted, which is the safe and timely release of the hostage and we ended up losing the hostage. He was executed, which was incredibly distressing for the family.
I mean, it takes a brave person to take their situation and use it for the greater good, and I think that's something that you've done. Just listening to that story is just so moving. Like I just think, I don't know how sometimes people have the courage and the conviction to go and turn their bad situation into a good situation. But it's something that you've done and something that you've learned, something you'll probably be able to use again.
But do you have enough gas in the tank to go and do that sort of work again.
If I was called upon to do it, because I do want to be able to give something back and I want to be able to, you know, whether it's a family or a corporate situation, sort of to be able to make people feel that there is light at the end of the tunnel. And you know, kidnapped for ransom all sounds very mysterious, but the way the way
that you negotiate a kidnap is actually quite simple. You know, there's a commodity which is a hostage, and there's a there's a buyer, which is generally a family or a corporation. So it's it's a pretty simple sort of deal of where you've got a hostage and we've got money. Let's let's, you know, let's swap. And yes, there are some tree
bits that you've got a maneuver through through that. But you know, if I was asked again to jump in, then I would absolutely use my skill set to hopefully get an outcome that brings a family back together.
Thank you for sharing all of this with me. I feel like it's a bit of an invasion of your privacy, but you know, I really appreciate you sharing and being so open and so honest with you know, your story. I am going to switch this and go in a little different direction just so that we can give the people who have been loving this show some juicy stuff from behind the scenes. I mean, I have to say I'm really disappointed to lose all the original traders.
Maybe Mary Elle and I sort of jumped the gun by wanting to but look, we were we were ten and oh it's like, okay, we're down to we're almost sort of halfway. It's like at some point we're going to start to cannibalize each other. So Mary hell and I was sort of like, well, I prefer to make it to the end with you than Claire and Angus. And look, Angers sort of put his foot in his mouth a couple of times, which which is you know in this game, like one slip of the tongue as
we saw, you know, Jack, poor Jack. Whether he said that or not, but that was his demise, and we've seen that a few times, like even Dirk with I wasn't even thinking about murder and everyone's like, what you weren't thinking about it? It's like, well, no, because I'm focusing on being present where we are at the moment. But hindsight, it's a wonderful thing. But it is such an intense game. And the difficult thing for me was obviously once we'd stopped filming, was trying to.
Get out of my own head.
Of course, the second guessing myself was did I say that or did I think it? It's like, no, I think I said that, It's like and I would sort of spin out of control for twenty four hours, going, oh my god, like my game's cooked.
You know.
I think there was even one stage when we were down to the last eight or nine of us when no one was murdered. I said to Kate, like, you know, there's going to be nine of us at breakfast, and she's like nine, what do you mean nine?
Don't you may eight?
I was like, oh, sorry, I've completely forgotten. It was just like, oh, you dicke it like Marielle sort of you know, Oh, there's four traders, and Justine's.
Like four, how do you know this four?
I think it's human nature to tell the truth. You know, when you're living in a competition like you were, twenty four hours a day and giving yourself up to this whole experience, we are going to tell the truth. I think that's just a I think that's just who we are.
I think as a trader as well, like yes, I wanted to be a trader because I thought it was going to be a massive advantage, but it was a burden to carry as well, because, like you say, you've got to deceive and manipulate people, which I would say for anyone who has been a trader, like well, you know, speaking for myself, like honesty, integrity of values that I rarely honor, and you know, even looking at Craig's face, last night when he was in tears knowing that he
was going to slate me, and I felt horrible because you know, here I was deceiving this person that I'm now class as a great mate. And I can remember looking at him after It's like, you wouldn't even look at me. After he's turned his slate over and I finally caught his eye and I was like, mate, it's just a game, but.
He was just it could be a lot more.
Yeah, he was just devastated. I could say it. And it's just like, I've got to feel like shit that I'm lying to him.
Do you think that the show would be more engaging? This is what I have noticed online yesterday. There was a lot of people talking about this, would the show be more engaging if we were not shown who the Traders are and that we had to play along with the faithfuls? You know, there has been a lot of I mean, it kind of is the mole if you do it that way, and we already have the mole,
so maybe we don't want to do it. But do you think if the Traders came back it would be more engaging for the viewers to not know and to try and play along.
Yeah, possibly, I think it'd just be a bit weird up in Trader's towers, like like, would the Traders know who each other are?
As well?
