It’s day fourteen. And with less than an hour left to reach the summit, the Mountain’s Keeper appears with one final bag drop. The four remaining hikers – Brooke, Lulu, Isaac and Jans – race to the bag and with Lulu reaching it first, it’s up to her to decide the three people who will continue to the top. With emotions running high, Lulu decides to send Jans off the mountain. Jans accepts his fate graciously, then it’s one final push to the top, where the conquerors of the summit celebrate wildly.
As Brooke, Lulu and Isaac descend from the summit, Jai meets them to congratulate their efforts and reveals that actually the eleven eliminated contestants are returning to decide how the money will be split between the winners. The final three are shocked, concerned their roles in removing certain hikers could leave them with nothing, the fear compounded when a chopper carrying the eliminated eleven hovers above them.
At the bottom of the mountain, Brooke, Lulu and Isaac finally come face to face with their former comrades – as well as the prize of $490,000 in cold hard cash. With the returning eleven looking for answers and several carrying an axe to grind, the victorious three take it in turns to deliver their pitch on why they deserve to take home a significant sum. But the scars from the game run deep. Jacqui is coming for Brooke, Josh feels back-stabbed by Isaac, and there are three hikers – Indy, Alex and Jans – who were recently cut by Lulu.
Brooke’s pitch focuses on how she was socially isolated when she arrived and is grateful for making new friends. She’s proud of her conduct though the game and says her decisions were based on striving for a better life for her and her children. Kitty commends Brooke for her support and for fighting for the underdog, before Jacqui comes in hard, accusing Brooke of using disrespectful language against her and making her elimination personal. Alex – and to a greater extent Jans – vocalise their support for Brooke and she ends her pitch with an emotional description of how she’s been dealt some bad hands in life and is now looking to reinvent herself, to a round of applause.
Isaac is next to the plate. He concedes he has blood on his hands but believes his friendships outweigh any potential enemies. He notes how he’s overcome his fears and has grown into a stronger person. Josh is the first to put Isaac on the spot for orchestrating his demise, but Isaac defends the tough decisions he was forced to make, a justification he reiterates to Sam who is also seeking answers about why Isaac voted him off. As his supporters find their voice, Alex and Kitty lavish praise on Isaac and the group unite in givinga congratulatory ovation.
Finally, it’s left to Lulu to fight her case. Immediately it’s clear that Indy, Jans and Alex feel aggrieved at having been cut from the mountain, considering the strong bonds they had developed with Lulu in the final stages. Lulu reminds the group that her sporting achievements in the boxing ring have failed to translate financially. Knock outs in her world are always celebrated. However, in this game she’s been “mortified” by the brutal moves she was forced to make. Lulu offers reasons as to why she had to make those decisions and argues how all three finalists worked as hard as each other to get the top, calling for an even split of the prize money.
When it comes to their deliberations on how the money should be shared the group are divided. Anniki’s idea to split the pot evenly is quickly dismissed, with Alex calling for a greater share for Isaac. Despite Jacqui’s continued attack on Brooke, Jans campaigns for his ally to take a major share and believes if anything Brooke’s “side kick” Lulu should take home the least – an idea disputed by Sam who defends Lulu’s tactical nous. But Jans strongly disagrees – “it probably wouldn’t kill me if Lulu went home with nothing”. The group divide the $490,000 into three bags and say their goodbyes.
Brooke is the first to discover her prize. Reiterating how much the experience has meant to her, Brooke opens her bag to discover $150,000. She’s over the moon and as she walks away repeats how much the money will mean to her children as they start a new life. Lulu is next, and realising she has “blood on her hands” is grateful for her $90,000 slice of the pie as she looks to put a deposit on a house and secure her financial future. Finally, Isaac steps up and receives the lion’s share of $250,000. He’s blown away by the grand gesture from his peers and the huge sum of his prize, his tears turning to laughter as he jumps around hugging Jai before walking away with a spring in his step.
Isaac, 33, from Dubbo said: “To have made it to the top of the summit has been the greatest achievement of my life. I’ve pushed my mind and body to new heights and made some lifelong friends along the way.
“The first thing I’m going to do with the money is buy my mum a new kitchen. Thank you to the teams at Channel 9 and Endemol Shine. You gave me the opportunity to change my life.”
Brooke, 38, from Adelaide said: “Making it to the top is a massive personal accomplishment for me in more ways than anyone can imagine. The game was gruelling, but I came well prepared with a strategy that took a lot of careful planning each day during the experience.
“To win the money will be life-changing for me. The first thing I will buy is a new car. I’ll put the rest away for a deposit on a house.”
Lulu, 38, from Fremantle said: “It means so much to me to be standing on top of the summit. Getting in touch with my grit and determination, chasing the thrills and peaking with excitement. And inspiring my children, family, young girls and women who can do anything. There’s no obstacle too big that we can’t overcome. Anything is possible.”
