Written by Kianna Best on Oct 30, 2023. Posted in Production News

Survivor UK relaunch films in Dominican Republic

Competition show Survivor UK returned after two decades off air on 28 October. Filmed in the Dominican Republic, the series follows 18 competitors stuck on an island and tasked with the challenge of finding food, water, shelter and fire for themselves. The new series is hosted by comedian Joel Dommett.

Returning after two decades off air, Survivor UK returned to screens on 28 October. The series, hosted by Dommett, travelled to a remote part of the Dominican Republic for filming, providing the optimal sense of isolation for the 18 contestants battling it out for the grand prize. The series, which first aired in 2001 has found remote locations from Pulau Tiga, Malaysia for the first season, to Panama for the 2003 release.

The Dominican Republic has been the backdrop for many reality shows including 2014’s Are You the One and The Only Way is Essex which shot some scenes on the island in 2022. However, Survivor UK explores a new dimension of the tropical location, surrounding the competitors with expansive seascapes, lush forests, and no civilisation in sight. Exposed to the elements, the camps' survival on the island is pushed to the limit, with host Dommett speaking in a BBC interview on the storm that struck whilst filming, making the need for shelter and warmth even more crucial.

As the UK resurgence finds its home in Dominican Republic for filming where no other Survivor has filmed before, the show’s US counterpart has remained in Fiji since 2016, whilst the Australian version stationed in North Queensland due to COVID restrictions and returning to Samoa in 2021. Contestants Ashleigh, Christopher, Doug, Hannah, Jess, Laurence, Lee, Leilani, Matthew, Nathan, Pegleg, Rachel, Rach, Ren, Richard, Sabrina, Shai and Tinuke will continue to battle it out week after week for the GBP 100,000 grand prize on BBC One every Saturday and Sunday.

Images courtesy of BBC