BARRY Lea has left Australian Survivor, and the very likeable former Queensland professional rugby player had one of the strangest strategies in the game — that is, no strategy at all.
Lea was determined to play Australian Survivor with honesty and integrity, speaking openly about who he was going to vote for, and refusing to take part in any alliance building.
It was enough to keep him in Samoa for 12 days but in the end — after losing a fire making challenge — his tribe Vavau booted him out.
AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR CONTESTANT QUITS
Lea said there is no way he was going to change the way he behaved from what he is like in the real world, even though there was $500,000 at stake.
“With the way I played the game, everybody in Vavau respected that,” said the Cairns radio host.
“I wasn’t privy to any alliance conversation, and conniving, any scheming, that sort of stuff.
“I chose to stay away from that, and they respect that and didn’t bring me into it at all.”
He wants to be a role model to young children, in particularly the indigenous community, so he played the game like he is in real life — a gentleman.
“You always have got people who are nice to your face but they are back stabbers,” he said.
“for me at least have the courtesy to tell someone where they stand and how you feel.
“You want to be a role model, and for me especially for indigenous kids.
“That involves having integrity and honestly.”
Playing it straight until the end, Lea said he had no hard feelings about being booted out; in fact he agreed with the tribe’s decision.
“Basically there were six people in that challenge, and one person let the team down (me). If you don’t want to come back to tribal council again, you’ve got to vote with your head and not your heart. Your heart might say yes, they are all lovely people and they are good to be around camp, but the aim of the game is to win challenges,” he said.
“I spelt it out for them, everybody knew what I was trying to say.”
Leaving the Vavau tribe gave another lifeline to Canberra law student Conner Bethune, who along with Livin charity CEO Sam Webb, were new members of Vavua after last week’s surprise tribe swap.
The tight knit Vavua tribe showed signs of turning on itself, with self confessed super fan Andrew Torrens already plotting to vote out one of the strongest players in the Vavau tribe, recruitment officer Craig I’Anson.
AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR, CHANNEL TEN, SUNDAY TO TUESDAY, 7.30PM
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