Yeah, I think that the game would play exactly the same way, just that there's an enormous amount of content that would happen that would never be shown to the viewers, which might be amazing to have as a big montage at the end as to what actually happened up there in that tower. But I just noticed that there was a lot of people saying, I like the Traders, but wouldn't it be amazing if we played along with them?
Yeah?
And I can understand that as well, Like I think, you know, obviously in episode one when everyone was like, what why are we going to find out who the Traders are? Like? Can I absolutely see that there might be maybe in series two they try that so that there is more engagement from a viewer's point of view, like trying to guess who the Traders are, and I guess in a way of being more of a faithful player exactly.
Well, just before you go, I've got two quick questions, who do you want to win? Because I want Kate to win at this point, But that could just be me. Do you have someone that you'd like to see win.
I'd love to see Craig win. And I think, you know.
Oh, you guys have got a brons. Now you've got to say no.
But look once, once you sort of meet people and you understand what what they're their reasoning is for winning the money. Like Craig obviously has a twenty one year old daughter who is his special needs high needs, so he obviously is wanting to have something there for her when when he and his wife there are no longer with us, and that's that's years down the track. But I think having that that, I guess investment for his
daughter to live on. For me, it's like, well, you know, even Teresa had said, like mate, he's the most deserving out of all of us here, like and if he doesn't win, we'll start a go fundme Paige for him.
Get the money somehow, we'll get it.
Yes, who's gonna win? Like Kate, Kate is like a cat. I tried to kill her. I tried to kill her. I tried to kill her and I just couldn't.
She's got the nine lives, oh she does.
It's just like surely someone's going to take her out shortly, like where's that fast moving bus?
Well, the big players, I think that the players that they're ording and so are engaging with are going you know, some of those quiet are not as big a personality, you know, or not Theresa, but you know, like some of these other people that are still there, you're thinking, God, like, I didn't even know they exist until can I sit in.
With your with your interview with Theresa, because man, she makes me laugh.
I'll send it to I'll send it to.
All of Australia is in love with her, like she just she just makes me piss my pants.
I think someone else said this, but yeah, she's our queen. She's our queen of the Traders series. Before you go something, I ask everyone, what is something from behind the scenes, something that we didn't see that we won't see, kind of a behind the scenes secret from making the Traders?
Uh, okay, here's a cracker. So we were trying to decide on who we're going to murder and I won't tell you who it was, but I said, let's do it.
I've got a great way, and they were like, well, I said, paper.
Someone was out of the competition. Over paper Ross. Well, I'm assuming that happened at the start of the competition where paper is more relevant because you haven't you know, created enough story, you know what I mean, Like you haven't got your heroes and your villains, or you don't have your reasons. So baby paper rocks is okay, but never tell them that. But I don't think even oh, I.
Know, I know, but it was just and Mario and Claire were like, we can't do that, and Angus was like, shit, yeah, my friends will themselves that we killed someone like that.
Nigel, I have absolutely loved you on the show. Thank you so much for taking part of the series and sharing your story. I think you are an amazing person. I think you're a very warm and giving person, and I think we need more people in the world like you. Thank you so much for taking the time to come on the podcast and talk about the Traders.
Ben.
Thank you for having me mate, anytime. If you want me to chew your ear off another time, more than happy to come on, mate.
I could listen to you all day. I'm just worried that a Channel ten would be like, Ben, you're still talking to Nigel. It's four hours later and I'd still be like, that's not enough, and Nigel, I only asked you half of the questions and that is a good podcast here. You've entertained me with your story.
Thank you, matte look, thanks thanks again for having me.
Wow, Nigel absolutely blew me away with his story and his generosity with that chat. I think there's a lot for us all to think about reflecting back on some of the things that he shared with us today. However, let's bring Teresa into the podcast as we dive a little bit deeper into this series and it's upcoming season finale on Sunday night. Hi Teresa, Welcome to the podcast.
Hi Ben, I'm so happy to be here. Thanks, thanks so much for.
Having me out. Well, congratulations on your time on the Traders. I just want more people like you on television.
We just loud mouth Islanders. Yeah, I actually everyone wants that, mate. I was at the Chopping Bug almost every week.
Isn't it funny though, that you were so loud and you managed to last so long in the competition. I mean, some of the other noisier players did seem to get bumped out because I guess they were loud, where for you, you managed to survive.
Why do you think that wash, I've always seen it. But like people are my super power.
Like I love people. I could talk the leg off a cheer. I really I can bond with anybody, and I find it. It's like my magic trick.
