Shonee’s next challenge!

New mum Shonee is on the move!
Nigel Wright

Four-time Survivor queen Shonee Bowtell has conquered blindside after blindside, but motherhood – especially the second time around – might just be her biggest challenge yet. The 33-year-old recently welcomed her daughter, Vera Mae, and as a mum-of-two, she’s officially calling time on her tribe.

“I’m two and done,” Shonee tells TV WEEK with a laugh.

“Having two, you’re so busy. With one kid, I was breastfeeding watching back-to-back Gossip Girl. This time I’m walking around breastfeeding while trying to play with toy cars with my toddler. It’s a whole new skill level I need to learn to adapt to.”
Shonee with her newborn daughter, Vera Mae. (Credit: Instagram)
All jokes aside, the labour with Vera Mae went far smoother than her first with son Vally, which lasted a gruelling 20 hours unmedicated.

“The first one was so long,” Shonee recalls. “The second time around was a breeze. She was born and then we were home within four hours. We got to sleep in our own bed, wake up and let our son meet our daughter.”

Standing beside her through it all is fiancé Matt Jamieson, who she describes as the “best partner in the world”. And despite juggling a toddler, a newborn and an upcoming move, the pair are still planning a wedding, which might happen sooner than we think.

 

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“We’ll do our wedding maybe next year, maybe this year,” she teases. “Who knows – if everything feels a little too smooth sailing and we need some chaos and excitement; we’ll aim for mid-year.”

Shonee’s dream ceremony includes a Maldives honeymoon, kid-free, in a swim-up bungalow. Until then, she and Matt are settling into their brand-new Gold Coast home.

“We just bought a house,” she says proudly. “We love it. It’s in a really good area on a big block with a pool and more space. The next thing after that will be a renovation.”
Shonee and ‘King’ George have had a complicated friendship. (Credit: Nigel Wright)
As for returning to Survivor? She’s ready to officially snuff that torch – for now.

“I’m too old now to be starving for 50 days and using a shoe as a pillow,” she laughs.

“I’ve done the show every second year since I was 25. I’d definitely do another show with food and accommodation. I was meant to do The Traitors but I was pregnant with Vally. Then they asked me again, and I was pregnant again. They’ve got to get in quick!”

One of the most strategic players never to win Survivor, Shonee in The Traitors?

Now that would be a game worth watching.