REALITY show Million Dollar Island, set to film on an island in Malaysia, has been put on hold after a report about the spread of asbestos on the show’s set. The contestants had yet to fly out to Malaysia.
The production company behind the show is now searching for a new location to film the show, according to anonymous sources familiar with the situation.
“The production is definitely proceeding,” a spokesperson said. “There is simply a delay in pre-production due to the issue you mentioned. This does not change our transmission date plans.”
Million Dollar Island is a social experiment in which 100 people try to stay on a remote island and fight for a chance to win A$1 million (RM2.9 million) in prize money.
Each contestant starts with a bracelet worth AUD $10,000. While on the island, contestants can gain and lose bracelets by competing in various contests. The aim is to collect all the other bracelets and win the prize.
The show was originally announced back in February, with a further confirmation in June that production was moving forward, despite the US version of the program being cancelled before going into production.
Delays in production are not rare but moving to a different set this late in the process will have an impact on cost. Asbestos is also quite the uncommon pre-production issue.Sources, who requested anonymity, said the show costs more than AUD $700,000 per episode. It is still expected to premiere in 2023.
The concept was conceived by John de Mol, the Dutch media tycoon behind Big Brother and The Voice formats. The first version of the show launched in the Netherlands in March. – The Vibes, October 12, 2022
