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It’s been 10 years in the making and word is out that this year’s season of Australian Survivor features a woman from Parkes.
Faith Setiawan, who many may know before she was married as Faith Lees, is one of the 24 players cast in the 2026 season called Redemption.
This time, rookies and veterans are going head-to-head as returning players are granted a second chance and new contestants are eager to prove their worth.
Set in Samoa, the first episode will air on Monday, February 23, at 7.30pm on Channel 10, and Faith hopes her hometown will tune in to watch her in action.
The mother of five, alongside her husband, is a qualified chef and together they run a catering business in Parkes called Good Folk Food.
Faith herself is a big fan of the show.
“I’ve watched Australian Survivor for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always loved it,” she said.
“I clearly remember sitting with my family one night in 2016 after watching the show and saying, ‘once I’m finished having babies and my youngest is old enough to manage without me for a while, I’m going to apply’.”
And she did, a few years ago.
“I made it really far in the casting process. I was close but didn’t make the final cut,” Faith said.
Now two years later, here she is.
“Honestly, I was in complete shock,” she said.
“I actually missed the initial call from the head producer and she left a voicemail saying ‘Hi Faith I have some really exciting news for you, please call me back’.
“My phone was connected to Bluetooth at the time so the message played through the whole house. I just remember looking around at my family thinking, okay, this is it.
“I was incredibly excited but at the same time full of absolute terror for what I was about to get into.”
After she was accepted there was a lot of behind-the-scenes preparation for the show.
“I didn’t have to completely overhaul my life because I already live a pretty active, healthy lifestyle, so I just kept training and staying fit,” Faith said.
“I spent time watching old episodes of Survivor and listening to different podcasts from past Survivor players to get a feel for the experience.
“I remember hearing a past winner say ‘don’t over-consume other people’s experiences and don’t try to play someone else’s game’.
“That really stuck with me so I decided I would go in, trust my gut and play authentically to who I am. I figured that’s why they cast me in the first place.”
And Faith said Survivor is exactly what it looks like, and those chef skills certainly came in handy.
“Sure the show is edited but it’s real,” she said.
“We were literally on an island, making our own food.
“If there wasn’t dry wood, there was no fire, which meant no one was eating. That’s part of what I love about it.
“It’s one of the most authentic reality shows out there.
“Being on Australian Survivor was an incredible experience.”
And a fun fact about Faith, her cooking skills aren’t just for a commercial kitchen.
“Put me on a tropical island with a fire and a cast-iron pot, and I can cook up a feast,” she said.
Being thrusted into an extreme situation that makes Survivor what it is, a player is bound to learn a thing or two.
For Faith it was all about being her true self.
“I think everything you experience in life teaches you something new about yourself, both good and bad,” Faith said.
“When it comes to the experience of Australian Survivor, I decided from the very beginning that I would play as authentically Faith as possible.
“I was fortunate enough to have a great cast around me that really felt like a family.
“And honestly, I can proudly say that I played Survivor as myself.
“Love me or hate me, I do not look back on this experience and think that I should have acted differently or been more authentically myself, because that’s exactly how I approached it, and I’m really proud of that.”
As for any more juicy details about the season, Faith isn’t letting up.
“No spoilers here. I’m a vault. I either know nothing or maybe I know everything,” she teased.
“But I can say it was an intense period away and definitely longer than it feels while you’re in it.”
Faith isn’t involved in any music she’s also well known for – be that solo or with the family band The Lees - at the moment.
But aside from her catering business, she and her husband are working on some exciting new projects, including a skate retreat for parents and kids in Bali.
Faith would like to encourage everyone to follow her Survivor journey on her socials (@faithsetiawan) to keep up to date.
“I love Parkes and everything it offers as a small town, and I’m really excited to share this experience with everyone,” she added.
