Whanganui export Jess Tyson shares Celebrity Treasure Island reflections

Whanganui-born Jess Tyson found the fierce competitiveness of Celebrity Treasure Island hard going at times. Photo / Supplied

Jess Tyson is relieved that she can finally talk about her experiences as a contestant on Celebrity Treasure Island now that her final episode of the TV series has been screened.

The former Miss World NZ and current Māori TV reporter was happy to be spending time with her whānau in Whanganui this week and hoped that her hometown supporters would not be disappointed that she did not win the major prize of $100,000 for charity.

Tyson, 26, said filming of the series concluded in February and it had been difficult to not give anything away while the series had been screening.

"People had been saying 'I hope you win' so I hope they are not too disappointed now they know I didn't," she said.

"I'm really proud that I did win four charity challenges and got $20,000 for my charity Brave."

Tyson was named Miss World New Zealand 2018 and founded the Brave Charitable Trust in the same year as part of her Beauty With a Purpose charity project.

Brave aims to empower all young New Zealanders to feel brave enough to ask for help if they have been affected by sexual harm in any way.

Having lived with her competitors during her bid for the Miss New Zealand and then Miss World titles, Tyson said she found it easy to live alongside her contenders in the TV series.

She also didn't mind a diet that consisted mainly of beans and rice or sleeping on mats.

"I did find it hard as it got more competitive and we had to form alliances and be quite ruthless because that's just not me. I was determined to do well while playing nice but it did get harder as time went on," said Tyson.

She formed a strong friendship with former New Zealand swimming champ Anna Simcic during the series and said it was a hard moment when Simcic was eliminated.

"I took myself off to one of the portaloos and had a really good cry.

"If that had happened in one of the earlier episodes I would have been fine but by the time Anna went home she had become like family and I knew I would really miss her."

Tyson said it was satisfying to win a number of the brainpower challenges on the show and prove that "beauty queens aren't dumb."

She was one of the remaining six contestants after 15 others had been eliminated and lost a challenge along with contestant Candy Lane which saw them both sent home.

Celebrity Treasure Island was filmed on a stretch of beach in Northland and supported by local iwi Ngāti Kuri.

Tyson who is Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangia said it was a great experience to participate in a mihi whakatau with Ngāti Kuri representaives and represent her Whanganui iwi.