Fans have mixed reaction to Jonathan LaPaglia as new Australian Survivor host

The network has spoken: ‘Australian Survivor’ will be hosted by TV actor Jonathan LaPaglia. While some followers of the reality show “Australian Survivor” are excited to hear about the new host, others want to vote him off the island even before the latest season begins.

On Sunday, Network Ten announced that the “Seven Days” star will take over as the host of “Australian Survivor.” The 46-year-old TV actor is also known for his appearances in “The District,” “Underbelly” and “New York Undercover.” One of his most recent roles is Dr Patrick McNaughton in the series “Love Child.”

Prior to Ten’s reveal, reports were rife that “Australian Survivor” will be hosted by comedian and talk show host Rove McManus or TV presenter and race car driver Grant Denyer. However, the network named LaPaglia as the successful candidate for the job. Ten said they chose the Adelaide-born actor for his “commitment to personal fitness and outdoor pursuits,” as well as his “diverse acting career” and love of the show, according to a report by news.com.au.

For his part, LaPaglia said that he was honoured to be hosting the show that pioneered the mainstream reality television genre almost 20 years ago. “As a big fan of the show, I am delighted and thrilled to bring all the drama, strategy and adventure synonymous with Survivor to Australian viewers,” he said, according to news.com.au.

Some fans of the reality TV series congratulated LaPaglia and commended Ten for its choice.

However, others took to Twitter to express that they disappointed with the network’s decision to pick LaPaglia.

There were fans, on the other hand, who observed LaPaglia’s resemblance to the award-winning “Survivor” host Jeff Probst. More comments surfaced when a photo of the two was posted in the show’s Twitter account.

“Australian Survivor” follows the international “Survivor” format, where contestants are marooned off to a remote tropical island and are divided into two tribes. They are faced with a series of challenges that test their endurance and strength, as well as their strategy to outwit, outplay and outlast their competitors to win.

The show aired its first season in 2002, which was followed by a celebrity season in 2006. However, “Australian Survivor” was axed because of poor ratings and negative reviews. The casting calls for the new season ended in February, and the show will reportedly come at the last quarter of 2016.