Alone Australia contestant Chace Leitch has defended producers of the hit series after they were slammed for their decision to film the reality show in New Zealand.
The gruelling program sees 10 survivalists dropped in the wilderness, where they must outlast their competition for the chance to win $250,000.
Defence combat engineer Chace, 27, said attempting to shoot the show in a place like Australia’s hot desert regions would have been too dangerous for contestants.
He made the comments after one fan suggested producers should have used the Kimberleys in Western Australia, a region notorious for its unforgiving climate.
‘I’d love that,’ he said in an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle on Thursday.
Alone Australia contestant Chace Leitch has defended producers of the hit series after they were slammed for their decision to film the reality show in New Zealand
‘But the problem with that is that it comes with its own risks because heat illness is something that can happen very, very quickly.’
Chace said it was easier to monitor a decline in cold conditions and that would not be possible in a hot climate because the effects of heat sickness impact the ‘mental capacity’ of sufferers.
He said contestants may not know they are in trouble until it is too late.
The gruelling program sees 10 survivalists dropped in the wilderness, where they must outlast their competitors for the chance to win $250,000. Pictured: Alone Australia
Crace, who left the show last week after surviving 10 days, also discussed further dangers contestants would encounter in a region like the Kimberleys.
‘So, that’s the problem with Australia and the heat, I’d love it, because that’s where I grew up, in the tropics and the heat and stuff like that,’ he said.
‘However, it’s a different kettle of fish, especially with the crocodiles and the venomous snakes and the venomous plants and things like that – it’s a very dangerous, dangerous place up there.’
Defence combat engineer Chace, 27, said attempting to shoot the show in a place like Australia’s hot desert regions would have been too dangerous for contestants
It comes after fans were left outraged over the decision to film the Aussie show across the ditch.
‘Why is it called Alone Australia if it’s in New Zealand? You guys claiming the whole country now?’ one fan wrote.
‘Trying to get my head around #AloneAustralia being filmed in NZ,’ another remarked.
Chace said it was easier to monitor a decline in cold conditions and that would not be possible in a hot climate because the effects of heat sickness impact the ‘mental capacity’ of sufferers
‘So this is Alone New Zealand then. Australia is such a huge country, surely you could of found somewhere in our own country to be a genuine Alone Australia,’ another user raged.
The SBS Australia Instagram account responded to the various comments, validating the network’s decision.
‘If you’ve seen other seasons of Alone, you’ll know that they’re not necessarily shot inside the same country and are actually filmed all over the place – it’s mainly about the participants being from Australia,’ they said in a statement.
‘The American version of Alone has been shot all over the place including Canada, Patagonia and even Mongolia!’
The first season of Alone Australia was filmed in Tasmania which has strict hunting regulations. Season 2 (pictured) allowed survivalists to use a bow and arrow to hunt game
Season one saw the contestants take on the challenging conditions of Tasmania during a ‘polar blast’.
However, head of unscripted programs at SBS, Joseph Maxwell, told The Guardian last year that Tasmania’s strict hunting regulations led the producers to search for a new location for this year’s season.
He added that New Zealand’s spectacular landscape sold the producers.
‘By choosing New Zealand, we’re able to introduce bows and arrows, which brings in whole new strategies and skill sets…. and it is an absolutely stunning location,’ he said.
‘Tasmania had a real, claustrophobic intensity about it, New Zealand is a place of grandeur. It is absolutely stunning,’ he said.
Alone Australia airs Wednesdays 7:30pm on SBS.
