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TVNZ has revealed the cast lineup for the upcoming fifth season of Celebrity Treasure Island, which will see 18 famous Kiwis fight to win $100,000 for their chosen charity.
The competition series features a cast of celebrities from New Zealand’s stage and sports field, as well as an unexpected face of Aotearoa’s history – activist and Arts Laureate Tāme Iti.
Iti, who will be competing for Mike King’s I Am Hope charity, says he decided to join this year’s team of castaways to raise funds “for a project that is dear to my heart.”
The 71-year-old plans to use his knowledge of New Zealand’s natural world and decades of experience to take out the competition, which sees our local celebs having to fend for themselves in the wild.
“The human body can handle just drinking water for a long time, you know and just sustain that. We’ve already got a lot of energy in our stomach, and maybe it’s time to lose weight,” he laughs.
“Take a few kg off. On you go then.”
TVNZ
Tame Iti joins the cast of Celebrity Treasure Island 2023.
Joining Iti is The Bachelor star Matilda Green, whose husband Art has competed on Celebrity Treasure Island twice in the past.
The soon-to-be mum of three is representing Variety Children’s Charity, and says her babies are what she missed the most during her time castaway.
“It was really hard saying goodbye to them, even though they didn’t understand, and they really didn’t care in the moment,” she laughs.
Green reckons fellow contestant and TVNZ presenter Matt Gibb might just be her biggest competition in the game, and says she hopes to emerge as the season’s “dark horse”.
“I’m hoping that people will underestimate me so that I can prove them wrong,” she says.
TVNZ
Matilda Green, whose Bachelor star husband Art has competed on Celebrity Treasure Island twice before, says she hopes to emerge as the season’s “dark horse”.
Also in the lineup is Warriors legend (and technical Aussie) Steve Price, playing for Child Cancer Foundation, who says at the moment he’s “probably the least-fittest” he’s ever been.
“[Contestants have] already said ‘oh my God, when we’ve got these games to hold stuff, we’ll just get Steve to do it.’ I don’t know about that. That’s probably not a good idea,” he says.
“My job is sitting behind a desk for 12 hours a day, 26-days-in-a-row. So if I could think of the worst preparation I could have for something like this, I’ve got it.”
TVNZ
Jazz Thornton, James Mustapic, and Blair Strang are some of the other Kiwi stars joining the cast.
Rounding out the lineup is a cast of comedians featuring Laura Daniel, Eli Matthewson, Courtney Dawson, and James Mustapic, as well as actors Blair Strang, Grant Lobban, Miriama Smith, Turia Schmidt-Peke, and musical theatre star Nick Afoa.
Presenters Matt Gibb, Mary Lambie, Jordan Vandermade, and broadcaster Mel Homer will also appear, along with mental health advocate Jazz Thornton and TrueBliss singer Megan Alatini.
The next instalment of Celebrity Treasure Island will take place in Wānaka, with TVNZ teasing the season will “unravel the mysterious tale of three sisters who pulled off New Zealand’s biggest bank robbery and disappeared into the wilds of Central Otago with their loot.”
“Rumour has it they lived out their days in a hidden ghost town, their fortune and whereabouts unknown.”
Celebrity Treasure Island will return to TVNZ on September 18.
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