Australia’s first season of Hunted is set to premiere on Sunday, July 17 on 10 and 10 Play.
In this game of cat and mouse, 18 ordinary Aussies attempt to go off the grid and go on the run from a team of expert hunters.
These ‘Fugitives’ will have to evade capture for 21 days, but with decades of experience and some of the country’s best working to track down their every move, this will be no easy feat.
See more: Hunted: Everything you need to know about the Hunters
If the Fugitives are able to make it to a final extraction point and outsmart the Hunters, they’ll win a share of the $100,000 prize.
Hunting them down are some of the world’s best investigators formerly of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Defence Force (ADF), British Intelligence, special ops and private security alongside skilled cyber analysts who will combine their expertise with
replicated powers of state.
How the fugitives choose to avoid being captured is up to them. Some will head for the hills, others will lay low on Melbourne’s city streets, yet survival is possibly their easiest challenge.
Meet the Hunted Fugitives
Angie, 56, QLD & Michelle, 53, QLD
Sisters-in-law and best friends of 30 years Angie and Michelle have dubbed themselves the ‘Swifty Fifties’. Knowing that they’ll be considered underdogs, Angie and Michelle plan on using that to further motivate them, hoping to evade the Hunters by misleading them, staying on the move and trying to blend into their surroundings.
“Every day will be a challenge, and every day passed will be considered a win,” Michelle said.
Derek, 24, NSW & Courtney, 22, NSW
For proud Biripi woman Courtney and proud Whadjuk Noongar man Derek, Hunted serves as a chance for the pair to be positive role models for family, friends and community. The duo hope to rely on Indigenous community links across the state of Victoria, along with the kindness of strangers, to stay out of the Hunters’ sights.
“My goal is to paint Aboriginal people in a positive light and be a positive role model to Indigenous girls in particular,” Courtney said, adding, “I want to show them that they can do anything they dream of.”
Erina-Lea, 38, QLD & Jess, 28, QLD
For Gold Coast friends Erina-Lea and Jess, invisibility is key to their plan to get off the grid. “I’ll do what it takes to get to the end,” Erina-Lea explained. “I have a strong mind. The Hunters will stereotype me, they’ll doubt I can make it to the end, but I’ll have the last laugh from the escape transport.”
With a combo of mental and physical toughness, the pair are counting on the Hunters underestimating them, and they can’t wait to prove everyone wrong.
Jake, 31, WA & Rob, 33, WA
Best mates Jake and Rob couldn’t be more different, and they’re hoping that with their broad range of skills and talents, the duo will have a full set of tools to outsmart the Hunters. Rob’s a hairdresser and special effects make-up artist by trade, while Jake is a serving police officer, so he has first-hand knowledge of how the Hunters may try to track them down.
“I’ll be making sure we do everything I’ve learnt that can make an individual hard to locate,” Jake said, adding that “mentally, it’s hard to know how prepared I am until I put it to the test. What I do know through my work is that pressure can breed mistakes.”
Karen, 56, SA & Brittany, 27, SA
Karen has been a fan of the UK series since the very beginning, so when it was her time to apply for an Aussie version she knew her niece was the perfect partner to take on the challenge. Going in with minimal plans, as little external contact as possible and going off-grid where they can, the pair are prepared for paranoia to kick into overdrive.
“One of our strengths will be asking strangers for help, but it will be a weakness at the same time, not knowing who we can trust,” Karen said.
Nicholas, 30, NSW & Lavinia, 27, NSW
While Nick and Lavinia are engaged and looking at starting a life together, they’ll first put their relationship to the ultimate test. Model and presenter Lavinia is a big fan of psychological thrillers, while landscape architect Nick has been honing his survivalist skills so the pair can really get down and dirty in the wilderness.
Fugitives may not have a lot of luxuries but according to Nick he’s got, “a good pair of boots and wet weather gear – plus I have Lavinia so that’s all I need.”
Puneet, 33, VIC & Kris, 34, VIC
Best mates and fitness junkies Puneet and Kris bonded over their love of the gym, but will their strength lend itself to one of the toughest challenges in Hunted, cutting themselves off from their families? For Puneet, whose big drive to succeed in the experience is to make his girls back at home proud.
“The game plan is there is no game plan,” Puneet said. “For us, it will be to go with the flow and be impromptu.”
Sonny-Joe, 37, NSW & Grace, 26, NSW
Friends Sonny-Joe and Grace have their eyes on the prize… and the disguise. This dynamic duo plan to disguise themselves and throw the Hunters off with an array of looks, outfits and stories. Though the pair wouldn’t necessarily describe themselves as survivalists, they know their charm will help to win strangers over to help them along the way.
“The Hunters will underestimate us, so we’re definitely underdogs,” Sonny-Joe said, “But they won’t expect how driven we’ll be to get down and dirty at all lengths to make it to the end. I have so much faith in Grace and I to pull this off.”
Stathi, 35, VIC & Matt, 35, VIC
For best mates Stathi and Matt, the pair are not only hoping to win Hunted to push their limits, but they also want to represent and break down stereotypes. “I am proud to represent the multi-faceted queer community,” former surveillance worker Stathi said. With his background and Matt’s past, travelling the world for seven months without ever taking a plane, the duo are resourceful, strategic and creative.
“We are the perfect balance of strategy and operations, physical and mental strengths, plus we both have determination, resilience, and the ambition to succeed,” Stathi added.
Hunted premieres Sunday, July 17 at 7.30pm on 10 and 10 Play.