Actress and WAG Olympia Valance reveals the surprising reason she's turned to reality TV after joining cast of The Summit

By Jimmy Briggs For Daily Mail Australia 00:12 02 May 2024, updated 05:36 02 May 2024

• READ MORE: Channel Nine addresses the future of The Summit 

Actress and WAG Olympia Valance has revealed why she decided to become a reality TV star, after officially joining the cast of Channel Nine's gruelling reality show The Summit.

Speaking to the Herald Sun on Wednesday, the former Neighbours star, 31, said she agreed to take part trekking through New Zealand's South Island wilderness so she could show audiences the real her.

'I think this adventure will show people who I really am. It's funny, because people always meet me and say, "I thought you would be a b***h!",' the wife of AFL star Tom Bellchambers said.

'I get it because I'm posing and doing my job, but hopefully people will see the real me out here.'

The half-sister of Holly Valance will be appearing alongside fellow contestants including Baywatch star Simmone Jade Mackinnon, former Bardot band member Tiffani Wood and former NRL star Mat Rogers.

She added it was a challenging experience as she had never hiked before signing onto the show. 

Valance's confession follows reports that Nine is pulling out all the stops to save The Summit after the adventurous series failed to woo audiences.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the network hatched a plan to save the series.

Season two will feature a bevy of familiar faces enlisted to climb New Zealand's mountain trek.

It comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed the series was on the brink of cancellation after season one failed to captivate audiences despite its enticing cast and concept. 

A Nine insider told Daily Mail Australia the network previously had no plans for a season two, but decided to give it the green light.

The Jai Courtney-hosted action-adventure series, initially touted as the network's breakout series of the year, struggled to deliver in the ratings.

Despite its exciting premise and high-profile casting, the series struggled to climb above around 400,000 viewers.

The source painted a picture of a series fraught with production nightmares and financial setbacks due to severe weather conditions.

Filming the action-packed 8500ft New Zealand mountain trek proved a herculean task, costing hundreds of thousands.