Celebrity Treasure Island: Bree Tomasel has a new co-host for season 6 - Spy

As grains of gossip from the next season of hit Kiwi reality show Celebrity Treasure Island are revealed, here’s the surprising local star who will be sharing hosting duties on the next instalment.

Bree Tomasel will have a new co-host when reality show juggernaut Celebrity Treasure Island premieres on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+ next month.

Tomasel will be joined by dancing superstar Lance Savali who first competed in the show in 2021, where he made it to the final treasure hunt alongside Chris Parker and Edna Swart.

Savali became a fan favourite with his cheeky gameplay and returned to the franchise last year for Treasure Island: Fans V Faves.

Savali has replaced Jayden Daniels who was tied up with an acting project – Auckland Theatre Company’s The Effect – when filming took place earlier this year.

Speaking to the Herald on the ground while shooting Celebrity Treasure Island, Savali said the show can’t get rid of him, and it has found a special place in his heart.

“I didn’t feel the option to co-host would ever be an opportunity for me.”

When he was asked to audition alongside Tomasel he was all in.

“I thought I need this job, I want this job, it was the same feeling I got when I was first booked as a dancer for Chris Brown,” Savali said.

The producers liked his chemistry with Tomasel, and a new hosting duo was born.

Tomasel said the pair bonded over Savali’s two seasons on the show. She has always thought they would make good friends in real life and now co-hosting together the pair has had that chance.

Bree Tomasel will be joined by dancing superstar Lance Savali on Celebrity Treasure Island.

“Lance is someone I call one of my people. We have always had fun together and hosting together feels effortless.”

She explained the pair have similar personalities and knew they’d have heaps of fun along the way.

Savali described their repertoire as organic, and working together on camera has come naturally.

And though he’s been on the show twice before, being on the other side of the lens presented a new challenge – and more comforts.

As a co-host, Savali will get to enjoy a shower, and sleep in his hotel room without worrying about possibly going home the next day.

The pair promise to challenge, tease and reign in the new set of 18 celebrities who will be announced next Sunday, August 25.

Looking back at the dozens of competitors that have played the game, two competitors stand out to Tomasel, Savali and Dame Susan Devoy, who were both in the 2021 season and last year’s Fans V Faves.

“I usually have a good read on people. When Lance was on his first season, I had no idea whatsoever what his gameplay was and thought for a minute is he playing me?” said Tomasel. “The way Lance played the game was a spectacle.”

Devoy was her favourite celebrity player over the years, bringing pure chaos with some of her one-liners and no-nonsense attitude.

Season 6 – the launch date has yet to be revealed – sees the show move the celebrity challenges from the South Island to the North, to Te Whanganui o Hei in the Coromandel near Cathedral Cove.

Ricardo Simich is the Herald’s Spy editor. Based in Auckland he covers all roads that lead to popular culture.