Who will survive Malaysia?

When entries for M-Net’s Survivor South Africa: Malaysia closed earlier this week (Monday, 9 April 2007, at midnight), this year’s selection process has moved into top gear. But who decides who the 16 contestants will be? And, what are the odds that you’ll be going to Malaysia if you submitted an entry form?

This year, M-Net have added a twist to the selection process that increases all applicants’ chances of being chosen for the hit reality show.

Public vote

In a worldwide Survivor first, M-Net and Endemol SA, the producers of the local version of Survivor, have altered the selection mechanism to include a public vote. Fifteen of the 16 contestants will be chosen by the producers, while the 16 contestant will be the winner of the Survivor Viewer’s Choice search, which is being executed in partnership with 10 of the country’s leading newspapers and magazines.

Each of these media partners - and their readers - will be selecting their favourite applicant to put forward for the public to vote. The most-favoured candidate will become the 16th contestant for Survivor South Africa: Malaysia.

M-Net’s head of original productions, Carl Fischer, says this twist brings exciting dynamics to the selection process: “Firstly, more people are involved in selecting the contestants, but the participation of the different publications has also ensured that we’ve received a bigger variety of entries. Even though the final numbers are slightly lower than last year, we believe that the overall quality of entries is a notch higher and that it will be easy to select a bunch of Survivors who will provide riveting television.”

According to Marie Rosholt, executive producer of Survivor South Africa: Malaysia, the piles of entry forms are brimming with plenty of strong, feisty contenders who have what it takes to create fireworks on the show. “People went to great lengths to persuade us that they are perfect Survivor material. We’re also pleased that we received a lot more entries from older, more mature people and that the entries represent people from different parts of society.”

According to M-Net, two-thirds of the entries are from males. The percentage of applicants in the 40 - 59 age group is also higher than last year and the oldest contestants (20 of them) are 77 years old.

Wide variety

Rosholt says the 15 contestants who will be chosen by M-Net and Endemol SA will represent a wide variety of people. “We’re looking for the best candidates representing different age, gender, race, and personality groups. They will be highly competitive, have lots of personality but above all will have the attitude to fight to become the ultimate Survivor.”

The M-Net/Endemol auditions will start next week and the selection committee will be contacting their shortlisted 600 contestants in the next couple of days. “So, if you entered Survivor, stay close to your phone in the next couple of days,” says Rosholt.

The following publications will also be shortlisting their candidates in the next two weeks: City Press, Drum, Huisgenoot, Kaapse Son, Mense, People, Rapport, Son Noord, TV Plus, You.

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