The Challenge star spills on wild unaired moment: 'Punch-ons'

Channel Ten’s new reality show The Challenge Australia has provided viewers with plenty of dramatic moments, including a spicy hot tub hookup, arguments over sleeping arrangements, and brutal blindsides among friends.

But according to a number of contestants, most of the explosive moments that happened during filming have been left on the cutting room floor.

Johnny Eastoe, who was sent home during Tuesday night’s episode, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that it’s a “shame” so much of the experience hasn’t made it to air.

“To be honest, I think that what's been portrayed on television is a very watered-down version of what could have been shown,” he says.

“There were near punch-ons, there were arguments, there were people who literally wouldn’t talk to each other. I think there are honestly people who have walked away from this show with genuine disdain for each other.

“All of that sort of stuff hasn't been shown. I mean, to me it’s a very PG show what you see on the television, but what was actually carried out in real life was far different to that… I think a grittier version would have been even better.”

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Johnny’s comments echo those of Jack Vidgen, who told Yahoo Lifestyle last week that it’s “insane” how much has been edited out.

“There's just so much that happened and there’s so much that just didn’t get shown,” he shared. “Even the first episode, that could’ve been over four episodes.

“All the things that happened, all the conversations, all the tea, there was so much that was cut out. But I guess it has to all fit in an hour time slot or whatever.”

‘What a wanker’

Speaking about his co-stars, Johnny admits he wasn’t too impressed when he saw which fellow reality stars he would be competing against.

“Anyone who I recognised on that first night, I thought, ‘F**k what a wanker, I can't believe they're here’,” he recalls.

“But that's just one of those things and TV portrays you that way sometimes. So as I got to know them, I realised they were actually good people - a lot of them. Some of them maybe commit questionable acts and whatnot throughout the show, but everyone was really nice to me.

“I got along really well with everyone and in that regard, it was an awesome experience, but it did show me that I should never judge a book by its cover.”

The Survivor all-star went on to share that the two people who surprised him the most amongst the cast were Bachelor alums Ciarran Stott and Kiki Morris.

“I said to Ciarran, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I didn't think I'd get along well with him, but he's a good dude,” he says.

“Then you see someone like Kiki. Kiki is just not the sort of chick that I would hang out with outside of the show, and then you get talking to her and she's actually lovely.

“She's this real sort of overstated, flamboyant, eccentric sort of glamour, and then you’ve got me, this bogan who spends all his time out in the f**king outback underground. We're polar opposites, but she's actually a good chick and she's probably more of a bogan than I am.”

Secret alliance

As for alliances, Johnny reveals that he and his former Survivor co-star Brooke Jowett had an unspoken agreement between them that viewers never got to see.

“I would have backed her up and I'm sure she would have backed me up to a point as well,” he shares.

“We were in very different friendship circles, but ultimately, our background meant that we were going to gravitate towards each other to some extent. Much in the same way that the Bachelors became a circle and a formidable alliance all just through sheer knowing each other.”

Due to the fact that he was eliminated early on in the competition, Johnny says he would love to compete in the next season of The Challenge and give it another go.

“I feel like I missed out on a lot of the stuff that I did want to do in terms of the one-on-one challenges, jumping out of planes, falling off of buildings. All that sort of stuff would have been awesome to do,” he says.

“It is what it is and I can’t complain, but I’d give it another crack for sure.”

The Challenge Australia airs 7:30pm Monday and Tuesday on Channel 10 and 10 Play

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