Toni Tebbutt has survived nine tribal councils and now has a one in nine shot of walking away with R1 million and the title of this year’s Survivor winner.
The 38-year-old from Lonehill is currently competing in the sixth season of Survivor: South Africa, which is set in the Philippines. During the most recent episode, the long-awaited merge of the three tribes finally happened and a new tribe, Araw, was formed and Tebbutt walked away with the very first individual immunity idol.
“Wearing the immunity necklace is any Survivor fan’s dream, so to be the first one to wear it really was a very proud moment for me,” she told the Fourways Review. “I was up against a strong contender, Chane – who is also 10 years younger than me – but I was determined to win it at that point. I think I needed that win to reset my mind and spirits after being so low the last few days.”
The journey so far has been challenging, Tebbutt admits. Between the effects of hunger and the emotional weight of the game, Survivor has definitely taken a toll mentally.
“This game never stops, and your mind is always running – even when sleeping – it’s mentally and physically brutal.
“But I can’t take away the fact that in between all of that there is a lot of fun and laughter among the castaways and it’s in those moments where you connect with people, joke and sing songs, that you breathe. However, the paranoia is real and that can also mess a bit with your mind.”
Contestant Vusi was the most recent castaway voted off and is now the first member of the jury – which will ultimately vote to decide who of the final three wins the game.
“That’s what I have always loved about this game, the fact that the people you ‘screw over’ ultimately determine your fate.”
Going forward, Tebbutt feels like she has a good shot of winning this season – although it’s hard to know for sure as things change so quickly.
“I came to win so I definitely had ‘merge’ in mind but being at so many tribal councils and being so hungry, definitely made the finish line seem a bit fuzzy at times!”
You can watch Survivor SA: Philippines every Thursday at 7pm on M-Net.
Details: You can follow Toni’s journey by liking the @ToniSurvivor2018 Facebook page.
