TVNZ Breakfast presenter Matty McLean has been crowned winner of Treasure Island: Fans v Faves, walking away with the $50,000 grand prize for his charity, Zeal Education Trust. Securing himself an additional $10,000 from a challenge in last night’s episode, Matty’s total donation to Zeal is $60,000.
This season of Treasure Island started a little differently, with eight super fans competing against eight celebrity castaways from seasons past. Matty returned with redemption on his mind, after being over-looked on his last season. Earning captaincy early on, he wasn’t afraid of making harsh calls and wasted no time securing alliances, but as doubts sunk in, he struggled to see a way through. Playing strategically from the very start, he more than earned his place in the top three and proved himself to be a competitor to watch.
After 14 brutal days and 13 eliminations, only three Faves remained in the competition and in a nail-biting end to the game, Matty went head-to-head with Lana Searle and Dame Susan Devoy in a treasure hunt unlike any other. The three were pushed to their limits, using the ‘stones of power’ to inflict time penalties on their opponents, but Matty was out in front from the very beginning.
The Treasure Island win is a dream come true for the presenter and one thing’s for sure, Matty doesn’t need to prove himself to anyone.
Matty says, “This is insane! It’s been no secret that competing on Treasure Island has been a dream more than 20 years in the making - and so to live out that dream twice and actually come away as the winner is beyond my wildest dreams. To be able to bring home $50k for my incredible charity Zeal has made this one of the proudest moments of my life. The work they do to teach and inspire and help our young people to thrive is awe inspiring.
“I wanted to go in this second time and remember to have fun - I forgot that the first time around. And yes, I absolutely still took myself way too seriously (and cried far too much for my liking), but I had the adventure of a lifetime with a phenomenal group of people along the way. Teenage Matty cannot believe this has happened - to be honest, neither can adult Matty. What a wild ride with the most unbelievable ending.”
On top of the $60,000 donation to Zeal Education Trust, a further $60,000 was won by Treasure Island competitors this season for other deserving charities in Aotearoa.
Fans of the franchise won’t have to wait too long for their next Treasure Island fix! Celebrity Treasure Island will return to TVNZ later in 2023.
Treasure Island: Fans v Faves was proudly brought to you by McDonalds, our official Broadcast Sponsor and is produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand.