Transcript
The producer of season three, Olly Coddington, says this time round dynamics have changed, the personalities are bigger and each contestant represents a charity.
"We have the wahine toa entering the arena so we have got the ladies in there competing with guys so that is a first. And the other big difference is that it is all celebrity contestants so bigger personalities and I think what we will see is the level of competitiveness step up."
Among those taking part are Niuean actor Shimpal Lelisi, Fiji Tongan actor Gloria Blake, and Samoan boxer and health coach, David Letele.
Gloria Blake is known for her acting and modelling work.
The university Masters student sees her brains, rather than her physique, as her strength in the competition.
Her charity is the "I have a Dream Charitable Trust"
"They are really cool foundation who encourage youth to succeed both academically and personally. So when you are given the opportunity to represent something you believe in it definitely makes you want to give your all."
Healthy living coach David Letele says Ms Blake's strategy is sound.
"Being intelligent, that's a threat. It is important. When I saw Gloria and saw her resume I thought she is a genuine threat on the show because she is so intelligent. But my strategy was it is about allegiances and teaming up with others that are very strong. Ride along a little bit and not use too much energy. "
The Samoan boxer's venture, Buttabean, has had success helping Auckland's Pacific people improve their health and fitness.
He represents the Grace Foundation, which caters for people who've fallen through the cracks.
"Also showing the public that anything is possible and here we are competing on the show, where ..once you see it...there are some people with 10-12 packs on there and then here is the everyday person with their one pack but can get out there and compete with these people if they are willing to work hard."
Olly Coddington says the show is uniquely Polynesian, from the humour, to the challenges, to the rules of the game.
"Our point of difference is it is all based on old school Maori or Pacific Island either sports or everyday things they use in their lives. So traditional sports and tikanga. First of all finding actual polynesian and maori things we can replicate, putting a modern spin on it and then okay how does it work, testing it and then thinking okay how does it work and then coming up with the challenges."
Carlos Ulberg has been involved in similar shows before but says it's a bit different this time round.
"I think I was too easy on the women? Yeah...yeah I was...but it is just the nature of the man really but I guess I could have gone harder (laughs). There was just so much fun in there and it was good to be around everybody yeah it was good."
The series started on Thursday.
