ZAVION OUT OF SURVIVOR

Openly gay Zavion Kotze, 25, has become the 16th contestant to leave the Survivor South Africa island.

On Sunday night’s episode of the reality contest, the hunky Zavion was outplayed by Sivu Xabanisa, 23, an astrophysics student from Cape Town, who used a hidden immunity idol to stay in the game.

This now leaves four competitors to battle it out for the R1 million prize: entrepreneur Buhle Madlala, farrier David de Wet; financial manager Graham Jenneker, and Sivu.

In a post exit interview, Zavion commented: “The Tribal Council tonight was epic. I don’t think there was a better way for me to go out.”

“I’m so relieved that I’m finished,” he added. “I’m just over the moon. I definitely feel that I played an amazing game, had a lot of fun and it’s been an amazing experience.”

The wedding planner from Johannesburg has been praised for his generally gentlemanly approach to the game.

“I came into Survivor with the mind-set of a good sportsman,” said Zavion. “I wanted to let that translate in the way I played the game.”

Writing on his Facebook page after Sunday’s episode, he posted: “Thank you to all my friends and family for the incredible support! I’m blessed to know you all! Thanks for dealing with the paranoid crazy zav for a couple months! I am proud of the game I played! Mad love for everyone who supported me!”

The blond, who came into the show with four SA Student Decathlon Champion titles under his belt, also stood out in the competition thanks to his success in the physical challenges.

In February, Zavion showed off his buff physique when he posed almost entirely in the nude for heat magazine to celebrate its 500th issue.

Late last month, contestant Altaaf Sheik raised eyebrows when he made a homophobic comment about Zavion’s failure to confront him about an incident around the camp fire.

“Maybe because he’s gay he didn’t have the balls to come and say it straight to my face,” he said. Sheik, who left the island shortly after, revealed that he had phoned Zavion to apologise.

This season’s only other gay contestant was mortuary attendant Sonette Myburgh. She was the eighth person voted off the island in March after she injured her leg.