The Summit 2024 finalists Mat Rogers, Charlotte Shelton and Simmone Jade Mackinnon faced one last twist after being crowned the winners of season two.
The June 4 season finale saw the trio, along with Trisha Lindgren, trekking towards the top of a mountain on New Zealand’s South Island, carrying a total of $580,000 in their backpacks. Y’know, no biggie!
However, before the final ascent, Australian Survivor star Mat culled Trisha from the group, sending her packing and forfeiting the $53,000 she was carrying with her.
As such, the final three were chuffed to reach the top after a gruelling 15-day trek, under the assumption that — like in the inaugural season — the remaining $536k would be evenly divided among them.
Oh, how wrong they were.
The Summit 2024 host Jai Courtney reveals massive twist
Mat, Charlotte and Simmone’s mountaintop celebrations were short-lived, with The Summit host Jai Courtney exposing one last twist.
The Mountain’s Keeper’s helicopter appeared, dropping a final yellow bag that awarded nurse Charlotte the right to decide how the cash prize would be divided.
The 12 previously eliminated players then formed a “jury” in which they could weigh in on how the 35-year-old opted to split the money.
Some contestants urged her to divide the cash equally. However, others suggested she be greedy and keep the pool for herself.
How did Charlotte Shelton choose to divide The Summit 2024‘s prize money?
Charlotte eventually decided to award Simmone and Mat with $100,000 each.
For those playing at home, that left the New South Wales local with a whopping $336,000.
Following her massive payday, Charlotte said she believes she’s proven that “ability truly comes from the heart”.
“That with determination, humour and a few tears, anything is possible,” she admitted.
“I took the first step towards that peak with the incredible support of my family, friends and partner, and also the support of those on the mountain who believed in me, Olympia [Valance], Lochie [Dornauf], Rosi [Buerckner], Mat and Taylor [Reid].”
How do The Summit 2024 finalists plan to use their winnings?
As for her newfound riches, Charlotte said her winnings will give her the chance to support her family better than she ever could have hoped.
“The prize money will allow me to create security for myself and my family, something I didn’t think would ever be possible as a public healthcare worker,” she said. “Representation matters. This was for all the nubs out there. You can do it!”
Meanwhile, Simmone told Nine that she was “gutted” to pocket such a small portion of the prize.
However, she confessed she was still “very grateful” as the money would allow her to pay off her debts.
As for Mat — he’s keen to take his “amazing wife” on a trip to New York to visit her sister.
“She deserves a break,” he confessed, adding that he’ll also “save some [money] for a rainy day”.
Stream The Summit on 9Now.
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