“Sure”. Photo / TVNZ
Nix Adams
On Tuesday, Adams finally won a Charity Challenge by rolling around on the floor until she smashed into a box, and nabbed $5000 for The Child Abuse Prevention Foundation.
Wednesday night saw the return of the previous season’s McDonald’s auction, where contestants were given coins to bid on items; some were Maccas, and some were a mystery. Adams won the latter, which gave $2500 to gift to someone else’s charity. She generously picked Liv Parker, who had yet to pocket any money for her charity, The Aunties.
Georgia Lines might bring a harmony in her career, but she brought discord to CTI. Photo / TVNZ
Georgia Lines
Hurrah! The singer decided to finally enter the game this week, making some serious moves for Team Wāhine.
She won the individual face-off on Wednesday, winning some gluggy veggie lasagne and giving the women the power to pick who went up for elimination at a crucial point in the game.
Shortland St actress Ria Vandervis wanted to make the call for her, telling Lines to pick Louis Davis and Parker – assuming that Davis would use a mercy card he earned this week on himself or close friend Parker, thus removing the card and its power from the game.
But Davis was adamant he won’t use it at all, leaving Lines conflicted – if she put up Parker, her bestie could well be sent home packing.
So who did she choose? And why was the move labelled dishonourable? Keep reading to find out.
“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” Photo / TVNZ
Louis Davis
It was a huge week for “The Godfather”, Davis, who was put up for elimination not once, not twice, but three times.
On Monday, he was pitted against sports reporter Zion Dayal, telling the camera, “Zion is the Giant Slayer, and I think he’s going to beat me.” The challenge was to balance a ball on a pole, and Dayal’s ball fell first, giving Davis the win and earning that powerful mercy card – if he doesn’t like who is eliminated, he can save them, or himself.
But Davis is homesick; he declares he doesn’t want to use the mercy card, has given up, misses his kids and wants to go home.
Attempting to give Davis his wish, he was put in the elimination arena again on Tuesday, this time against Bunce. The content creator knocked out the All Black by eating Weet-Bix, drinking a shot of lemon juice and skulling some fizzy water the fastest. Is this CTI or a church youth group having a rager on a Friday night?
“I’m not sad he was eliminated, I am just really glad I got to spend this time with him,” Davis says as Bunce departs.
Davis is officially the last man standing.
Will his Wednesday night opponent take him out? Or has he carefully manipulated contestants who don’t even realise it?
Losers
It didn’t have to be like this Zion. Photo / TVNZ
Zion Dayal
Zion, I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.
The Giant Slayer was officially eliminated on Monday, but it didn’t have to be that way.
When he found out he was up for elimination, he had the ability (via an advantage he was still holding) to swap himself out, thus cruising into the final week and ruining the four-female final plan.
But maybe he got overly confident, as he decided not to use his advantage. Gasp. He wanted to go up against his pal Davis and beat him, but the risk proved unwise, and it was game over for the 1News reporter.
It’s not all bad news; he walked out with head held high, being the man who took out Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Ben Barrington and Vinnie Bennett, and got himself a sweet new nickname.
“The Giant Slayer… I hope it sticks,” Dayal said with a grin.
“I will remember this for the rest of my life; it exceeded all my expectations. I think I leave as a better person,” he told the camera, clearly chuffed with the experience.
“You’re a good man,” Bunce told Dayal as he bid him farewell, and we concur. This game hath made another legend.
Frank Bunce lived up to his sporting reputation, remaining an honest and legendary player. Photo / TVNZ
Frank Bunce
“Frank is getting all the old man advantages; we don’t care that he’s out of time,” Davis said, as Bunce rapped, “I wouldn’t mind seeing Big Tits Bree,” during Monday night’s charity challenge.
I gasped, and simply would have died had host Bree Tomasel not referred to herself as such earlier in the challenge.
Despite being a certified potty mouth, Bunce took the win and $5000 for his charity My Light House.
The retired All Black also opened up about losing his dad, Frank Bunce Snr, revealing his father died alone at age 55, and he regrets not telling him how much he loved him and what he meant to him.
“Don’t leave things unsaid,” Bunce said, in a truly moving moment.
But on Tuesday, it was game over for the legend, who was eliminated by Davis, but walked away with his own prize.
“Turns out this game wasn’t one about finding treasure, it was about finding myself,” he proudly told his team.
Vandervis attempted to summon the spirits of the Suffragettes, but ultimately just suffered. Photo / TVNZ
Ria Vandervis
I started this week fully prepared to put Vandervis at the top of the winners list, but it wasn’t to be.
She won Monday and Tuesday’s face-off challenges, giving her the ability to pick the male combinations the female alliance put up for elimination.
Vandervis was laser-focused on telling the other females in the alliance that the men were the biggest threats in the game, glazing over the fact that it was actually her, as her winning streak continued.
On Wednesday, she pocketed another $5000 for her charity, The New Zealand Cancer Foundation, taking her total to $12,500.
But buckle up, because on Wednesday night, when Lines won the face-off and had the power to pick which pair would be up for elimination, Vandervis tried to control that narrative. She suggested Parker be put up and that Davis would use his mercy card to save her, despite no evidence that this would be the case.
Vandervis was fine with Parker being risked and expected all the other women in the alliance to feel the same. But shockingly, they didn’t all agree that female empowerment meant putting your weakest lamb out to the slaughter and blowing her an air kiss as she was feasted upon. Kate Sheppard (aptly named) would never.
Lines decided the risk was too great, and wanted to put someone up against Davis who she believed had a strong chance of taking him out, choosing Vandervis.
But to put it lightly, Vandervis was Vanderpissed.
“Whatever is going on doesn’t feel honourable,” she said.
But it was game on with Davis, as the two played a wall/floor Twister/peg game.
“Please don’t squash me like that”, Vandervis told Davis, after squatting herself down behind his bum and then being mad at the bum for being there.
She and Davis quite literally grappled; it was hideous to watch, and Davis took the win. Through tears, Vandervis said she was sad to be going home like this.
Shhh, if you listen carefully, you’ll hear Vandervis carving the name “Georgia Lines” into her Burn Book.
Liv Parker is sad this week. And that’s about it. Photo / TVNZ
Liv Parker
The comedian is yet to win any challenges or money for her charity, but was given $2500 by Adams for her cause this week.
If we are saying Bunce gets “old man privileges,” what do we call the privileges Parker got this week?
On Wednesday, the celebs took on a course that contained questions from previous seasons of the show. One can only guess that the producers decided to throw Parker a metaphorical bone.
The first question read, “How many seasons of CTI has Chris Parker been on?” – for those who have just clicked, Chris is Liv’s brother.
The next question was about her grades at school, the following her postal address (kidding, kind of) and the final question was again about her brother. But somehow, she got it wrong.
Has Parker left her run in the game too late? Or are we about to witness utter greatness in the final? I hope it’s the latter.
What lay under the sodden cloth was a damp butter chicken with a side of despair. Photo / TVNZ
The weather
“This sucks, I just want to be inside,” our stars cried as rain bucketed down while they headed to a challenge in the freezing cold.
When the red cloth came off the prize table, it revealed a sodden butter chicken and limp naan, looking not dissimilar to prison food. The stars begged for the return of the push challenge so that they, too, could be medically eliminated.
Everyone was depressed, and for safety reasons, the competition and filming were called off entirely on Tuesday as the heavens unleashed and the stars sheltered in camp.
“Over time, truth blurred, memory faulted,” – can relate. Photo / TVNZ
Yep, still the clues/riddles/puzzles
Bunce found a clue on the beach on Monday night and decided to share it with his team. But the issue was, it’s the world’s dumbest riddle.
“Over time, truth blurred, memory faulted”, Bunce read aloud, and honestly, we could relate while watching this.
“It all comes back to symbols, eh?” said our wise koro Bunce, who departed in search of a sweet, sweet banana.
– Celebrity Treasure Island is screening now on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+