Shane Gould Wins Australian Survivor 2018

The Olympic icon takes home $500,000 and the title of Sole Survivor.

Swimming world record holder and Australian legend Shane Gould, 61, has been crowned the Sole Survivor of Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders.

Winning by one vote in the gripping finale, the Olympic icon managed to outwit, outlast and outplay the 23 other contestants after 50 days in the challenging tropical region of Savusavu, Fiji, securing the win along with $500,000 in prize money.

“It feels surreal,” Shane says. “It’s been a while since I’ve won an Olympic medal, and it was a challenge to see what I’m made of, to do something crazy!”

What began as twelve Champions and twelve Contenders commencing an unforgettable journey to play the world’s greatest game concluded with three original Champions – AFL Triple Premiership Footballer Brian Lake; Criminal Barrister Sharn Coombes; and swimming great Shane Gould – taking on their last chance at Immunity in the final episode.

In the ultimate endurance test, Brian, Sharn and Shane held onto an idol on top of a pole in the open waters, perched with their feet on narrow pedestals and exposed to the natural elements. Unlike the final challenge in previous seasons of Australian Survivor, this year contestants were required to keep both hands on the idol and both feet on the pedestals they were balanced on at all times.

Offering an extra motivational incentive to endure the harrowing challenge, host Jonathan LaPaglia surprised the remaining castaways with an emotional visit from their loved ones.

Battling immense seasickness from swaying atop the pole, Shane was the first to concede, collapsing into her husband Milton’s loving arms after one hour and 18 minutes. Desperate for the win, Brian’s attempt to crack Sharn’s determination and her loyalty to Shane resulted in a heated exchange between the duo as they continued to fiercely battle it out. Just after two hours, Brian made the fateful mistake of throwing his hat to Jonathan, thus breaking the rules of keeping both hands on the idol and eliminating himself from the Immunity Challenge by default.

With Sharn winning the all-important Immunity Necklace, her decision to stay loyal to her original alliance saw her take Shane through to the final Tribal Council.

At the last Tribal Council of Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders this year, Sharn and Shane made their final emotional pitches to the jury. With nowhere to hide, the duo faced down their adversaries, tackling tough questions and criticisms head on and explaining their strategies and social games.

The deciding votes were dramatically cast and with only one ballot between them, Jonathan revealed Shane Gould as Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders Sole Survivor.

MasterChef Australia Nominated For An International Emmy Award

MasterChef is up against three international shows in the Non-Scripted Entertainment category.

Nominations for the 2018 International Emmy®Awards have been announced by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and MasterChef Australia is up for the Non-Scripted Entertainment award.

MasterChef is among 44 nominees across 11 categories and 20 countries. The show is up against Hoe Zal Ik Het Zeggen? (Did you get the Message?), a Belgian hidden camera comedy produced by Shelter; Thai Broadcasting Company’s shiny-floor singing competition The Mask Singer; and Top Chef México, produced by Sony Pictures Television de Mexico/Cinemateli.

Also being recognised is Endemol Shine Group’s CEO, Sophie Turner Laing, who is to receive a special award for her work at the helm of our network of more than 120 creative production companies across 23 markets.

Other nominations in this year’s International Emmy’s include Endemol Shine Israel’s Nevsu in the Comedy category and Endemol Shine Boomdog’s El Vato Season 2 under Non-English US Primetime Programme. Writer and producer Greg Berlanti (Dawson’s Creek, Blindspot) joins Sophie in being up for a special award presented by the Academy.

Bruce L Paisner, President and CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, says, “Looking at the diversity and geographic spread of this year's nominations across all continents and platforms it is clear that excellence in television is a global phenomenon which transcends culture and language.”

Winners of the 2018 International Emmys will be announced on 19 November 2018 at the Hilton New York Hotel.

Natalie Bassingthwaighte Opens The Door To Changing Rooms

Television Favourite to host revamped renovation hit, coming to Network Ten in 2019.

Beloved entertainer, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, will be bursting back onto television screens and into Australian homes as the host of the revamped renovation hit Changing Rooms, which will air on TEN and WIN Network in 2019.

A woman of many talents, Natalie has had a long association with Network Ten with previous appearances on Neighbours as manipulative schemer Izzy, chef Gillian in The Wrong Girl and her standout role as presenter on the reality dance hit, So You Think You Can Dance Australia.

More recently Natalie joined other celebrities to face her fears in the South African jungle on season four of TEN’s hit family entertainment show I’m, A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!.

