Cambodia preview

When the Cambodia cast (that we selected) set off on their journey, live on air, the energy was electric. Now we finally get to see if it carried over onto the beach. 20 people who know the game, all with a hunger inside them. This is bound to be an epic season.

WHAT WE KNOW

• The opening is a throwback to season 1, where everyone is marooned via a ship and have to grab supplies and jump off. I love this! I'm also stoked to see Quest For Fire brought back as well.
• Idols will be hidden at challenges this season. I think this is an amazing, creative idea. If someone is badass enough to pull it off and no-one notices them, props. And if they fail, that's great too!
• Idols also won't look like idols. This is sure to benefit talented schemers like Joe, who may be able to bluff more convincingly with fakes. Interesting way to up the mindfuckery.
• The contestants are divided into the Bayon tribe and the Ta Keo tribe. But they might not stay like that for long, as there's said to be a third tribe in the mix. Whatever keeps them on their toes, I'm gonna roll with.

THE PLAYERS

Abi-Maria Gomes [Ta Keo]

Abi is my pick to do surprisingly well. I think she's going to win over all the haters and be much more likeable, although I still don't know if she has it in her to be a gamer.

Savage back on board

Andrew Savage [Bayon]

Savage is great when he has a group of people to lead, but does he have a strategy beyond that? Something is telling me he could be the new Skupin.

Ciera Eastin [Bayon]

On paper, you'd think nobody would trust Ciera. But I see her being well-connected, as she has a good relationship with Vytas and also a probable alliance with Monica via her mom.

Jeff Varner [Ta Keo]

Jeff's sure to have some choice words

Varner is one of the shows earliest failed masterminds, and now he's the old guy of the group. He could slide under the radar for a bit, or he could be the victim of a recent season clique. The emotion he's going through is evident in all pre-season material, so one thing's for sure - he's putting his heart and soul into this.

Jeremy's still a beast

Jeremy Collins [Bayon]

If Jeremy can use the big targets as shields correctly I think he has a great shot at positioning himself for the win. And what sets him apart from the other alpha males is he's proven he can work well with the women.

Joe Anglim [Bayon]

With his season fresh in the mind, I'm not too high on his chances. The biggest message from his time on Worlds Apart is that it was a mistake to let him make the merge. That could see him out very early. He stands out like a sore thumb on his tribe as one of the youngest, but that could turn out to be a good thing if they value his strength.

Kass McQuillen [Bayon]

Kass claims she's in it to win it this time, but she needs a miracle to survive being the first boot. Challenge liability, grating persona and proven backstabber....there's not many positives here. Her only angle is to just play up the fact she has no-one.

Keith Nale [Bayon]

Kelley hates crazy

Out of his depth among a group of all-stars, and could be an easy target if one is required. He's just as loveable in his interviews as ever, though.

Kelley Wentworth [Ta Keo]

One of the biggest blank slates we've ever had in an all-stars cast. The key for Kelley is, will she be so desperate to prove herself that she overplays herself right out the game? Her best shot of making it far is just to lay low.

Is original Kelly up to the challenge?

Kelly Wiglesworth [Ta Keo]

Kelly could well be eaten alive in this group. She hasn't kept up with Survivor and the show is played at a much faster pace than it was in Borneo. Though if she can find that competitive fire and someone to take her under their wing, she might be underestimated.

Kimmi Kappenberg [Bayon]

I have no idea what to expect from Kimmi, and I love it. If I had to guess, I think she's probably gonna be an early boot again for much of the same reasons she was last time. I was hoping a Varner alliance could be her secret weapon, but it looks like that will have to wait.

There's more to Monica than the flirt card

Monica Padilla [Bayon]

There's strong shades of an Amber/Parv situation with Monica. Definitely a sleeper pick. Although getting enough respect to take the jury votes might be her biggest obstacle.

Peih-Gee Law [Ta Keo]

Being a lone representative of a middle season is a great position to be in and should help Peih-Gee immensely. The China Queen could take over this game given the opportunity, as long as she plans the right time to strike.

Shirin Oskooi [Ta Keo]

Shirin herself seems a little conflicted, like it was too soon to go back. It's possible she could be an early target but I also think she could do well and finally show her strategic potential. I can't imagine outing herself as a millionaire did her any favours though.

How long will Spencer's torch stay lit?

Spencer Bledsoe [Ta Keo]

I feel like everyone is aware of the threat Spencer poses and won't let him even get close to that million. People are already wary of the Cagayan foursome and I'm sure he tops a lot of hitlists, He needs like-minded players such as Stephen to help him, and they've been split up already, so...

Stephen Fishbach [Bayon]

Speak of the Devil, Stephen knows the game well and it'll be interesting to see how he is perceived. "I've written a lot of negative things about this cast and I'm sure they remember it" he says. Who could resist turning the tables on the self-proclaimed Survivor know-it-all?

Tasha Fox [Bayon]

"Nice Tasha is dead and buried" she promises us, menacingly...and I'm excited to see her step it up. I've always thought Tasha was a good player and I don't think she's likely to be targeted early as a threat. In fact, I like her chances a lot and even think she could go all the way.

Terry Deitz [Ta Keo]

Terry makes a good meat shield for the merge, but after that, who knows. He'll want to take control but I don't see his tribe letting him really run things.

Vytas and his new tribemates

Vytas Baskauskas [Ta Keo]

Vytas' downfall last time was that the combination of him and his brother was too dangerous to leave in the game. So without Aras, he should perform better, right? I'm not so sure...his reputation as a shady player might be his undoing.

Woo Hwang [Ta Keo]

There's a ton of reasons Woo makes a very good ally and that could get him far - he's loyal, low-maintenance, pulls his weight challenge-wise and isn't a jury threat. Cagayan is likely the closest he'll get to winning though.

WINNER PICK?

Getting down to brass tacks, I've put my faith in Jeremy and I'm sticking by it. But if I can have a couple of others, I'm expecting Tasha and Monica to be contenders too.