🧠 FULL INTERVIEW | Mark Mathieson Reveals Which Host Would Last the Longest on Alone Australia

**Nick** (0:05)
It's November 106.9, Nick, Luttsy & Susie O'Neill. This is exciting, we were chatting about this yesterday on the show, Alone Australia. This year's in the Arctic Circle, Suze.

**Susie O'Neill** (0:14)
I've already watched a couple of episodes, because I have a husband who's obsessed with this show. In fact, I think he would be great on this show.

**Luttsy** (0:22)
You just want to get rid of him for a little bit, don't you?

**Susie O'Neill** (0:26)
We actually did a little test to see if us three would be good on the show. Who do we have on the air to run the ruler over that?

**Nick** (0:33)
Mark Mathieson, who's the alone psychologist, consulting psychologist for Alone. He's done Survivor, he's done SAS Australia and back in the day, Who Dares Wins. He joins us right now. Hello, Mark.

**Mark Mathieson** (0:45)
Good morning, team. How are we?

**Luttsy** (0:47)
Yeah, good, mate. On the series, you sort of work with the series to sort of explore the psychological side of survival and I guess what separates those who last on the show from those who can't cope with the mental challenges. Is that right? You sort of work out the psyche behind that?

**Mark Mathieson** (1:04)
Yeah, pretty much. So look, there's about 30 or 40 years of research now on what we call ICE environments, ICE which is isolated, confined and extreme environments. We've got a bunch of research that kind of boils this down to five really key domains about what makes people do really well in these sort of environments. The first one is obviously solitude, so people that are attracted to being on their own.
The second one is people that deal with uncertainty or the unknown really well. Third one is people who like spending time outdoors. Funnily enough, on the show alone, obviously they're outdoors quite a bit. Fourth is pull of home, how much they are sort of social creatures or being away from or being with their family. And the last one is handling pressure.

**Luttsy** (1:45)
So you mentioned those five variables. Are they the five, because we've done the test, you've set some questions for us to establish how suitable we would be for the show and being left alone in that environment. Was it based around those five variables?

**Mark Mathieson** (1:59)
Yeah, sure is. So I've got some results here, would you like me to go through a couple of them and give you some highlights?

**Luttsy** (2:04)
Yes, please.

**Mark Mathieson** (2:05)
Good, good. Okay, let's start with Susie. So Susie, what we've got here, you scored pretty highly on being in the outdoors, not funnily enough. I mean, you're an athlete, you like being outside, so you scored four out of five for that. Being alone, you're actually not too bad, 3.75.
And then dealing with the un-lone was your lowest score, so 2.25. So you like predictability, you like there to be lane ropes, the start time and confirmation that the event is 50 meters long. I would call you the competitive planner, you like to have a game plan to go into that. Does that sound pretty true to form?

**Susie O'Neill** (2:38)
Yeah, that sounds exactly right.

**Mark Mathieson** (2:40)
Nick, people-powered improviser, so deal with the un-known, like a little bit of chaos, deal with pressure really well, 4.25, but you are pulled towards the social dynamics, towards home, so 4.5. Yeah, I hate a lot of them. Being on your own, you're 2.75, you bombed out on that one, mate. Yes.
So you're not frightened of the un-known, you are frightened that the un-known might not have a microphone.

**Nick** (3:08)
That is a great way to put it.

**Mark Mathieson** (3:10)
Okay, and Luttsy, you're the local operator, so some similar patterns here. You're really drawn to being at home, 4.25.
Dealing with pressure was really high for you, so you're able to deal with that 3.5, but alone again, you bombed 2.75 on that one. So you could do alone, provided Brisbane remains within emotional uber distance, you'd be fine, mate.

**Luttsy** (3:32)
No, I get that. I find it much easier to be alone at home as opposed to alone, like overseas, for instance.

**Nick** (3:39)
Mark, if you have to pick one of us who's most compatible, say, for the show or to survive alone, based off our results.

**Mark Mathieson** (3:45)
Oh, it would probably be Nick. Oh, really?

**Nick** (3:48)
I thought it was going to be Susie.

**Luttsy** (3:49)
Yeah, okay.

**Susie O'Neill** (3:50)
Okay, just because he can... Why, exactly?

**Nick** (3:54)
I've made my day in ruiners.

**Mark Mathieson** (3:56)
Yeah, why? The bigger question I'd be curious to do, who do you think would tap first out of the three of you?