It’s almost that time of the year again, when a slew of castaways try to outwit, outplay and outlast each other to become the sole survivor.

But this year comes with a twist … and plenty of familiar faces.

Australian Survivor will return to the harsh desert outback for its seventh season.

Last year’s competition was meant to be filmed in Fiji, but pandemic-related travel restrictions put a stop to that.

The all-new season hosted by Jonathan LaPaglia premieres on Monday, January 31 at 7.30pm (AEDT) on Channel 10.

While we wait, here’s what you can expect from Australian Survivor 2022.

Bonds will be broken

This year’s theme is Blood v Water and contestants will compete as pairs.

Think mother and daughter, husband and wife, in-laws and more.

What initially starts as a strong alliance between loved ones may splinter.

At the end of the day, only one contestant can be crowned sole survivor.

Is blood truly thicker than water? In this case, maybe not.

Meet your castaways

Channel 10 has revealed six contestants so far, none more exciting than a fan favourite flown in from America.

Sandra Diaz-Twine and Nina Twine 

Diaz-Twine is a two-time winner of Survivor US and one of the franchise’s all-time sassiest villains.

She’s also the self-described queen of the series.

Diaz-Twine took home the glory when she won Survivor: Pearl Islands in 2003 and Survivor: Heroes v Villains in 2010.

She also competed in Survivor: Game Changers in 2017 and appeared as a non-competing mentor in Survivor: Island of the Idols in 2019.

In other words, she knows what she’s doing.

“I’m coming to show the Australian people how the game is really played,” Diaz-Twine said in a teaser for the upcoming season.

Her secret weapon? Her daughter, Nina.

But while Diaz-Twine believes her daughter will be her greatest advantage, Twine is determined to make a name for herself in Survivor history.

“I’ve been watching her play Survivor since I was five,” Twine said of her mother.

“I’m coming for her crown.”

What’s some healthy competition between mother and daughter, hey?

 

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Sam Gash and Mark Wales 

Sam Gash and Mark Wales met and fell in love on Season 4 of Australian Survivor, because nothing says romance like not having a proper shower for days on end.

While neither Gash nor Wales won their season in 2017, they have since married and had a child together.

That’s probably as good as consolation prizes get in Survivor. 

 

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Michael Crocker and Chrissy Zaremba

Former NRL star Michael Crocker and his sister-in-law Chrissy Zaremba are confident their bond will keep them strong in the outback.

“I’ve possibly got the strongest emotional anchor this game’s ever seen,” Zaremba said of her brother-in-law.

“There’s no way I could be doing this without him.”

This is the pair’s first time competing in the series, but Crocker is a long-time fan of the show.

He retired from the NRL in 2013 after a knee injury forced him to hang up his boots.

 

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Rumoured castaways

Word on the grapevine is TV personality Jay Bruno has joined Australian Survivor 2022.

Bruno is no stranger to the small screen, having previously appeared on Channel 7’s short-lived Instant Hotel competition series.

MasterChef favourite Khanh Ong and popular lifestyle influencer Sophie Cachia are rumoured to have joined the cast as well.

 

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Although these potential castaways haven’t been confirmed yet, Channel 10 has teased the appearance of siblings, twins and cousins.

We’ll just have to wait and see who else has a shot at becoming this year’s sole survivor.