He’s the scientist from Minnesota who became a celebrity during lockdown thanks to his educational raps, his colourful way of explaining aerosol chemistry and, of course, his glorious mullet, but Dr Joel Rindelaub initially moved to New Zealand to play ice hockey.
“Then I got a real job and now I’m stuck here!” laughs the 35-year-old, who works at the University of Auckland. “But I love the job and the creativity that goes with it. If I have a question that I need to answer, I go into the lab and figure it out. I get paid to learn, which is cool, and luckily New Zealanders have such high trust in science – overseas, it can be a bit like that movie Don’t Look Up.”
Asked how he feels about his newfound fame, Joel replies, “To be honest, I didn’t know I was a celebrity until they gave me the call to be on Treasure Island. I’m sure a lot of people are going to be asking who the hell this American bloke is because if you don’t watch the news, you’ll have no idea who I am, but I’ll take it. Even before all this, people were taking photos of me on the street because of my distinct looks!”
Dr Joel’s mullet comes in handy during challenges.
Speaking of which, Joel reckons his mullet gives him an advantage on the reality series. He explains, “People think it’s just for aesthetics, but it’s actually attached at the back to my brain to give me super-science strength. I also don’t have to worry about sunburn on the back of my neck, so I may look like a redneck, but the name does not apply!”
