From the 'alpha' who was blindsided with a record-breaking two idols in his pocket during Brains V Brawn, to the 'cookie idol' crash-out of Heroes V Villains, very few Australian Survivor players deserved a shot at Redemption more than Simon Mee.
Coming into his third season - and one of just four returnees in the game - Simon knew he had a difficult task of trying to make it deep in the game with such a massive target already on his back.
"There was always a 'returnees need to go' from the start," Simon told 10. "I knew that, socially, I had to work my absolute arse off. And I did.
"I didn't sleep at the start of the game, I wanted to make sure I could be in with everyone and I could add value to every single player in a way that, when my name would come up, that person would be like, 'I don't think Simon's right for me because he's good for my game at this point'," he continued.
"It took a lot of hard work, but I was so motivated by the fact that, leaving my child and my wife at home for the third time, I was going to make the most of every single moment. I'll do everything that I can with every minute possible to get myself in the best position, and go as far as I can in this game."
Simon not only made it to merge, but also ticked off 100 days in the game, a massive milestone for the Survivor superfan and one that he made happen by winning individual immunity right before he hit triple digits.
"It was so emotional because I felt like the opportunity for me to get to the end was maybe running out, so I thought maybe this could be the milestone I hit, that would be so freaking huge."
But his reputation and his history of winning individual immunity only made Simon more of a target for the newbie players. As the final tribal inched closer, Simon knew that as soon as he wasn't wearing the immunity necklace, his neck would be on the chopping block.
Heading into what would be his final tribal council, Simon knew that the tribe was evenly split into two alliances of four, both calling each other's bluff that they were prepared to draw rocks if the vote was deadlocked.
"I was definitely nervous. I knew it was going to be a big turning point in the game... and I felt like I had overstayed my welcome," Simon admitted.
"There was a big distaste for me as a returnee and as someone who was winning challenges. And I had broken trust with everyone at some stage, so my time was running out," he continued.
With the vote tied between Simon and Loz, the tribe went to a revote, but when the votes were read for a second time, it was clear that Brooke saw an opportunity to eliminate one of her biggest challenge threats.
"I hope it works out for her from here... I hope she wins, or I hope she goes out next," Simon added, laughing. But as Brooke admitted that hers was the deciding vote to get him out of the game, Simon was more focused on reflecting on his journey and his redemption.
"It was disappointing, but right then and there, my game, my season, my career was coming to an end... those were my final moments on Australian Survivor, I wanted to suck every last bit of air out of the game that I could and walk out with my head held high.
"I did what I set out to achieve by rewriting what the Simon legacy is, rewriting the kind of player that I am and showing that I'm a well-rounded player, physical, strategic, and social," he explained.
"It hasn't been flawless, I definitely had some giant failures along the way, but I have the capacity to show all of that, and I feel like having that redemption has been very special.'
Simon's Survivor evolution has also seen him win fans over every time he stepped onto the beach. "For the people who cheered against me in Brain V Brawn to come around and be like, 'I never thought I'd be cheering for Simon in 2026'... I've gotten people to that point, and it's been a lot of fun.
"To have my spot etched in the Australian Survivor legacy is pretty bloody cool... I never expected to have such a large impact on this post-All Stars game… so it’s pretty special, but I’m just so glad that I can give back to a game that has given so much to me."
