The final four players were two Americans (Parvati Shallow and Cirie Fields) and two Aussies (Luke Toki and Janine Allis).

'Survivor: Australia v. the World' finale

‘Survivor: Australia v. the World’ finale
Network 10

Warning: this article contains spoilers from the Survivor: Australia v. the World finale. Read at your own risk!

Parvati Shallow announced her retirement from Survivor after winning a cool $250,000 AUD in Sunday’s final episode of Australia v. the World. (That translates to about $165,000 USD) “This is my final time playing Survivor, so to have been awarded the win from the jury is the sweetest moment,” said the franchise’s iconic “Black Widow.”

Parvati previously competed on four seasons of Survivor in the United States, winning the popular edition set in Micronesia. She’s now the third two-time Survivor champion in the entire world, alongside fellow Americans Sandra Diaz-Twine and Tony Vlachos. Parvati also played on The Traitors and Deal or No Deal Island in recent years.

After accepting her check from host Jonathan LaPaglia, Parvati added, “I am so grateful to have been a part of this incredible experience of Australia v. the World. There’s something about this game that just gets in my blood. I feel like I was born to play Survivor. I think this is the best game of Survivor basically I’ve played because I think I made some pretty great moves, and I kept myself in a majority alliance.”

At the final tribal council, she faced off against two Aussies — Luke Toki and Janine Allis — in front of a jury that was comprised of three Australians and four competitors from around the globe. The cycle was dubbed the “Olympics of Survivor” because of its international casting. Parvati won over almost all of them, except for Aussie Sarah Tilleke, who voted for Luke. Janine received zero votes to win.
Survivor: Australia v The World, Parvati ShallowPhoto by Network 10Network 10
Fourth-place contestant Cirie Fields, Parvati’s ride-or-die from the United States, proclaimed, “It has been a pleasure to be a part of your Survivor journey. And you’ll forever be my Survivor soulmate.” Cirie made it to the final four, but lost the fire-making challenge to Luke. The so-called “best player to never win” will next be seen in the U.S. on Survivor 50, airing in early 2026 on CBS.

Kass Bastarache from Survivor Québec said about Parvati, “Being in the World tribe, I watched your game from the front row, and I have one thing to say: you are still the great player that made me fall in love with this game.”

“Parvati, you played a great game,” added Lisa Holmes from Survivor New Zealand.

Aussie fan-fave Shonee Bowtell chimed in, “I felt like you were in control basically the entire time.”

Kirby Bentley, who tried to make a final two deal with Parvati early in the game, had no hard feelings about being blindsided. “Your game was impeccable. Your timing was impeccable,” she noted. “I think you deserve this crown.”

Tommi Manninen from Survivor Finland, whose vote seemed to be up in the air, wrote down Parvati’s name in the end. He explained, “With the biggest target on your back since day one, and still able to play the level that you played, you truly are the greatest of all time.”

Fans praised the Australian production for reuniting Parvati and Cirie for the third time, following their stints in Micronesia (“Fans v. Favorites”) and Samoa (“Heroes v. Villains”). “Yes, Survivor is a game of betrayal,” Parvati posted on social media. “But having a true friend in the game anchors you enough to make all the magic possible. Cirie is that for me.”

Ironically, Survivor: Australia v. the World also took place in Samoa, giving Parvati a victory there after she placed as the runner-up to Sandra Diaz-Twine in the same location 15 years ago. “This feels like a full-circle moment for me personally,” she said in the finale. “I’m rewriting history in a way that feels so right.”

Parvati’s victory in Australia is extra impressive considering her name was brought up as a potential boot at many tribal councils, yet she never received a single elimination vote. With 165 total days now played, Parvati has surpassed “Boston” Rob Mariano as the person with the most days of Survivor under their belt.

Australian Survivor went international for the first time ever, welcoming top castaways from various countries around the globe, for the title of “best player ever.” It took place over 16 days with 14 contestants. That’s a sharp decline from the average Down Under installment, which usually lasts for a whopping 47 days and features 24 cast members.

Castaways eliminated in the pre-jury phase were David Genat and “King” George Mladenov from Australia, Tony from the United States, and Rob Bentele from South Africa. Scroll through our photo gallery to see the Australian Survivor v. the World cast photos.

This turned out to be Jonathan LaPaglia’s final season as host, as he was fired soon after filming concluded. The actor and TV personality will be replaced by David Genat for future versions of Australian Survivor.

Here in the United States, the 49th season of Survivor will debut Sept. 24 on CBS with a two-hour episode featuring 18 brand new castaways being stranded in Fiji — see the cast list. Then in early 2026, two-dozen iconic all-stars will return for Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.