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Art Green
34, reality TV legend
What has been your proudest moment on the show?
Probably beating Josh Oakley in our elimination battle as he was such a fierce competitor.
What has been your most difficult moment?
Dragging that bloody life ring back to our pole in that challenge early on in the game.
What’s your biggest regret?
I don’t have one. No regrets!
What have you learnt about yourself?
Honestly? I can’t think of anything.
How was this second season of Treasure Island different to the first?
It was less stressful, there were fewer unknowns and it was just more fun!
What lessons did you learn from that first season?
I’ve learnt how to not overthink things and to trust that everything happens as it’s supposed to, no matter how much you do or don’t worry about it.
Who has been your toughest competition?
Matty McLean because he is such a smart player and I know he’s tried to get me out of the game a couple of times already.
What did the cameras miss?
There were some pretty inappropriate games of “Would you rather?” that were played when the cameras were off.
Dame Susan Devoy
59, four-time squash world champion
What’s your secret to making it to the final six again?
It’s important to make friends with the players winning the challenges and it helps if you look like you’re useful, rather than a threat. But mainly I owe it all to the best guys on the show, Lance [Savali] and Art.
What has been your proudest moment on the show?
Watching my son Josh fight to the end in a challenge against him. It’s not every day you get to have that experience with your kids!
And your most difficult moment?
I got pretty sick after I got an infection in my leg and reacted badly to the antibiotics. I was close to exhaustion and wasn’t sure if I could carry on.
Who has been your toughest competition?
Lance and Art were so dominant that none of us really thought we had a chance. Their physicality seemed impossible to break.
How was your second season different to the first?
The Fans were at a disadvantage. For the rest of us, this wasn’t our first rodeo and it gave us a real head start. Fiji threw in some different challenges – for me, the sleep situation was horrendous.
What did the cameras miss?
We had these very graphic games of “Would you rather?”, which would never be able to be shown on TV – too X-rated! Lana [Cochrane-Searle] and Art were the master players.
Matty McLean
36, Breakfast presenter
What’s your secret to making it to the final six?
I went with a “go big or go home” mentality, so I was making alliances, thinking strategically and playing hard.
What has been your proudest moment on the show?
Winning that push-of-war challenge with Dame Susan was the most incredible accomplishment – both in the game and my real life. It looked like we were going to lose and I was ready to give up, but Susan told me she believed in me and her external voice was louder than my internal voice. All of a sudden, I believed what she was saying!
And your most difficult moment?
I had to make a bunch of incredibly tough decisions as captain. I’m a real people pleaser, so I found it so hard. Putting Josh Kronfeld up for elimination and seeing him go home was really tough.
Who has been your toughest competition?
Everyone! I was so aware of everyone’s strengths and never for a second underestimated any single competitor. But I was constantly thinking about how terrifying it would be to
go up against Art if we both made it to the final three.
What have you learnt about yourself?
I now understand why my friends don’t want to play board games with me! But I also learnt that it’s never too late in life to find belief in yourself.
What did the cameras miss?
Every night in bed was filled with hilarious games of “Would you rather?” Lana was the queen of it, but Art was pretty good as well – that man’s brain is morbid!
Lana Cochrane-Searle
35, More FM presenter
What’s your secret to making it to the final six?
It’s all about showing potential, but not too much threat! Timing your performance is absolutely everything.
What has been your most difficult moment?
Waking up every five minutes overnight when there was a storm. I vividly remember tipping cups of water out of my sleeping bag!
What’s your biggest regret?
Not making more than one alliance. Now that I’m watching it all back, I realise everyone had all their fingers in every single available pie!
Who has been your toughest competition?
I still think Lance is the king of the physical and mind game. If you can topple him, you get the crown.
What have you learnt about yourself?
That I am absolutely capable and I need to shush that small voice in my head more often!
How was your second season different to the first?
I really enjoyed this series a lot more and I put that down to just letting go. I won some money for my charity early on and that let me just relax into the season. I had some wild fun.
What lessons did you learn from the first season?
Bring more than two bras!
What did the cameras miss?
Matty lost his jacket halfway through the show and you’d think by the amount of time he spent looking for that dirty old thing that there was $50,000 prize money in the pocket! He found it months later, when Katie Middleton admitted to accidentally having it with her.
Dave Ward
45, container terminal supervisor
What’s your secret to making it to the final six?
For the first time in a long time, I put myself first. Prior to playing, everyone says, “Bugger everyone else – I’m here to win it!” But it’s a different story when it starts and you’re in the arena. However, I said it and I also followed through. Let’s face it, no one else is going to put me ahead of their own game, are they? That’s why I turned on Alex King, and made an alliance with Art and Lance.
What is your biggest regret?
Making Alex cry. Oh, and the time I snapped a stick over my knee at the campfire and smashed Anna [Thomas] in the arm. I was already feeling s**tty after Micah [Marsh] went home, but just when I was at my lowest, I managed to damage my person on the island and discovered a new low, like, “Earth, swallow me up now!”
Who has been your toughest competition?
Ironically, Jane Yee – yes, the same Jane I had an alliance with. I’m normally pretty good at reading people, but she’s like Fort Knox. She’d proven herself handy in challenges and, as a fellow student of the game, she had a strategy I couldn’t work out.
0What have you learnt about yourself?
The mind will give up long before the body does, it’s OK to be proud of yourself and haemorrhoids pop back in after pulling ropes!
Lance Savali
31, dancer & TikTok star
What’s your secret to making it to the final six again?
I don’t think there is a secret. I honestly just take it day by day, align with people and make them feel like they could trust me. But I only really tried to have my brother Art’s back and that was my whole plan.
What has been your proudest moment?
1Winning all the money for my charity. I think I won $15k for the Heart Foundation, so that was crazy!
And your most difficult moment?
Probably the nighttimes because we got rained on so hard! Fiji is a different beast. When it rained, if poured and it did not stop. It was really tough.
What have you learnt about yourself?
That I still can’t find the treasure and I’m actually not very good at this game.
How has your second season been different to the first?
The dynamic with the Fans was very different. Obviously when it’s just the celebrities, there’s an unspoken respect, but with the Fans, there were people that we just didn’t know. It became more of a sports game and it was way more competitive.
2What lessons did you learn from the first season?
Because I’d been there before, experience played a bigger part this time. Just knowing what happens and knowing what to expect.
What did the cameras miss?
So much! Me and Art snuck a lot of food on to the island without anyone knowing. I can’t tell you any more than that.
Treasure Island: Fans V Faves screens 7.30pm Monday to Wednesday on TVNZ 2.
