A London-born woman is set to appear on an Israeli reality television series that airs this weekend.
Lisa Shurkin, 36, who made aliyah in 2005, will be seen taking part in the Israeli version of Survivor, which is based on the American game show.
The show follows contestants as they take part in challenges in the wilderness and fight it out for the NIS 1 million (£169,000) cash prize. Contestants are voted off the show by other members until the final contestant wins the title of ‘Sole Survivor’.
This Israeli series, which features Ms Shurkin, is made up of 18 people, half of whom are celebrities. Famous faces include Ethiopian-born Miss Israel Yityish Aynaw and Ruslana Rodin, the partner of Israeli singer Eyal Golan.
Speaking of the experience which was filmed in Honduras, central America, Ms Shurkin told the JC it was: “Challenging, exhilarating and slimming.
“You can never prepare yourself for something so extreme and out of the ordinary. I got on very well with the other contestants, but I am also very competitive.
“The hardest part was having to sleep on the bare jungle floor at night.
“I doubt that I would ever do it again, although I enjoyed every minute.”
Ms Shurkin said she had initially been approached by producers to take part in Israel’s Big Brother – but refused.
She said: “When [Survivor] was suggested, I loved the sporty beach element so decided to go ahead and take the audition.
“I then continued to be invited to the further rounds of auditions until I reached the end one, in which I got my vaccination shots.”
Ms Shurkin, the daughter of an English mother and Israeli father, has gone back to working in property since the show was filmed.
Now back home in Tel Aviv, she said of the spike in terrorist stabbing attacks: “It is great to be back in Israel, but the terror attacks are horrible.
“We stay alert and positive!”