With her warm and positive outlook, Natalie is the perfect choice to guide every day Australians through the rewarding, but sometimes stressful, process of renovations.

On joining the show, Natalie says, “When Network Ten called to ask if I would be interested in hosting a show called Changing Rooms I said “you had me at Changing Rooms”.

“I absolutely love everything to do with design and I am forever quite literally changing every room in my house! It’s the perfect fit and I am incredibly excited.”

Changing Rooms will follow keen and creative couples swap houses with their family, friends or neighbours. Guided by leading designers, each couple will decorate several key rooms in each other's homes before meeting up again for a final reveal.

Network Ten Executive Producer for Changing Rooms, Sarah Thornton, says, “Natalie is the perfect choice to host Changing Rooms. She is fun, authentic, and engaging, and that is what has made her so popular with Australian television audiences for many years.

“We are thrilled to see her bring a contemporary twist to the original and best home renovation show.”

Changing Rooms will be produced by Endemol Shine Australia for Network Ten and will start production in October 2018.

Green Light For Ambulance Australia

Network Ten is thrilled to announce it has commissioned the compelling and insightful Australian documentary series Ambulance Australia, Produced by Endemol Shine Australia.

The gripping fly-on-the-wall series will take an unprecedented look at the NSW Ambulance frontline. Taking viewers on a journey from the high pressure NSW Ambulance Triple Zero Control Centre, to the race against time of NSW paramedics on the road.

Each extraordinary episode will provide an honest look at the everyday demands on call takers, dispatchers and on road paramedics, who are forced to make split second decisions that can mean the difference between life and death.

Network Ten Chief Content Officer Beverley McGarvey, says, “We are delighted to bring the Ambulance format to Network Ten. The engaging and emotional human drama has made this show a huge hit in the UK and we are sure Australian audiences will find the amazing work of the NSW Ambulance service equally compelling.”

Endemol Shine Australia CEO, Mark Fennessy, explains, “Through a combination of ground- breaking production techniques and inspired storytelling, Ambulance Australia reveals the incredible synchronicity between paramedics in the field and call takers and dispatchers in the emergency control centre as they face a diversity of challenges on any given shift that is nothing short of staggering. Their compassion and selflessness is breathtaking”.

NSW Ambulance Commissioner, Dominic Morgan, adds, “The series is an amazing opportunity to showcase the critical work of paramedics within the community. To be a paramedic is a very unique job, it's tough and equally as rewarding depending on the day. This series is about honesty and transparency and the reality of what our very extraordinary workforce does every day."

Ambulance Australia has commenced production in Sydney and will air on TEN and WIN Network later this year.

Nine Commissions Lego Masters® For Australia

If you can dream it, you can build it. Nine today announced it has commissioned LEGO MASTERS®, where your only limitation is your imagination. Mind-blowing, brick-building brilliance will be on display, delivering family entertainment loaded with fun, action, drama and humour.

LEGO MASTERS will pit eight pairs of Brick heads against each other in a quest to impress with their creativity, design and flair, driven by their unparalleled passion for the possibilities that will start with a single LEGO brick.

LEGO MASTERS comes from producers Endemol Shine Australia, who brought you Australian Ninja Warrior, MasterChef Australia and Married at First Sight.

Casting for the program is now underway, with the search on for the country’s most passionate and creative LEGO builders.

Michael Healy, Director of Television for Nine, says, “We are excited that LEGO MASTERS will capture the imagination of all generations, delivering appointment family viewing.” 

Mark Fennessy, CEO, Endemol Shine Australia, said: “LEGO MASTERS is pure, addictive family entertainment that all starts with a single brick. Together with our partners at Nine we’re super excited to bring this much-loved phenomenon to life - introducing a new world of extraordinary characters and mind-blowing creations.”

LEGO MASTERS will bring to life the universal appeal of LEGO and amplify it to create the biggest and funniest battle of the bricks Australia has ever seen.

Originally created by Tuesdays Child Television, LEGO MASTERS launched in the UK on Channel 4 in 2017, winning an average audience of 2 million viewers. The launch episode was the number one programme of the day, exceeding the primetime average by 68%. An extended second series will air on Channel 4 later this year. 

Endemol Shine Group is the exclusive distributor of the format across all platforms outside of the U.K. and has the rights to produce local versions of the show around the world. Endemol Shine International is the exclusive distributor of all finished tape of all versions produced including the British version.

LEGO MASTERS will debut on Nine and 9Now in 2019.