Australian Survivor 2025 has officially reached Merge — the Brains and Brawn are all playing together and against each other.
A recent episode saw a Tribe Swap reunite Zara Callianiotis with some of her OG Brains alliances prior to Merge, and the mum-of-three told Chattr that she and Logan Johannisen came up with a plan heading into it.
Immediately after Merge was announced, the remaining thirteen contestants took part in a Reward Challenge that saw them hanging off a rope. Kate won and chose Logan, Zara, Morgan McLeod, Paulie Michael, Kristin Alston and Alexander “AJ” Antonios to a pop-up cocktail bar.
Zara said while she was pleased to be included in the Reward group, she and Logan purposely threw the challenge to protect themselves.
“Half of us get sent off to this beautiful reward where we’re eating and drinking, and we could actually see the other half of the tribe not getting that reward,” she explained.
“So I’m glad that I wasn’t the one who had to pick the people that got to go on the reward, and that was part of my strategy, was actually not to win that — which Logan and I discussed. So we didn’t have to be the ones picking and choosing who was going on the reward.”
Zara’s advantage going into the Survivor Merge
Zara started Australian Survivor on the Brains team, and when the first Tribe Swap happened, she returned to Brains — otherwise known as the New Brains.
Then, when an advantage popped up that sent the contestant voted out at Tribal Council to the New Brawn tribe, Zara was sent over.
The switch-a-roo meant that she was the only contestant to play with every cast-away pre-Merge.
“I do think it was an advantage at the Merge because everyone saying ‘Hi, I’m Zara. I’m 44. I’m from Brisbane’ and I’d already done that.
“Everyone already had a basis and a working relationship with me. I did have plans set in place with every single player out there.”
Will Zara’s groundwork see her triumph now that the tribes have combined?
Australian Survivor airs at 7pm on Sundays and 7:30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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