Luke Toki (born 7 October 1986)[1] is an Australian television personality, real estate agent[2] and former mining technician who became known to reality television audiences as a contestant in the fourth and sixth seasons of the competition reality program Australian Survivor.[3] Since appearing on Survivor, he has co-hosted its spin-off companion aftershow, Australian Survivor: Talking Tribal, and has participated in and won the first season of Big Brother VIP.[4][5][6]
Luke Toki | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 October 1986 |
| Nationality | Australia |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Television | |
| Spouse | Mary-Louise Toki |
| Children | 3 |
Career
editAustralian Survivor
editSeason 4
editToki was selected as one of twenty-four participants in the show's 2017 edition.[7] Initially he was assigned to the Asaga tribe where he formed a close bond and alliance with Jericho Malabonga throughout the game. Toki survived forty-six days before being voted out in seventh place.[8] He voted for Jericho to win.[9]
Season 6
editToki returned in the 2019 edition in the second Champions vs Contenders iteration as a member of the Champions tribe.[3] He maintained solid bonds with the majority of his tribe and formed an alliance with David Genat when gaining possession of a hidden immunity idol. Aware that he would become a late-game target, Toki began to win numerous individual challenges and orchestrate several eliminations. After narrowly being beaten at the final four immunity challenges by Harry Hills, he pitched to Pia Miranda to force a vote between himself and Baden Gilbert which would go to a fire-making challenge. The plan failed and Toki survived forty-seven days overall finishing in fourth place.[10][11] He voted for Pia to win.[12]
Post-Survivor
editFollowing his elimination from Champions vs Contenders, a GoFundMe page was created to raise funds.[13][14] In under two days, upwards of A$500,000 had been raised (exceeding the grand prize of Australian Survivor).[15][16] Toki has been branded by Australian Survivor fans as the "greatest player to have never won" the show.[16]
Since 2020, Toki has co-hosted the Australian Survivor aftershow Talking Tribal, a companion series introduced in the All Stars season, which unpacks all of the castaway's strategies from the main show. The show aired weekly, after each Wednesday episode of the main show, as a web series on 10 Play and as an audio podcast on 10's podcast platform 10 Speaks.[17][18][4][5]
In May 2023, Toki was announced as a contestant on the second season of the Australian version of The Traitors, which aired in August 2023.[19][20]
Big Brother VIP
editIn August 2021, Toki was announced by Seven Network as a contestant on the first series of Big Brother VIP, a spin-off celebrity series of Big Brother.[21] On 23 November 2021, Toki was announced as the series' winner.[22][6]
Personal life
editToki worked as a mining technician in Western Australia.[7] In July 2022, he announced that he had changed professions and was now working as a real estate agent.[2]
He is married to Mary-Louise Toki and has three children: two sons, born in 2012 and 2014, and a daughter, born in 2019, who has cystic fibrosis.[23][24]
Controversy
editIn December 2021, Toki's home was raided by the police after it was revealed that he was a co-owner of trucking business Segano Holdings, which was directed and co-owned by biker gang commander Nikola Maksimovic who was convicted of methamphetamine trafficking and property and money laundering.[25][26] Toki denied the allegations of links to bikie gangs and had not been linked by police to Maksimovic's offences.[27]
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | Programme | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017, 2019 | Australian Survivor | Contestant | Season 4 and season 6 |
| 2017 | All Star Family Feud | Contestant | |
| 2020–2021 | Australian Survivor: Talking Tribal | Co-host | Companion show |
| 2021 | Big Brother VIP | Contestant | |
| 2023 | The Traitors | Contestant |
References
edit- ^ New Idea (7 October 2019). "Survivor's Luke Toki celebrated his birthday in the most unexpected way". New Idea. Are Media. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ a b Lynch, Jessica (18 July 2022). "Survivor winner Luke Toki announces surprising career change!". New Idea. Are Media. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Cheeky Survivor star's very personal reason for returning". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. 29 July 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ a b Knox, David (21 January 2020). "10Play: Australian Survivor: Talking Tribal". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ a b Knox, David (17 July 2021). "Australian Survivor 2021: meet the cast". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ a b Knox, David (24 November 2021). "Luke Toki wins Big Brother: VIP". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Participants | Australian Survivor". TenPlay. Network Ten. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ Dennehy, Luke (26 September 2017). "The most popular contestant on Australian Survivor is gone and the show won't be the same". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ Rigden, Claire (10 October 2017). "Australian Survivor winner revealed". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ Elshawarby, Nadia (17 September 2019). "Australian Survivor: Luke bitterly disappointed in Pia for voting him out". Who. Are Media. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ Bond, Nick (17 September 2019). "Australian Survivor heartbreak as favourite Luke Toki voted out". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ McLaughlin, Chelsea (26 September 2019). "'We couldn't talk to each other.' Pia Miranda on what Survivor was really like behind the scenes". Mamamia. Mamamia. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ "Fans rally support for Luke Toki after devastating Survivor exit". celebrity.nine.com.au. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ Donoughue, Paul (17 September 2019). "Survivor fans raise nearly $200k for failed contestant's family". ABC News. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ "Luke's shocking Survivor exit triggers an outpour of support and fundraising from fans". NewsComAu. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ a b P, Zoe (17 September 2019). "A Go-Fund-Me Has Been Set Up For Survivor's Luke Toki After Heartbreaking Loss". hit.com.au. Hit Network. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Survivor After Show 'Australian Survivor Talking Tribal' Announced". 10 Play. Network 10. 20 January 2020. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ Morgan, Michaela (20 January 2020). "'I Do Have My Favourites': Luke Toki Is Going To Spill Survivor Secrets On 'Talking Tribal'". 10 Daily. Archived from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ "Luke Toki, Princess Aussie And Paul de Gelder Set To Join The Traitors Season 2". 10 Play. Network 10. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- ^ Knox, David (1 August 2023). "Returning: The Traitors". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ^ Knox, David (9 August 2021). "Big Brother VIP cast confirmed". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ Wolski, Gillian (23 November 2021). "Big Brother VIP: Luke Toki crowned as winner in grand finale". Yahoo!. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Wang, Cynthia (19 March 2020). "King of the Jungle Luke Toki on Survivor, family and his daughter's health". Who. Are Media. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ Christie, Erin (1 October 2021). "Luke Toki is Australia's favourite family man". Who. Are Media. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ Harvey, Ben; Dietsch, Jake (14 December 2021). "Luke Toki: Police raid reality TV star over links with top Comanchero bikie Nikola Maksimovic". The West Australian. Seven West Media. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ Harvey, Ben; Dietsch, Jake (14 December 2021). "Luke Toki: Police raid reality TV star over links with top Comanchero bikie Nikola Maksimovic". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ Harvey, Ben; Dietsch, Jake; Devlin, Peter (14 December 2021). "Luke Toki: Reality TV star responds to links with top Comanchero bikie Nikola Maksimovic". The West Australian. Seven West Media. Retrieved 27 December 2021.