The production of an Australian reality show on a remote island took a turn for the worst when competitors were left in conditions that left them “starving, fainting, and bitten by a snake.”
Million Dollar Island, like Survivor, features a group of individuals who are stranded on a remote desert island and must complete a number of tasks in order to earn a cash reward.
Hosted by former SAS: Who Dares Win host Ant Middleton, the 100 participants make alliances, lie, and plan in the hopes of winning bracelets valued thousands of dollars.
However, it turns out that throughout the series’ production, contenders had more to worry about than merely beating their opponents.
A previous contender has now spilt the beans, providing a behind-the-scenes look at what happened, and it sounds quite gloomy.
Producers were alleged to have taken away the participants’ ‘necessary things,’ which included sunscreen, bug repellent, and microfiber towels, before the cameras began rolling.
‘People were losing their s** and fighting with production because they didn’t give us a reason [for confiscating our stuff],’ they former contestant explained.
The group was handed wooden boxes stocked with food to last them the full four weeks of filming at the commencement of the show.
They were given basic survival gear such as rope and wood, as well as rice, beans, and tinned food.
However, the former contender said that food began ‘running out’ after only a few days and that they were not provided any additional.
‘We were subsisting on half a handful of rice in the morning,’ they said when speaking to SoDramatic!
‘We were starving on less than 200 calories a day. Within three days, people were standing up and getting head spins.’
While trying to live off the land was part of the game, it proved challenging.
Despite having skilled fishers and survivalists on location, they were said to be’shocked’ by the scarcity of natural supplies.
Things eventually became so bad that producers started handing out food at the start of challenges, however they were simply snacks like ‘apple slices’.
‘We had no energy to do things and by the end of week two, everyone was lying down in the sun, unable to give anything,’ they added.
Many candidates were believed to have collapsed owing to a shortage of food and water on the island, and medics were sent in.
‘I think the producers didn’t realise how bad it was going to get food-wise,’ the former cast member confessed.
They also stated that while there was a tank to replenish water bottles, it went dry within five days.
Despite the large reward on offer, it wasn’t enough to keep everyone interested, and several candidates decided to leave the programme.
‘Lots of people quit the game, even people you wouldn’t expect to quit. Many contestants ended up in big screaming matches with production behind the scenes,’ the source said.
‘People were standing up for everyone, saying: “You can’t treat us like this”.’
If that wasn’t awful enough, the animals were also a source of concern.
‘Somebody got bitten by a snake and there were many deadly, poisonous snakes on the island,’ they said.
They also stated that cast members were bitten by ticks while filming on the tropical island.
The series is still showing in Australia, but among the seven episodes that have been published thus far, 17 participants have departed, while four have left due to ‘medical reasons’.
An additional 41 people have been fired.
Million Dollar Island is streaming on 7Plus in Australia.
