Ahoy, me hearties! Celebrity Treasure Island is returning for another round of hilarity and hijinks in which famous Kiwis vie for the chance to win serious booty for their chosen charity.
We look back at some of the show’s most memorable moments…
Lana Coc-Kroft’s brush with death
A freak accident that turned deadly
When the SportsCafe presenter cut her foot on a piece of coral during a challenge, she never could have imagined the terror that would follow.
As the days passed, she grew sicker until, eventually, “It felt like every bone in my body had been broken. I really thought I’d die from the pain.” She was evacuated from Fiji to a hospital in Auckland, where they discovered she was near death with toxic shock syndrome brought on by a streptococcal infection.
Years of recovery
During her five-week hospital stay, Lana was resuscitated multiple times and it took another year before she fully recovered. Reflecting on that harrowing time, the 58-year-old shares, “The overwhelming thing is how it affected the people around me more than it affected me because they had to live through it.”
Josh Kronfeld’s reign supreme
From champion to chaos
He’s the show’s most successful competitor! All Black Josh won the 2004 season of Celebrity Treasure Island, then came back the following year to win Superstars of Celebrity Treasure Island – the only competitor to win twice.
In 2004, he and TrueBliss singer Joe Cotton were famously buried alive in coffins, then raced to untie themselves and escape.
When the strategy led to elimination
Josh, 54, returned to the show in 2023 for Treasure Island Superstars, but was eliminated by his team in week two because he wasn’t on board with their planning strategy, telling them, “You guys are worried about the wrong things.” His teammates said tootle-pip by sailing a pair of his dirty undies out to sea.
King of the castle or naughty rascal?
A short but explosive island stint
He was only on the island for two days, but intruder Mike King, 63, stirred up plenty of trouble. His trash talk in challenges was not taken kindly and at one point, straight-talking former Human Rights Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy told him to “shut up” with an expletive thrown in for good measure.
He eventually sent himself home, but not before he outed his secret alliance with his daughter Alex and former Black Fern Melodie Robinson on his way out the door.
The fallout
He caused such a ruckus that he issued a public apology, saying he was only trying “to make entertaining TV and have fun with friends”. Still, he was naïve about how “many people would take it all so seriously and think it was real”.
Chris Parker’s tortoise- and-hare moment
The underdog
No one expected funny guy Chris to win CTI in 2021 – least of all him. In the finale, the Kiwi comedian was already miles behind his fellow competitors, Lance Savali and Edna Swart, when he got lost in the bush. When he finally arrived at the spot marked X, however, the treasure was still nowhere to be found.
A shock victory no one saw coming
He picked a spot away from where the others were digging and hit gold! Chris, 35, struggled to come home and keep his triumph a secret.
“I would sometimes stand in the shower and say out loud, ‘You won Celebrity Treasure Island,’ just to break the silence.”
And Best Actor goes to…
While physical prowess can get you so far, many have demonstrated that one of the most important skills in surviving another day in the competition is theatrical abilities. Jodie Rimmer, 51, demonstrated why she is an award-winning actor during the 2019 season when her aural rendition of a vomit was convincing enough to spare her from being put up for elimination.
Five years later, All Black Christian Cullen, 50, faked a leg injury in a bid to throw a challenge and oust his team leader. His display was so convincing that the medics checked him over as he writhed in pain on the beach.
Rebecca Loos’ kiwi love affair
David Beckham’s former personal assistant Rebecca had her moment of fame in 2004 after claiming she and the famous footballer had a steamy affair under Victoria Beckham’s nose.
In 2007, she competed in Treasure Island: Pirates of the Pacific and said, “I feel like a cavewoman!” Rebecca, 48, was ousted in episode five, but by then, she and the show’s host, Matthew Ridge (right), had become an item. They split the following year.
Matty’s declaration
An emotional exit
“I don’t have to prove myself to Barbara Kendall!” is the tearful declaration Matty McLean made after his stint in the 2019 season of Celebrity Treasure Island.
The former Breakfast star uttered those famous words after his elimination, when the CTI mega fan felt his team captain, Olympic boardsailer Barbara Kendall, only valued serious physical threats.
A return marked by redemption
Matty, 39, returned in 2023 to win Treasure Island: Fans v Faves and jokingly shouted, “Take that, Barbara Kendall!”
He later clarified, “I honestly don’t hold anything against her. She’s an amazing woman. She was just the physical embodiment of the demons I was fighting within. Growing up, I couldn’t see my own worth and struggled with my sexuality. That first time opened up those old wounds that I clearly had from when I was younger.”
