If anyone has some big shoes to fill in the world of Survivor, it’s Nina Twine, the daughter of the queen herself, Sandra Diaz-Twine.
Coming into Australian Survivor: Blood Vs. Water with her two-time winner mum, Nina’s determined to use everything her mum has taught her while playing her own game.
In fact, it was Nina that brought Sandra out of Survivor retirement.
“I meant it when I said I was retired!” Sandra told POPSUGAR Australia.
Sandra explained that “the fact that it was a Blood vs Water” and that she could take Nina with her, is what appealed to her about returning to the game.
“Nina tried out for Survivor: David vs Goliath and got really far into the casting process,” Sandra shared. “I thought that they would cast her but then she didn’t get picked. It kind of hurt her a little bit. When the opportunity for Blood vs Water came up, I was like ‘oh my God, this is for my baby’.”
Sandra said that she knows Nina is “ready” to take on the challenges of Australian Survivor, and is determined to play her own game.
“Every episode of Survivor that I watch, I’m always talking junk, like ‘oh, they should’ve done this!’, she was like ‘Mum, you’re messing with my head, I know how to do it, I wanna do it my way. I can’t listen to you!’” Sandra laughed.
“She had to do it her way, and I had to sit back and say ‘you play your game, and I’ll play mine, and I’m not gonna worry about you’. Although I can’t help but worry about her, she’s my daughter.”
In her 10 Play profile, Nina said that “the best advice [her] mum has given [her] is to keep your head down but your ears open”.
She explained: “You don’t want the target to be on you, you want it to be on somebody else, so that has been really helpful.”
Speaking to The Latch, Sandra said that she’s “passed the torch on” to Nina.
“She’s capable, she knows the game, I hope that American Survivor watches and says ‘damn, we messed up passing on her!’ She’s ready for whatever comes next!” she said.
If the first two episodes of Blood Vs Water are anything to go by, we’d have to agree with Sandra: Nina is READY.
In the very first episode, Nina was able to convince the Water tribe to change course and blindside Andy, rather than voting out Alex, who was injured and unable to walk at the time.
She also played an integral role in convincing the tribe to vote out Briana in the second episode, cementing her status as a powerful player and one to watch as the season progresses.
As for what’s to come for Nina’s gameplay, we think Khahn better watch his back, because Nina’s got her eye on him!
Will the Princess take the crown? Only time will tell.
Australian Survivor airs at 7.30pm, Sundays and Mondays, only on 10 and 10 Play on Demand.
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