Celebrity Treasure Island returns: Who would have the guts to boot off Tāme Iti?

RECAP: “Celebrity Treasure Island is back, but not arsenic you cognize it,” Bree Tomasel promises viewers successful the opening infinitesimal of the show’s 2023 return. This time, they’re successful the South Island.

Split into 2 groups – Kārearea and Tohorā – this season’s formed of 18 celebrities are taking connected chaotic Wānaka, endless bowls of atom and beans, and each different for their accidental astatine claiming the currency prize of $100,000 for their chosen charity.

Celebrity Treasure Island is ne'er without its stock of flair and drama, truthful present are the highlights and lowlights from the show’s return, arsenic good arsenic our predictions connected who volition instrumentality retired the expansive prize, and who volition succumb to the elements.

The highlights

Fresh disconnected their backstage helicopters with conscionable capable clip to agelong their legs and instrumentality successful the caller South Island air, play 5 wastes nary clip successful putting our celebrities to task with a squad challenge.

Facing disconnected against their ain teammates, the celebrities are forced to cling to a partition successful bid to assertion captaincy.

To rise morale and mana successful squad Tohorā, activistic and Arts Laureate Tāme Iti breaks into waiata, calling “turuki, turuki, paneke, paneke” – heave, much forward. The squad are acold from a protestation frontline, but the bosom of the connection remains the same.

Powered by pilates, “media personality” Matilda Green’s halfway spot and zen mindset saw her travel retired connected apical arsenic the champion of Tohorā, portion tv presenter Jordan Vandermade took the captaincy for Kārearea.

At the Kārearea’s campsite, histrion Blair Strang was little impressed with the information that this year’s accomodation seems a edifice compared to those of the past – he’s much focused connected uncovering the loo, and sure, it makes for a large TV gag, but could idiosyncratic connected the accumulation squad delight reply this man’s hopeless pleas?

In Tohorā camp, the contented of improbable friendships of Celebrity Treasure Island lives connected betwixt comedian James Mustapic and Iti, who offers to thatch the 20-something a happening oregon 2 astir hunting and gutting rabbits.

“I deliberation we tin marque usage of that blonde-headed Pākehā,” Iti jokes, and though Mustapic struggled to find his telephone to the wild, possibly immoderate much clip with the kaumātua volition bring retired his bush side.

In the face-off, Kārearea roseate supra Tohorā to assertion the archetypal inter-team triumph of the season, and the prize: a handbasket of locally grown fruits, vegetables, oils, and seasonings – a existent jackpot successful a cost-of-living crisis.

Tohorā’s nonaccomplishment places them astatine the mercy of the adjacent situation – a Captain’s Coup – successful which Green is challenged for her throne by chap teammate and TVNZ presenter Matt Gibb successful a CTI classic: kūmara successful a box.

Unfortunately for Gibb, helium couldn’t support clasp of the kūmara’s “fuzzy knobs”, and Green lived to regularisation different day. Perhaps hopes for a pistillate win could yet travel to fruition this year.

The lowlights

Green's bubble seemed to burst erstwhile Tohorā reached the squad face-off, and she had to inquire histrion Grant Lobban’s for his sanction successful beforehand of some her squad and the opposition. Strang summed the infinitesimal up perfectly: “cringe”.

Comedian Laura Daniels recovered it hard to instrumentality Tohorā’s nonaccomplishment connected the chin, becoming a spot teary-eyed aft putting excessively overmuch blasted connected herself for result the challenge.

To beryllium just to Daniels, she astir apt didn’t expect to beryllium thrown into the games arsenic soon arsenic she stepped disconnected the chopper, and possibly immoderate much clip getting to cognize each different would person helped the squad fig retired their strengths.

Despite comedian Eli Matthewson’s quips that Vandermade’s unrelenting dedication to squad gathering and triumph is “almost scary”, astatine slightest it’s moving for Kārearea.

Who’s safe, and who’s not?

With nary eliminations this episode, everyone is safe, but a fewer kūmaras successful this container aren’t looking arsenic pugnacious arsenic others.

Gibb already looks to beryllium beardown contention aft facing disconnected with Green doubly already, but different TVNZ presenter taking retired the authorities broadcaster’s ain world crippled amusement for the 3rd time in a row whitethorn beryllium a spot of a snooze for fans.

Vandermade besides looks acceptable to spell the region successful the crippled – that is, if Matthewson, who is already showing a penchant for tea-spilling, doesn’t fig retired his schemes first.

As for Mustapic, a fewer much rabbit hunting trips and bowls of atom and beans could either marque oregon interruption the young competitor, who looked astatine hazard of throwing successful the towel successful the 2nd episode’s teaser.

However, determination is 1 stake this newsman is calling now: Iti volition marque it into the finale, if not for his unyielding enthusiasm and waiata, but because, really, who’s going to take to destruct 1 of Aotearoa’s top surviving nationalist treasures?