‘Thank you God, that I got to be a small part of that’

This season of Celebrity Treasure Island has had its fair share of shocking twists and emotional moments.

And this week one of those surprise turns was the dual-elimination of powerhouse players, ex-Warrior star Wairangi Koopu and Niu FM host Gaby Solomona.

Host Lance Savali acknowledged Koopu as “one of the strongest players he’d ever seen” and spoke of Gaby’s inspirational challenge with Carmel Sepuloni.

Before exiting the arena Solomona said the experience had been an “absolute honour”.

“To all of you who are still here, thank you for the genuine connections and the relationships that we’ve made. Go hard. What a privilege it is for us to have done this game. Fa’afetai tele lava.”

However she didn’t leave empty handed, having won $10,000 for her charity, Taime Pasifika Cancer Support.

Solomona spoke with PMN Cooks host Ernestina Bonsu-Maro the day before her elimination episode aired and reflected on what the whole experience has meant to her.

“The anticipation for the release has been really nerve wracking for me anyway,” Solomona said.

“It’s been a really amazing response from our community. This is the most Māori and Pacific people that they’ve had on Celebrity Treasure Island like ever, at one time.

“My favourite responses that I’ve been receiving are people talking about how it’s the one hour in the day from Monday to Wednesday where they sit down with their families and it’s like their ritual.”

Solomona added that given “TV is going extinct” and families today rarely have time to sit, eat, and watch shows together, it meant a lot that her appearance on the show helped bring people together

“Especially in our day and age, to hear of our Pasifika families, it’s the different generations, for them to be doing that together and watching a show like Celebrity Treasure Island, honestly it’s so fulfilling.

“It means more than the actual show.”

Final 8. Photo/TVNZ

Fun and games for a purpose

While watching celebrities rough it for a few weeks on a secluded island without their usual convenience and comfort items is thoroughly entertaining to watch, it came with a greater purpose.

The $100,000 prize money, plus the daily $5000 challenges, goes directly to the stars’ chosen charity.

Supporting Taime Pasifika was an homage to Solomona’s two aunties, her mum’s sister and dad’s sister, who both passed from cancer.

Solomona told Bonsu-Maro that during the gruelling elimination battle with Sepuloni, she drew on her aunties for “strength and help”.

“My two aunties helped raise my siblings and I … they passed away a few years ago and that was the first time where I was almost like praying to them, asking them for their strength and their help.

“It was like I felt their presence at that time. I’ve never done that before and I’ve never had an experience like that before. It was like when you’re in those sorts of situations and you have to really go deep within. That’s what happened for me.”

She also spoke about the silence that fell upon the arena as spiritual and a “God moment”, where everyone was moved to tears including the predominantly Pālagi crew.

“I’m so grateful that the people who edited the show clipped that part and put it on TV. And that the essence of that moment was able to be felt all around the world through our screens.

“My phone has not stopped blowing up since that video clip was released - people just sharing how that made them feel.

“And I just think how amazing it is how we felt in that moment, our people get to feel that.”

Overcoming doubts for the people

When reflecting on how her selection came about, Solomona said her initial reaction was shock and denial where she “felt like a real imposter”.

She also joked about “not belonging” when she met her teammates and being among the likes of Koopu, former Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni, and actor James Rolleston.

But Solomona said it’s been validating receiving incredibly positive support from Pacific communities towards the show and its new cast members.

“For me it gives purpose to the work that we do, I know that this is just a reality TV show and it’s not that deep. Like this is a fun game show that we get to be a part of.

“But to have our people tune in, come together with their families, be able to see themselves in us, you know, in the way that we laugh with each other. The way we compete.”

Bubbah, JP Foliaki, and Gaby's alliance was called the "Fobalinas". Photo/TVNZ

Solomona said it’s been “amazing” to show their unapologetic cheeky banter while uplifting Pacific representation and exemplifying cultural pride on mainstream TV.

“Us Islanders that were on the show, we’re hella competitive. Especially me, JP (Foliaki), and Bubbah - we’re all friends but we were hella competitive against each other.

“And that’s just who we are in real life and that’s what our people get to see on screen.

“They get to hear language being spoken, hear our sense of humour, and see brown people be brown on a mainstream television show - that’s rare.

“Only God could make something like this happen. Thank you God, that I got to be a small part of that.”

Watch Celebrity Treasure Island Mondays - Wednesdays at 7.30pm on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+.