Michelle Dougan is a contestant from Australian Survivor (2017) and Australian Survivor: All Stars.
Known for her strong arguing skills and logical points at Tribal Council in 2017, Michelle was able to escape elimination several times despite seeing her name being thrown around due to her seemingly futile personality and laziness around camp. This was evident at her first Tribal Council with Samatau where she was able to convince the tribe to eliminate Ben Morgan instead of herself. After that, she was able to travel deep in game, being a key member in several votes, such as teaming up with Tessa O'Halloran to orchestrate a show-stopping blindside of Henry Nicholson. After eventually making it to the Final 4, Michelle was once again in danger of going home due to being a social threat, having made several connections with the people on the jury. She came in 4th place after losing the fire-making tiebreaker challenge to eventual winner Jericho Malabonga.
In All Stars, Michelle was immediately seen as a weak-link by many, and was pushed into the minority alongside ally Henry Nicholson. After the tribe's second Immunity Challenge loss, the pair attempted to sway votes towards Sharn Coombes, but the majority voted out Michelle instead, blindsiding both Michelle and Henry.
Profile[]
Retrieved from 10play.com.au
Age: 33 Nicknamed "Have a chat" by her friends and family, Michelle is a woman who knows what she wants and is not afraid to tell people how she is going to get it. A professional nanny in Sydney, Michelle loves going to the races, the beach and catching up with friends. In preparation for sleeping in the wild, she recently practiced by sleeping on a trampoline in her backyard. While she admits to not being used to roughing it, Michelle is out to prove that she has what it takes to win. "I am unprepared in some ways but anything can happen out there so I don't know how prepared you can really be. All I know is I want to be ruthless and make some big moves. I am here to shake up my life, so I won't be quiet when I'm there," she said. "I have never been camping, and the closest I have come to roughing it is a three-star hotel. But I love a challenge and I'm sure I will be sweet." Michelle is also ready to use whatever assets she needs to make connections and alliances. "I am open to flirting to get what I want out there, apparently I do it anyway. You have to do what you have to do, it's just a game at the end of the day. "My game play is to flirt and to treat each personality and ego differently. I can talk underwater and sell ice to Eskimos so my team will either love or hate me but the haters will have to go early." Her father passed away in 2008 and Michelle lives by the mantra to live out her dreams every day, wanting to make him proud.[1]
35, Nanny — Season 2 Proving a lot of people wrong, Michelle not only made it to the top four in her season, she also won a car! While a lot of her fellow castaways saw a Sydney girl who loves the races and cute clothes, Michelle turned out to be a strategic player who could hold her own. And coming back for All Stars, she's hoping for the same reaction. "I have the philosophy that you have to risk it for the biscuit! I am going to play savage, trust my gut and chat, chat, chat. "I will backstab if need be. I'm here to play and I want to play straight out of the gate." As a Survivor fan, Michelle is hoping to see players like Mat Rogers or her friend Luke Toki back on the beach. But the life of an Australian Survivor is still not her favourite thing, like sleeping on the beach or being stuck in the rain. Michelle is a social player who admits it'll be hard for her to fly under the radar. But she has been working hard to do more physical training to prepare for the challenges coming her way.[2] |
Australian Survivor[]
2017[]
The early game had its challenges for Michelle due to being considered one of the weaker Asaga members. Fortunately for her, Asaga won four of the five opening Immunity Challenges. When it came time for Michelle's next Tribal Council visit, she found a secure spot in the game as multiple power couples emerged and began targeting each other. Another roadblock came up when Michelle was switched onto Samatau and was placed in a 5-3 minority alongside former allies Henry and Ben. Sensing she was in trouble, Michelle successfully argued her way out of being the primary target of a vote split which instead sent Ben home days before the merge.
With everyone else initially uniting against the formerly powerful Samatau alliance, Michelle seemed to be in a secure position. Her willingness to make moves contributed to the chaos that would follow later in the merge beginning with blindsiding Henry with a Hidden Immunity Idol in his possession. Though she was left out of the 3-2-2-2 vote against Tessa, Michelle would be on the right side of the next three votes. At the final five, Michelle, Peter, Jericho, and Tara had a common enemy in Locky due to his Immunity Challenge winning streak. Michelle would put an end to that by winning immunity on Day 49. Though Michelle voted for Peter in case Locky had an idol, Locky was successfully voted out 3-2.
Michelle felt Jericho was the next likeliest person to win at Final Tribal Council and Peter agreed with her. Peter's immunity win on Day 52 confirmed their plan would be put into action. However, Tara had other ideas, and instead targeted Michelle. This resulted in a 2-2 tie which was resolved by a fire-making tiebreaker. Jericho came out victorious, sending Michelle to the jury. Despite this, Michelle would eventually vote for Jericho to win the title of Sole Survivor.
| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out? | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asaga | Race to Shore | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Flint | Reward | Yes | Won | |||
| Uprising | Immunity | No | Lost | |||
| 2 | Slip, Slop, Slap | Reward | No | Lost | ||
| Hammer Time | Immunity | No | Won | |||
| 3 | Boulder Dash | Reward | No | Lost | ||
| Raft and the Furious | Immunity | No | Won | |||
| 4 | Surf Nets | Reward | No | Lost | ||
| Upstacle | Immunity | No | Won | |||
| 5 | Chain Reaction | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| 6 | By the Numbers | Reward | Yes | Lost | ||
| Polar Express | Immunity | No | Lost | |||
| 7 | Sumo-ans | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| 8 | Tricky Transfer | Reward | No | Won | ||
| Chariots of Fire | Immunity | No | Won | |||
| 9 | Footbrawl | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| 10 | Palm Beach | Reward | No | Won | ||
| Loose Change | Immunity | No | Lost | |||
| 11 | Smash and Grab | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| Switched Tribes, Day 27 | ||||||
| 12 | Samatau | Idol Hands | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Weight Up | Immunity | Yes | Won | |||
| 13 | Shower Caddies | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| 14 | Sheep Dog Trials | Reward | No | Won | ||
| Pick Up Sticks | Immunity | No | Won | |||
| 15 | Hangover | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| Tribes Merged, Day 35 | ||||||
| 16 | Asatoa | Circle Work | Reward | Invited1 | ||
| Planks a Lot | Immunity | Lost | ||||
| 17 | Hooked Up | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 18 | Survivor Auction | |||||
| Bow Diddly | Immunity | Lost | ||||
| 19 | Over Extended | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 20 | Mime Seen | Reward | Lost | |||
| Log Jam | Immunity | Lost | ||||
| 21 | Mind Field | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 22 | Centrifuge | Immunity | Lost | |||
| 23 | Domino Effect | Reward/Immunity | Won | |||
| 24 | Cling Ons | Reward | Lost | |||
| 25 | Four the Win | Immunity | Lost | |||
| Eliminated, Day 52 | ||||||
| Notes: Tessa gave up her reward to the tribe.
| ||||||
| Episode | Michelle's Votes |
Voted Against Michelle |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kent; Kent1 |
- |
| 2 | Asaga Tribe Immune | |
| 3 | Asaga Tribe Immune | |
| 4 | Asaga Tribe Immune | |
| 5 | Asaga Tribe Immune | |
| 6 | Samantha | Mark W., Samantha |
| 7 | Mark W. | - |
| 8 | Asaga Tribe Immune | |
| 9 | Jacqui | - |
| 10 | Kent | Kent, Odette |
| 11 | No Tribal Council2 | |
| 12 | Samatau Tribe Immune | |
| 13 | Ben | Ben, Locky, Tessa |
| 14 | Samatau Tribe Immune | |
| 15 | Samatau Tribe Immune | |
| 16 | Jarrad | - |
| 17 | Anneliese | - |
| 18 | Henry | - |
| 19 | Tara | - |
| 20 | Sarah | Sarah |
| 21 | Luke | - |
| 22 | Ziggy | Locky, Ziggy |
| 23 | Peter | Individual Immunity |
| 25 | Jericho; Ineligible |
Jericho, Tara; Tara3 |
| Eliminated, Day 52 | ||
| Voted for Sole Survivor |
Jericho | |
^1 In "Episode 1", the vote ended with a 6-6 tie between Joan and Kent, forcing a revote. Michelle did not change her vote on the revote.
^2 In "Episode 11", despite losing the Immunity Challenge, Asaga did not have to go to Tribal Council.
^3 In "Episode 25", the vote ended with a 2-2 tie between Michelle and Jericho, forcing a revote. Nobody changed their vote on the revote, forcing a fire-making tiebreaker. Michelle was eliminated at the tiebreaker.
All Stars[]
Michelle stated that her social game is what made her an all-star, though she was never in a solid alliance during her time on this season. Ahead of Mokuta's first Tribal Council visit, Lydia led the charge to oust rival and former winner Shane. Michelle initially obliged, but she was then later approached by Shane to vote out the deceptive Harry. Michelle stuck to the original plan and voted out Shane later that night. However, Shane's departure meant that Michelle would be considered the weakest remaining tribe member. On Day 9, Michelle was unable to lift her barrel that long and quickly dropped out of the Immunity Challenge. The additional weight contributed to Mokuta tiring quickly and they eventually lost the challenge. Abbey, leader of an alliance consisting of the stronger Mokuta members, pushed hard to vote out Michelle. Michelle talked to multiple players in an attempt to get the target off of herself. Henry approached her about voting out Sharn, to which Michelle happily agreed. However, what appeared to be the likeliest group to aid Michelle consisting of Nick, Shonee, and Harry was fixated on voting out Henry. This allowed the athletic alliance to safely split the votes between Michelle and Henry, and Abbey ultimately got her way when Michelle was voted out 6-3-2.
| Episode | Tribe Affiliation |
Challenge | Challenge Type | Sit-Out? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mokuta | Fire Starter | Reward | No | Won |
| Going Under | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| 2 | Clear the Deck | Reward | No | Lost | |
| Get Barreled | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| 3 | Challenge Pitch / Nut Bucket | Reward | No | Won | |
| Boulder Smash | Immunity | No | Won | ||
| 4 | (No title) | Reward | Yes | Lost | |
| (No title) | Immunity | No | Lost | ||
| Voted Out, Day 9 | |||||
Post-Survivor[]
- In 2021, Michelle and her sister competed on the tenth episode of The Cube.
Trivia[]
- Michelle is the oldest member of the Asatoa tribe.
- Michelle and Jericho Malabonga are the first pair of contestants in Australian Survivor to be stuck in a deadlocked tie at the final four, and compete in a fire making challenge.
- Michelle is the first castaway in Australian Survivor to lose a fire making tiebreaker challenge.
References[]
| Australian Survivor (2017) Castaways | |||||||||||||||
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