New season One Australia began tonight on SBS with plenty of hints about what’s to come this year as 10 brave survivors venture into the brutal Arctic Circle in a bid to win $250,000.
If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll feel relieved by the change of scenery. Unlike the intense international versions, past seasons in Tasmania and New Zealand were seriously lacking in drama; The most extreme conditions the participants faced were rising river levels and the routine struggle to obtain food.
This time in the northernmost reaches of Sápmi, Finland, our participants face sub-zero temperatures, an extreme calorie deficit, formidable predators and the psychological toll of complete arctic darkness. The threat of frostbite or a bear attack is very real, but surprisingly, this is not what the participants struggled with the most.
Speaking to news.com.au ahead of the series’ premiere, several cast members admitted that the barely discussed truth that they had to film the show for SBS and lug around 70kg of camera and technical equipment was their biggest challenge.
“Innovative signature One remains: no film crew. Each survivor is a lone filmmaker documenting their own descent into the Arctic winter. Every frozen tear, every frostbitten finger and every hallucination born of darkness is captured,” the show teases.
MORE: Alone takes Aussies to their limits
Spoiler: it wasn’t easy. In the first two episodes of the highly anticipated fourth season, two contestants struggle to lift their heavy equipment, with others also commenting that it was hard work.
For 39-year-old former Navy chef Trent, the production side of being on the show was something he underestimated the most.
“I didn’t realize the lengths previous contestants went to to get good footage for SBS. I mean, at the end of the day, if you didn’t film it, it didn’t happen,” he told news.com.au.
“It takes a lot of time and you burn a lot of calories just to try and get it right. It’s incredible how much filming and how much effort goes into trying to get good shots. “It can be the most unexpected moment when something amazing happens and you need to have a camera with you and you need a camera with it. There are days when you think, “God, I just don’t want to do this,” because you just want to survive and this is one more thing you need to do. It’s really just part of the whole process. This is what you signed up for.”
Single mother and ultra-marathoner Sia, 44, also admitted that filming her time in the Arctic was challenging.
“The equipment was heavy and there was a lot to think about… operating it with cold hands in extreme conditions and terrain was very difficult,” she admitted to us.
“Due to the extreme cold, the battery life was not good enough, so I kept them close to my body. The legs on the tripod drove me crazy sometimes. Trying to stay on the uneven surface eventually drove me over the edge. I remember shouting, “I’ve had enough!”
“I definitely look at every scene on TV differently now because I know how much work goes into every shot.”
Jasper, the show’s youngest contestant at 24 and with no filming experience like most of the other contestants, agreed that filming their every move was “a lot of work.”
“Not only is it physically tiring to carry it and walk over the same spot twice to get the right angle and shoot, but it’s also a lot of work to focus on,” he shared.
“Just focusing on surviving is a lot of work, but also making a documentary and making sure you’re doing a good job filming and getting enough content. It’s very important for your mind and body.”
This season the following competitors will compete in the wild:
Alice, 36, Aboriginal Community Engagement Specialist, Washington.
Arash, 32, landfill manager, Queensland.
Clint, 57, sheep and cattle farmer, New Zealand.
Dougie, 43, electrician, Washington.
Dylan, 35, DFV High Risk Coordinator/Search and Rescue Specialist, Queensland
Jasper, 24, permaculture practitioner and educator, Washington DC.
Lillian, 25, international travel guide, North Carolina.
Misty, 29, tour guide, Victoria.
Sia, 44, design consultant/ultramarathon runner, Victoria.
Trent, 39, former Navy chef, TAS.
Oh, and did we mention that it looks like someone has gone missing, forcing the search party to enter the chat? More on this another time!
Alone Australia airs from Wednesday 15 July at 7.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.