You know.
You give me someone that's acting like a real day and I'll make sure by the end of the day we're best friends.
I feel like you were a revelation and quite unique. I honestly feel like we haven't seen you. Maybe it's the island thing. Maybe I don't know, but growing up, did you feel represented on television?
Not so much actually, and not in the way of hosts either.
I mean we get our First Nations presenters and stuff, but they've only just come out of.
The woodwork and been given these opportunities.
As of late, you know what I mean, Like the last like five years, and now you know, we start to see person's in color butt like that.
For me, there wasn't it.
I just I like loud, boisterous people and you know, yeah right, I think the most represented person lately that makes me feel like home is like Tiger Way to see character man that that is the epitome of Kiwi's and Islanders and the humor, and so when he started making those mainstream films, I.
Was just like, oh that's us, Hey, uncle, can I borrow some money?
Can I tell you the funniest story. So Layla Sabritski, who I did Big Brother with, and she always would refer to her other New Zealand friends as cousins, and so she would be like, oh, that's my cousin, you know, and that I'm doing her half New Zealand half Blackpool English accent, which I can't do, so I'll stop doing accents. Anyway, we went out one night and she goes, that's my cousin, and I'm like, oh, hi, thinking you know, in Australia
that just means that they related their cousins. And then like an hour later they, after a few drinks, they started making out and I ran over and grabbed her and said you can't make it out with him. He's your cousin, and she's like, no, he's my cousin, and I'm like, oh my god. You know, so when you referred to Tiger Watiti as your uncle, I was like, he's not your actual uncle.
No, no he's not.
I've good a fatting story though for years no ship. When when Tiger was coming out, he was this big start, and my claim to fame with.
Him was that I had dated her, like seen each other.
Wait wait wait, and so I was like, yeah, this is like twenty two three years ago in Kaguy and I.
Was like, yeah, yeah, we went on a date and all this sort of thing.
And blah blah blah and wait and then you dated wait.
No, no, wait for it, wait for it. And then I like checked away with my mates like like this was only like maybe a year and a half ago.
One of my mates that I was there with it. I'm like, yeah, member, when I went out with Tiger And they were like, no, you didn't and I was like, yes, I did, look exactly like yeah we went on that date.
It was like Teresa that was Damien was his nephew. You did not go out with Tiger. And I have been claiming that story. I've freaking died bro. I was like, oh my god, I like told so many people and it was like his Niffy or some shit. It's like one day I was like, yeah, me and Tyger go way back.
I reckon. You just still keep telling people, keep telling people until he calls you and says, yeah, it's a and desist.
Yeah, reader is unhappy.
Oh my gosh. You know, I have to ask where do you get your voice from? Not the sound of your voice, but the presence of it, the humor, the warmth, Like where does that come from?
I think every islander has that, and I think we're you know, I grew up in a big family. I'm an islander, so I have like seven brothers and sisters. I've got four to nine first cousins.
There are a lot of us. My mother is one of like fifteen. So you know, you know, if you want to get hurt in the big house like that, you gotta speak up.
You gotta you know, we entertain each other. We went very well off at all growing up. And you make fun with your brothers and sisters and your cousins. So I also have a business. I'm an EMC and a DJ. So I host like the PERV convention Center, expos and opened Heineken and Chevron, and people hire me to come and em see their events. And I just as soon as you give me a mic or nom nom nam, I just like ebs it up. They look terryb we might want to cut that part out?
Is that how they found you? I mean, did you apply for this show just from seeing the ads? Or did someone see you out about So a.
Friend of mine actually one of the hunted. Do you know Rob?
Yes? I do.
So he's actually a really close friend of mine.
We've been friends for years and so he had just come off the show and some one of the producers had said to her, listen, do you.
Know anyone from Way? And he was like, I have a perfect girl for you, and then that was it.
They the producer rung me and said do you want to apply? And I was like not really, Like I have no time to do this, so I'm I'm very busy and they were like, it's two hundred and fifty grand up for grabs and I was like, you should have started there.
It waste my time, you know.
I was like, am I paying for anything?
I love the idea of you not being attracted like this is one of my favorite things. People who want to be on television aren't normally the best television stars. Some of the best reality TV contestants are not the sort of people that are going to apply.
I didn't understand anybody that would want to get into like the industry, you've got like that e spectum, because like coming out of it, if you don't make it, that's that's your dream pushed gone. And then we're a couple of people on there that really I mean, they had been applying to reality shows for a long time and had.
