EXCLUSIVE: The five-time Survivor player reveals why she was determined to win Survivor: Australia V The World.

Survivor's Parvati Shallow.

Reality TV icon Parvati Shallow opens up about how she prepared to play Survivor: Australia V The World. Photos: CBS / Getty

When it comes to Survivor legends, few names carry the weight and legacy of Parvati Shallow. The fan favourite, often referred to as the ‘Black Widow’ thanks to her ability to manipulate others to do her bidding, is one of only a handful of contestants to have appeared on five seasons and holds the record for playing the most days.

She first competed on Cook Islands in 2006 before returning to win Micronesia in 2008, and later finished second on Heroes vs. Villains in 2010 and appeared on Winners at War a decade later. Now, she’s representing America in the reality TV event of the year: Survivor: Australia V The World.

Although US players haven’t historically performed well on Australian Survivor, with her Heroes vs. Villains co-stars Russell Hantz and Sandra Diaz-Twine both being voted out early on their respective seasons, Parvati tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she entered the game “guns blazing”.

“I was like, ‘I’m gonna win this game’, because this is righting the scales of the universe for the loss that I had on Heroes vs. Villains in Samoa. I was like, I am reclaiming my victory that should have been mine,” she shares.

“So I came back with this sort of like, ‘Vengeance is mine, I’m reclaiming what’s rightfully mine’. It was sort of like this really intense vibe, but at the same time, also very light-hearted and very playful and very ready to do some silly damage.”

Survivor's Parvati Shallow, Russell Hantz and Sandra Diaz-Twine on Heroes vs. Villains.

Parvati says she was determined to win Survivor: Australia V The World to ‘right the scales of the universe’ after losing Heroes vs. Villains. Photo: CBS

Reflecting on her previous experience in the game, Parvati admits she’s not a “perfect” Survivor player. She instead describes herself as “scattered” – not because of her strategies, but her organisational skills.

“I don’t really like calling myself messy, but I would say scattered a bit, because on Survivor, I lose my underwear, I lose my shoes, I’ve lost my bathing suit bottoms,” she remarks. “I’m like, ‘Where’s all my stuff?’. I can’t keep myself organised in a jungle, so I’m like, ‘All right, I’m gonna win this game, but I might have just a bikini top on at the end’.”

The mother-of-one – although she’s often referred to as “mother” by her social media followers – adds that her “secret sauce” when playing Survivor is being present.

“It’s like, I have a vision of the destination, but I’m also staying super present. So if I have a plan in my brain like, ‘Yeah, I want to make this work’, but it’s not working, then I will pivot, because I have the presence to do that,” she details.

“And also, I don’t get too stuck in my ego. I don’t have to prove that I’m like this leader ever. A lot of people get in their own way. I’ve seen a lot of people taken down by their egos.”

Survivor's Parvati Shallow.

Parvati believes her ‘secret sauce’ when playing is Survivor is being present. Photo: Channel 10

It’s been five years since Parvati last played Survivor on Winners at War, which she did just 10 months after giving birth to her daughter, and she says she was “in a very different place” when filming began for Survivor: Australia V The World.

“I am much more grounded in myself,” she explains. “I worked out really hard, because I know the things that give a contestant the edge on Australian Survivor are if you suffer well in endurance pain challenges, and how strong you are in these gritty, hardcore strength obstacle courses.

“I trust myself socially and strategically. I know I can play well with idols, I can play well with twists, and I can play well adapting to the different types of people and personalities. How can I win some of these challenges? So that’s what I was focused on.”

 

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While she admittedly hasn’t seen every season of Australian Survivor, she shares that she’s a big fan of the show’s “grittiness” and how it reminds her of the early seasons of US Survivor.

“I hadn’t watched all the seasons, but I did watch Heroes V Villains with George [Mladenov] and Shonee [Bowtell], and I thought it was incredible,” she says.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, George is so scary, he’s so good’. And Shonee, a lot of the fans who watch US Survivor also watch Australian Survivor, and they will send me comments and DMs and memes of Shonee saying she’s like me, so she’s my Down Under counterpart. So I was excited to see both of them out there playing.”