Treasure Island Fans v Faves: How winner Matty McLean broke the news

Breakfast host Matty McLean has just taken out the win for Treasure Island: Fans v Faves, but the star admits there was one person who believed he “probably” wouldn’t win.

Speaking to the Herald’s Lifestyle and Entertainment editor Jenni Mortimer after winning $60,000 for his chosen charity Zeal Education Trust last night, the star shares how his then fiancé and now husband Ryan Teece wanted to give him realistic advice before he went off to film the recent season of TVNZ’s hit show.

“Before I left, my husband Ryan said ‘look, you’re probably not going to win’.” It’s a confession that feels more shocking than McLean’s double agent alliance deals in the show.

Thankfully, all is not what it seems and there was a valid reason. “He said ‘I’m not saying that because I doubt your ability or I don’t think you can do it or I underestimate you’, he was like, ‘you’re just going up against 15 other people who really want it and you’re going up against people who have played the game before, and you’re going up against super fans of the show’.”

Matty McLean hugs Susan Devoy in the finale of Treasure Island.

The morning show host - who filmed the series in Fiji last year – went on to say it was a piece of advice he kept in the back of his mind throughout the duration of the series but for him, winning was something he wanted but could give or take either way.

“I kind of kept that in the back of my mind like yeah, I probably won’t, someone else probably will, but as long as I go in there just feeling like I can play the game as hard as I can, then I can leave happy, like I can leave feeling like I did everything I could.”

The realistic approach seemed to work for the 36-year-old who ultimately took out the win in an emotional battle to find the treasure last night and reveals how he broke the news to his beloved husband.

“I Facetimed him as soon as I got out of the game and it was one of the most exciting phone calls I’ve ever made because he got his timing wrong and so he thought it finished the day after,” he said adding, “he thought I hadn’t won so when he answered the Facetime he went ‘Oh, you did so well!’ I was like, ‘Yeah, you best believe I did, I bloody won the thing’.”

Competing against Lana Searle and Dame Susan Devoy, the final few minutes saw Devoy nearly steal the win from McLean, but his perseverance – and perhaps hysteric determination – saw him strike the treasure chest seconds before Devoy.

Never a sore loser, Devoy embraced her friend, “Awesome, Matty. You can let it out now, baby. You can let it all out,” telling him, “I’m so proud of you, Matty.”

McLean digs for the treasure.

While the Breakfast star instantly broke down in tears and told the confession cam, “This is just beyond my wildest dreams.”

“I just think about little me watching this show and not believing in himself. Today, I think for the first time ever, I really have that belief in myself,” he said tearfully.