Been turned down in some and I was just like, why would you put yourself in that position? But you know, if you don't make it, what are you going to do? If you find out you're actually a real shit contestant, what are you going to do?
I know, I know it's brutal, it's a brutal industry, but a reality TV show is really fascinating as far as I'm concerned. I find them to be like a social experiment, especially this show. Did you learn anything about yourself during you know, during your time on The Traders?
I learned that I can actually be a lot more sensitive than I let on. It's not like I'm guarded. I'm more like, you know, you're a tough industries, you can do this, but like the littlest things I was just like and I found and that was actually quite refreshing for me to not be so shamed to shit a tear, whether it be because Fee left, whether it be because you know, you know, someone said something that hurt my feelings.
So that was quite surprising for me, and I was okay with that, speaking.
Of like, you know, when Fee left and you know, other people left and then being emotional. Was there someone that you felt was unfairly exited from the competition? I mean, he said someone that you feel was robbed and should be there in this final four that we're about to see.
I would have loved to see Mark stay he was.
I mean, I know, I get it, I understand why they did it, but I would have just loved for him to have like just a little bit longer on that. So he's an amazing guy, and he was just so calm and intelligent and articulated exactly what he wanted to say without hurting anybody's feelings.
And I would have loved to spend more time with Mark.
Well, I'm obsessed with him. I thought it was funny that I had walked out of the room and couldn't tell his voice over some of the girls, so I'd have to come back in and rewind the show and rewatch it. And I was like that just related to that, because that's me. I've had that so many times where you know, people, you know, the call center people ring you up and I'll be like, my name's Ben and they're like, jam, how are you Jen?
Is your mother home? Can you put mummy on the phone? Please?
Not happy jan anyway, Look, you know the other thing was when I was talking to Angus, and I've been lucky enough to have, you know, a good chat with a lot of the people coming off the show. But I had this pretty interesting conversation with Angus. You know, he said that people being eliminated might have been eliminated over the fact that people didn't like them, you know
what I mean, over following the clues. Do you think, as the competition was going on, do you think people were eliminating based on the clues they had or do you think they were eliminated based on whether they liked someone?
Ah, it was definitely a popularity contest to start out. But it's not that we didn't like them.
It's just that you know, you know, when you're driving your car and you got to turn the radio down so you can concentrate sometimes, Yeah, well some of those people were that loud radio where you had to turn them down.
You had to get rid of them so that you could concentrate.
On what was at hand.
Here, the likes of m K Match and you know, any of those ones like you had to turn them down because they were just fogging everything up. You know, it's a pity you got eliminated as a faithful, but you were a terrible faithful. You know, you just were there for the teams, a team effort, man, jump.
On board or fool.
What about Paul? You know, Paul had to be the most absent contestant in the history of reality TV shows in the entire world. I believe he was a planter. I just don't believe he was a real contestant. What's the deal with Paul? I won't know what you think of what the deal with Paul is?
What was an amazing guy, He was really great. But listen, if you're you know, for a bit and stuff, and he was he was a quiet guy.
And if you're not offering anything to the camera, you know, we've only got at least twenty four contestants, you know, and it's not that you have to fight for screen time, but you know, if there was no storyline or anything, hitting there.
I mean, he's a great guy. He is.
You need to check out his Instagram and stuff. He's so new to it and he's hilarious. He the stuff he's putting up is just so funny. He's really taking the pisse out of himself and I just I love it. He was a great guy.
Moving away from Paul, I need to ask you, I feel like Roger Corsa was stuper daggy, and he got daggier as the show went on.
What was the jug you talk about Roger like that?
Okay, this is why I'm asking you. It's because I wanted to know what your feelings towards Roger was. Because Mayor's a viewer watching the show, and I've met Roger, like he's worked with a lot of my friends, and I love Roger as a person. But I just was like, he's a bit daggy on this show.
Well, remember that's a character that he's he's playing, Like, I thought he was daggy in like five Bedrooms. But onder side, his character is great, but he was He's so nice to look at whos who cares?
He's beautiful And I totally understand that, but I feel like Roger's an actor, so like, why didn't he just why don't they just create a name, like they should have called him like the Butler, or they could have given him a name because we didn't get to I mean, I know Rod, I mean I've met Roger. He's not like that person at all. Roger's actually quite cool in real life, like he's a big gangster, and so he was not being Roger Corser. He was being a character
that was a bit dad. Yeah, So why wouldn't they just give him a name like the Mastermind or the I don't know, it would have been easy rich.
