Parvati Shallow has officially announced her retirement from Survivor following her triumphant win in Australia v. the World. This victory marks a significant moment in her storied career.
Parvati Shallow Announces Retirement After Sweet Victory on Survivor: Australia v. the World
Warning: this article contains spoilers from the Survivor: Australia v. the World finale. Read at your own risk!
Parvati Shallow announced her retirement from Survivor on Sunday after winning a remarkable $250,000 AUD in the final episode of Australia v. the World (approximately $165,000 USD). “This is my final time playing Survivor, so to have been awarded the win from the jury is the sweetest moment,” stated the franchise’s iconic “Black Widow.”
Parvati previously competed on four seasons of Survivor in the United States, winning the popular edition set in Micronesia. She is now the second two-time Survivor champion globally, alongside American Tony Vlachos, who was voted out fourth in Australia v. the World. Parvati has also participated in The Traitors and Deal or No Deal Island in recent years.
After accepting her check from host Jonathan LaPaglia, Parvati expressed her gratitude, saying, “I am so grateful to have been a part of this incredible experience of Australia v. the World. There’s something about this game that just gets in my blood. I feel like I was born to play Survivor. This is the best game of Survivor I’ve played because I made some great moves and kept myself in a majority alliance.”
At the final tribal council, she faced off against two Australians — Luke Toki and Janine Allis — in front of a jury comprised of three Australians and four competitors from around the globe. This cycle was dubbed the “Olympics of Survivor” due to its international casting. Parvati won over almost all of them, except for Aussie Sarah Tilleke, who voted for Luke. Janine received zero votes to win.
Fourth-place contestant Cirie Fields, Parvati’s ride-or-die from the United States, proclaimed, “It has been a pleasure to be a part of your Survivor journey. You will forever be my Survivor soulmate.” Cirie made it to the final four but lost the fire-making challenge to Luke. The so-called “best player to never win” will next be seen in the U.S. on Survivor 50, airing in early 2026 on CBS.
Kass Bastarache from Survivor Québec remarked about Parvati, “Being in the World tribe, I watched your game from the front row, and I have one thing to say: you are still the great player that made me fall in love with this game.”
“Parvati, you played a great game,” added Lisa Holmes from Survivor New Zealand.
Aussie fan-fave Shonee Bowtell commented, “I felt like you were in control basically the entire time.”
Kirby Bentley, who attempted to make a final two deal with Parvati early in the game, had no hard feelings about being blindsided. “Your game was impeccable. Your timing was impeccable,” she noted. “I think you deserve this crown.”
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Tommi Manninen from Survivor Finland, whose vote seemed uncertain, ultimately wrote down Parvati’s name. He explained, “With the biggest target on your back since day one, and still able to play at that level, you truly are the greatest of all time.”
Fans praised the Australian production for reuniting Parvati and Cirie for the third time, following their stints in Micronesia (“Fans v. Favorites”) and Samoa (“Heroes v. Villains”). “Yes, Survivor is a game of betrayal,” Parvati posted on social media. “But having a true friend in the game anchors you enough to make all the magic possible. Cirie is that for me.”
Ironically, Survivor: Australia v. the World also took place in Samoa, where Parvati secured a victory after being the runner-up to Sandra Diaz-Twine in the same location 15 years ago. “This feels like a full-circle moment for me personally,” she said in the finale. “I’m rewriting history in a way that feels so right.”
With 165 total days played, Parvati has now surpassed “Boston” Rob Mariano as the player with the most days of Survivor experience.
Australian Survivor went international for the first time ever, welcoming top castaways from various countries for the title of “best player ever.” It took place over 16 days with 14 contestants, a sharp decline from the average Down Under installment, which usually lasts for 47 days and features 24 cast members.
Castaways eliminated in the pre-jury phase included David Genat and “King” George Mladenov from Australia, Tony from the United States, and Rob Bentele from South Africa. Scroll through our photo gallery to see the Australian Survivor v. the World cast photos.
This season marked Jonathan LaPaglia’s final appearance as host, as he was let go shortly after filming concluded. He will be replaced by David Genat for future versions of Australian Survivor.
In the United States, the 49th season of Survivor will debut on September 24 on CBS with a two-hour episode featuring 18 brand new castaways stranded in Fiji. Then, in early 2026, two dozen iconic all-stars will return for Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.
