Mark Wales is unanimously crowned the WINNER of Australian Survivor: Blood V Water

Mark Wales was unanimously crowned the winner of Australian Survivor: Blood V Water on Monday night.

The ex-SAS commander, 42, took home the $500,000 cash prize after heading into the finale with Josh Millgate, Chrissy Zaremba and Shayelle Lajoie. 

It was a gruelling final immunity challenge that saw the remaining four go head-to-head.

They were required to stand on a wooden platform, stationed above a waterfall, and grab hold of lower rungs at regular intervals. 

Chrissy was the first to be defeated, followed by Josh, Mark and Shayelle.  

In the ultimate betrayal, Chrissy sent Josh to the jury where he was voted out. 

Former contestants reunited to vote for who should be crowned Sole Survivor.

Mark was unanimously crowned the winner, and his proud wife Sam Gash was there to celebrate.

In an Instagram post on Monday, Mark detailed the physical and emotional strength that’s required to star on the show.

‘Playing Survivor is hard, I’m meant to be conditioned for this type of work but I could feel it breaking me down,’ he wrote.

‘The physical is endurable, it’s the dilemmas, the attachments, the losses, the fear, the grief and the emotional toll of that makes it so, so hard – AND, therefore – such a great story, an unreal game and the best show in the world.

‘Whatever happened out there, I always reminded myself that the night is always darkest before the dawn – there’s always hope.’

Mark went on to praise his ‘soulmate’ Sam, who he met on the 2017 season of the show, and said he’s ‘lucky to have played Survivor twice’.