Redemption Island

**Redemption Island** (known in *Australian Survivor* as *Exile Beach, Redemption Rock, and Purgatory*) is a twist used in *Australian Survivor*.

Redemption Island provides an opportunity for voted out castaways to re-enter the game and continue their pursuit of the title of Sole Survivor. Those who are voted out will compete in challenges, where the winner earns the right to remain on the island and the loser(s) is permanently eliminated.

## Concept

The concept of Redemption Island rooted from three foreign versions of the *Survivor* franchise, namely, the *Island of the Dead* of the Israeli version, *Isla Purgatoryo* in the Philippine version's second instalment, and *Ghost Island* from the Serbian version. Instead of being eliminated for good, players that have been voted off their tribes will be given an opportunity to re-enter the game and have a second shot at winning the game.

## Format

After being voted out, the castaway(s) take their extinguished torch on their way out from Tribal Council and proceed to Redemption Island. When the next castaway(s) are voted out, they will be sent to Redemption Island as well, meeting up with the current inhabitant(s) and living together overnight.

### Living Conditions

Castaways live at a camp with much fewer supplies than the existing tribe camps. A roofless shelter is provided, and it is up to the castaway to build and maintain the roof. A short supply of rice and beans is provided daily.

### Challenges

The exiled castaways compete in special challenges to earn their spot back in the game.

## Strategy

### Overview

For the remaining contestants, eliminating other castaways would be a more difficult burden. In theory, if a player was removed from a tribe after a blindside vote, and returns after winning a return challenge, a more unpredictable series of events would complicate the game. For instance, voting out a physically strong player could be potentially risky, as that player might win a return challenge and come back at a later time.

As for the island's current inhabitant, they can have a longer time to rethink strategy and how they will re-assimilate with their former tribemates. The "resurrected" player may forgive the same people who double-crossed them, or might show bitterness by making bolder and more rebellious moves to avenge their untimely departure, such as creating a counter-alliance with the rival tribe, though all rethinking may all be wasted if they lose a return challenge. Furthermore, re-assimilating back into the game will be difficult because the inhabitant is oblivious to the happenings at the tribe camps. Additionally, a "resurrected" player is not guaranteed immunity, making him or her susceptible to getting voted out once again, meaning that winning Immunity Challenges could be crucial.

When the Redemption Island cycle occurs post-merge, inhabitants will use the opportunity to buy jury votes, gaining their sympathy as they share similar sentiments, stipulated they are all disposed from the tribe.

## Reception

Redemption Island received a mixed to negative response from the fans, stating that this deviation had watered down the show's premise and the usual opening sentence at every first Tribal Council: having lit torches symbolises the contestants still in contention, while those who have extinguished torches are out of the game. Also, returnees are often disposed soon after re-entering the game, thus having little effect on the endgame.

Other fans panned the twist because the duels may not suit the participants' abilities, and would result in an unfair competition (e.g. performing a physically-punishing challenge with a bodybuilder and a physically weak person as competitors). Additionally, it is often speculated that the twist was created to keep certain players in the game longer to maintain ratings. This suggestion holds no sustainable evidence, however.

## Instances

#### *Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders* (2018)

Exile Beach was introduced on Day 18 where Tegan Gasior voted out at the Tribal Council and the following one on Day 20 where Anita Berkett was voted out. They went to Exile Beach and Anita lost the duel, eliminating her.

#### *Australian Survivor: Champions v Contenders* (2019)

On Day 38 and 40 the people voted out (Daisy Richardson and Simon Black, respectively) will not be sent home but will be sent to Exile Beach to face each other to earn their spot back into the game. Simon returned to the game.

#### *Australian Survivor: All Stars*

On Days 34 and 36, the three people that received the most votes at each Tribal Council would not be sent home but instead would be sent to Exile Beach. The six exiled castaways would then compete in two challenges in order for three of them to return to the game. Finally, all of the castaways would vote out one of the three remaining exiled castaways on Day 38, with the two others returning to the game.

#### *Australian Survivor: Brains v Brawn*

On Days 29 and 30, the two people voted out (Baden Cooke and Hayley Leake, respectively) were sent to Redemption Rock instead of being immediately eliminated. The pair would compete in a challenge on Day 31, with the winner returning to the game and the loser becoming the first member of the Jury. Hayley would go on to win the challenge, eliminating Baden in the process.

#### *Australian Survivor: Blood v Water*

On Days 32 to 35, the people voted out (Shay Lajoie, Jordie Hansen, KJ Austin, and Michelle Chiang) were not sent home but instead sent to Purgatory to face each other to earn their spot back into the game. On Day 36, these four castaways competed in a challenge: three of them returned to the game, while Michelle was eliminated.

## Trivia

* Tegan Gasior is the first person to live on Redemption Island and win their way back into the game. Her duel opponent Anita Berkett became the first person to be eliminated by losing a return challenge.
* Two of the eleven times someone has returned from Redemption Island, they were voted out the next time they were vulnerable:
	+ In *Champions v Contenders* (2019), Simon Black was voted out immediately after returning.
	+ In *All Stars*, Jacqui Patterson was voted out immediately after returning.
* Out of all the people who have been to Redemption Island, two of them have reached the Final Tribal Council that season: Hayley Leake in *Brains v Brawn* and Shay Lajoie in *Blood v Water*.
* *All Stars* is the only season with Redemption Island thus far to feature players returning from past seasons.