Hunted stars reveal major moment that wasn't aired: 'Pure desperation'

Hunted is the brand new reality TV show that Australians can’t stop talking about.

The Channel Ten series, which kicked off this week, follows nine pairs of ordinary Aussies as they go on the run from a team of expert Hunters in a real-life game of cat-and-mouse.

The first pair of Fugitives captured were best friends and sisters-in-law Angie and Michelle, who spoke with Yahoo Lifestyle following their elimination all about the experience and what viewers didn’t get to see.

“We had so many plans and so many costume changes, but from the moment I jumped out of the van at the very start and I did my knee, we realised that all those plans that we had set in motion were just going to be completely thrown out the window,” Angie says.

“And from then on, everything just didn’t go our way.”

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After being dropped off in Melbourne’s CBD at the beginning of the adventure, the pair quickly made their way to Geelong where they stayed with their friend Jacque.

However, the Hunters were able to work out their location when they accessed their devices and left them paranoid when they accidentally called Jacque from Angie’s phone.

“Looking back, we think they were getting into Jacque’s phone and were just playing with it, I don’t know,” Michelle suggests, adding that her phone had been “playing up” and turning on and off by itself all day.

“We got Jacque to send them a text back to say, ‘Oh hey Angie, I'm actually at work. I can't talk right now, can I call you back later?’. That was our decoy back to them so they would think we weren’t together, but it didn’t work.”

“I think poor Jacque got a lot more anxious than we did,” Angie adds with a laugh.

‘The anxiety and the stress and the paranoia’

Michelle went on to reveal that viewers didn’t get to see the “pure desperation” that happened after they left Jacque’s house.

“The phone call that Jacque got from Angie’s phone was the instant we thought, ‘We’ve got to get the hell out of here’,” she recalls. “That’s when we went for the walk to find all the hotels, but everywhere was fully booked because there was a massive conference going on at the time.

“They didn't show this, but I actually walked into a hairdressing salon and told them I would clean their floor if they would let us sleep there. I begged, but of course, they said no. Even one of the hotels had a room but it was flooded and I begged and said I’d clean it but the manager said no.

“They didn't show any of that which was so unfortunate because they are the limits that we were pushed to. I’d never do that in real life, but just the desperation and the anxiety and stress and paranoia, it was a whole new level.”

Angie asserts that it’s important for people to know that they tried their hardest in the game and they “didn’t just go to Jacque’s and chill out”.

“We did actually walk around town until we were blue in the face and then there was no other option for it,” she explains.

“The way things go, you just don’t know what’s going to happen and I guess that's what it's all about on the run. It's not about planning, it’s all about thinking on your feet and evolving continuously and seeing what your next move can be.”

‘A point to prove’

While the ‘Swifty Fifty’ duo are grateful that the experience brought them closer as friends, they admit there are definitely some things they would change if they could go back and do it all again.

“I didn't predict how much fitness would probably be a big part of the game, I thought it was more mental,” Angie details. “So right now I’m getting myself sorted for that because even if it’s a game show or real life, I need to have both aspects ready at the drop of a hat.

“For me, I would back myself more,” Michelle says. “I would tell myself to go with my gut feeling and if we had this chance again, I would get off the scale and go deep undercover.”

The Queenslanders might have been the first contestants out this season, but they are already excited to try again next year.

“We're waiting for the next season to come along so we can apply again!” Angie tells us.

“I’ve got a score to settle with those dirty little Hunters and a point to prove so if they want to bring it on again, we’ll show them!” Michelle adds.

“I will say one thing. Nobody ever remembers the last man to walk on the earth, but they remember the first. Angie and I were the first ones out on the very first season of Hunted, so they're always going to remember us!”

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