Sort of name would have been pool a like mister Winchester or something sir Lord Winchester, because he would saying exactly.
That's perfect. You could be a producer. There you go, that's your next job. You're producing time. Then are you surprised with the final four?
Ah, I am to an extinct time surprise. Lewis is still there.
He was very quiet, like up until I don't know eighth episode, but maybe that was his game play. So he's doing well to be the Craig. I like, I was written for Craig from day one. And Kate, she's strong. Oh my gosh, she's so strong, and I just I didn't even know that she was a trainer and it was I was so upset about that because we just built this big bond where we were learning to trust each other and then bam and like we didn't even know. By the time I was in banishment, I didn't even know.
And Alex what an actress she's getting the Loki tee you that right now.
I can't forgive Alex. So I feel bad for this, but I can't forgive her. I don't like the fact that she got rid of those other traders. And I'm sure she's she's beautiful and she's amazing, but I just can't forgive her. For some reason, something's gone off on my brain.
Not the only one, but she is such a sweet girl in real life. I think she just played like a beast and.
Like, good luck to her and Craig. I don't know why. Like I think everyone who has been on the show with Craig has spoken really highly of him. But from the audience perspective, I don't know whether or not we have that has translated. I don't know if we care from an audience perspective of Craig as much as all of you have, so there must be some information missing.
Yeah, I think that, like he put on these big speeches and staff and when you're in the room, I mean people think that that's like in a real time like it's a fifteen minute chat.
They can go for three hours three and it's exhausting.
And he was always that beacon of what was it like just fatherly intuition, and he was that big influence there and I think that's how he sort of connected with everybody as well.
Do you think he kind of has it in the bag now? I kind of feel like he has this show on the bag. I feel like if I had to make money on it, I feel like you're going to get the money, Craig.
You know, Yeah, I'm hoping for it, But I'm just I'm just worried that his heart is a bit He's not ruthless. I mean, okay, he voted for me, but he was you know, well obviously he was talked into that, and I'm afraid if he follows his heart too much.
Yeah, I just want to see him at the end. He get to the end.
This might be a little bit brutal, but can you just put it in order, like if all your money is on the line, you know, but like give me the order of who you think is going to win. So we want we think Craig is the surefire bat, then who's the next three down the line?
I would say Kate is right up there, Okay, So Kate has got every opportunity. I think she's just brought her a way.
In fact, if anyone there deserves to like because they know the game and they've played it from the beginning like a proper game, Kate.
So I'm hoping to see Kate and Craig and the last. I don't think Lewis is going to last too much longer, Like he barely made it three or two episodes.
I find him. I think Lewis is a bit cute for some reason. I don't know. Is he cute in real life?
He is such Alerica too, and he's a crochetier. Used to crochet me these squibs.
Okay, he's got a purpose. He can come around and crochet some stuff for me, okay. And then that leaves Alex to the last. The last question I have to ask you is what is something from behind the scenes, something that we didn't see that. We won't see kind of like a behind the scenes secret on filming The Traders.
Okay, and you're to being told about the haunted No, so you know that that place is supposed to be one of the most haunted places in Australia, the Robertson Hotel.
Yeah, actually haunted. Do you think it's actually not for me?
But the other guys like, not for me? I slipped like a baby. It was a free holiday love, so I was out to it. I left my kids at home.
I'm done room service, yes, but everybody else was like having really weird situations. So they'd come down to breakfast and you wouldn't catch it on camera, but they would be actually quite freaked out, specifically Dirk. I don't know if that's why Chloe left. I but everybody was just like, did you hear that last night? Because this place is massive. I didn't even there's wings all over the place. You know,
there's like forty rooms or something. So everyone was actually quite freaking out about the place.
Not me. I'm a tough bitch.
I said that she had to leave because she had too many voices in her head.
Oh did she?
Oh against Chloe but bullshit, bush manse Am.
I'm obsessed with you. I think that you were such a fantastic addition to this show. I kin't even imagine the show without your voice, without your humor, without your warmth. I would watch you in every reality show that ever exists for the rest of my life. And so I wish you good luck after after being on the show.
Thank you so much, and to you as well being You're doing some awesome stuff out there, and I'll be subscribing to your podcast.
Subscribers. Yeah, go back and listen to what everyone else has talked about from the Traders.
Now, I'm gonna start some fights.
Mhm h