Success depends on building shelter, finding food through hunting, fishing or foraging, and coping with the intense psychological strain of prolonged isolation, which often proves the toughest challenge of all.

When contestants can no longer continue, they must radio the production team and deliver the show’s signature phrase: “I’m tapping out.” The last participant remaining claims the A$250,000 ($301,701) prize.

But they’re meant to be filmed in the wilderness, not flee into it.

“It was a world first, which is why the panic levels were so high,” Daher said. “There was no precedent, nothing to fall back on in this scenario.”

Arash, a wrecking-yard worker and taekwondo champion who was born in Afghanistan, vanished after 26 days. Daher said the production team assumed the worst.

They began a large-scale search and eventually tracked down Arash about seven hours after realising he was missing.

He was then removed from the competition.

Although Arash declined to answer questions from the Sydney Morning Herald, he talked about the incident during an episode that aired this week.

“I grew up in a war zone. I crossed seven countries with no documents. I’ve been lost in the sea, slept in the jungle, and I think this experience activated a survival mode that I know best.

“And when I get in that mode, the rules do not matter. I only rely on myself. All I was thinking was just to survive.”

He now viewed the incident as a costly mistake that robbed him of a chance to transform his life with the show’s A$250,000 prize.

Describing his actions as a “blunder”, he said the consequences would stay with him long after the competition.

“I made a mistake, and I take full responsibility for it. That will stay with me for the rest of my life.”