After 5 years of auditions, David Genat got the role of Survivor host | Television tonight

When he was announced as the new host of Australian survivor In mid-2025, David Genat’s appointment was “blindsided” by host Jonathan LaPaglia and viewers alike.

Yet he was already sounded out in 2020 by producers Endemol Shine Australia.

“Just in case JLP couldn’t fly before Covid,” he explains.

“There was an audition in 2020. I auditioned again, maybe around 2023. And after that Australia versus the world in december 2024 i did a screen test and i kinda knew i had it.

It had been an unconventional path to the role of host for the former model, born in Perth to Australians of Prussian descent. His first foray into entertainment was with Ford Look for a supermodel at 10 in 2002.

“A friend challenged me to make one Zoolander impression. We watched that movie, so I just had to laugh. I was a bit of a class clown at school, I think,” he recalls.

“This was a super early reality, so they didn’t really understand the tricks of getting us all to argue with each other and be dramatic and all that. But it was still a pretty intense experience.”

After winning the series with Nicole Trunfio, he lived in the US during an era when Travis Fimmel ruled. Life was busy and exciting.

“When I won that show it meant I had agents all over the world for the next three years. I was based in New York and just flew everywhere to model,” he explains.

“My claim to fame in the beginning was that I had Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren back when they were competitors. It was a big modeling scandal. It was hilarious and they were very angry with my agent. But then it led to me getting signed to Ralph Lauren. I was with them for about seven years. I had a really good run with those guys.”

However, acting classes and a quest for theater were a slower, longer target, so when a friend showed up Australian survivor told him about the show that it became a new activity.

“They were looking for male modeling talent with a good profile, my agent just put me forward and then they wanted to meet me. I flew to Sydney and met Endemol Shine and the rest is history. I think that meeting happened in 2018. I met the amazing (producer) Amelia Fisk, and I gave her US sales at the time. I was living in America and said, ‘I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that, and I’m so great.’ She said, ‘Well, let’s see.’”

Ahead of his first appearance (there have been three now) he crammed in episodes of the US series and some of the Australian version.

“I wanted to be a villain on the show. I was putting together all these characters, like Boston Rob, Parvati and Tyson. I was watching their seasons… I thought, ‘Let me try to be the male Parvati.’ I really wanted to play up that character side of things, being a villain on television, to see if it could lead to a career on TV,” says Genat.

“My plan was to play that first season, not worrying about winning, just doing the craziest things I could and really getting the crowd on board, or hating me.”

He became known as an Immunity Idol magnet, earning him the catchphrase “Golden God.” He admits it was a name he gave himself.

“The original Golden God clip came about because I found this little skull and made a fake immunity idol,” he recalls.

“It was three in the morning on the beach and I was trying to do it without anyone seeing. When I finished it, (a producer asked) ‘How does that feel? And I thought, ‘I feel like a golden God now!’ …then they started calling me ‘Golden God’ in interviews. So that’s when I started using it.”

But inside Champions vs. Contenders II he was blinded and left the tribe with an idol in his bag. Producers, enthusiastic about his gameplay, immediately introduced him to another idea. He would return in 6 weeks to film Australian Survivor: All Stars? This time he won the series.

Then, when the pandemic swept the world, he pivoted Famous student for Nine, who subsequently gave him guest hosting spots Outing before a series hosting role arrived Hast. The travel adventure series, produced by Endemol Shine, only ran for one season before being axed.

“Nine had gambled on two new formats, The topAnd Hastand both rated about the same. “I didn’t feel like the ratings were setting the world on fire, but they were pretty good, and it was just a big financial commitment,” he continues.

“When they came back to the green light shows, I don’t think they wanted to run them either… I had signed on for three seasons, so it was quite upsetting when the show was canceled.”

But he was also seen by American producers who invited him to participate Deal or No Deal Island.

“I thought, ‘That sounds so ridiculous.’ And then they said, ‘Last season someone played for $14 million.’ I thought, ‘Okay, I’m in!’”

The series sidelined him Survivor‘s Parvati who was also invited to do this Australian Survivor: Australia vs. the World prior. Despite winning over AU$9 million on Deal or no deal he agreed to his third Survivor conscription. It would be the last time he appeared alongside Jonathan LaPaglia, whom he would unexpectedly succeed.

The two spoke shortly after Network 10 announced the new host.

“Yes, we had a chat. I’m cordial with Jonathan. As a contestant, he’s always treated me very nicely. I wanted to be able to send him a message, to tell him how much I appreciate his legacy and what he’s done for the show. His response, and I understand why you do that, was that it was what it was. But I was very cordial with Jonathan,” he confirms.

So if you’ve been a reality TV villain, is it important to be accepted by the audience as a likable host? Not necessarily.

“I don’t know. Man, it’s like an acting role. I think you can make it whatever you want as long as you facilitate the gameplay. There are hosts who do it all in different ways. For example, check out The traitors. Alan Cumming is so theatrical and camp, so you can play host in all kinds of different ways,” Genat emphasizes.

“I like to hold the guys accountable for the gameplay. I love the game, and I love gameplay, and I want them to play. I think sometimes there’s a tendency to Survivor players who don’t want to play. But they need to be at Tribal Council and play hard, so I’ll make sure I keep them on the hook for that. I ask probing questions and I give them the opportunity to clearly mislead. Deception and being good at it are at the heart of a Tribal Council. But I don’t want to make it easy for them. I want them to work for it. There is half a million dollars at stake.”

What will viewers see in the new Repayment series?

“You’re going to experience one of the wildest seasons Australian survivor. The alliance changes were incredible. There’s really a lot of drama and great characters, really good stories. The people who played were really interested in the theme. Everyone was like, ‘I need redemption,'” he explains.

“There are probably three or four super standout players this season. It will be just like old school.” Survivorwhere you’re really drawn to their characters… the new ones I’m talking about.

“It’s good to have the returnees because everyone has to play hard from day one. It’s like they’re giving you an education. That happened for me the first time I played because I had Luke Toki there.”

“And they’re playing for someone who knows the game so well and has played it at the highest level. So I think they wanted to play really hard for me too.”

Australian Survivor premieres on Monday, February 23 at 7:30pm on 10.