‘Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing’ S3: Ky Furneaux Opens Up About Shocking Exit From the Competition
Always expect the unexpected on Naked and Afraid.
Fans of the Discovery Channel reality series know that even the strongest survivalists can be taken down by small mistakes, nasty injuries, and brutal conditions. And if a person comes into the survival challenge feelings less than 100%? Well, that can be a recipe for disaster, as Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing contestant Ky Furneaux recently discovered.
Ky was one of 14 Naked and Afraid alums competing on the third season of Last One Standing, which premiered May 19. The 51-year-old Australian was one of the most accomplished cast members, having participated in six previous challenges (including Last One Standing Season 2, where she made it to the final three) and surviving 136 days. But that track record meant nothing when she found herself felled by lingering health issues in season 3’s second episode.
‘Last One Standing’ contestant Ky Furneaux was medically evacuated
Shortly before filming began on Last One Standing, Ky underwent a hysterectomy. Five weeks after the surgery, she thought she’d recovered enough to be able to withstand weeks in the Outback. But she overestimated her body’s abilities. When she began to experience pain and swelling in her abdomen, medics were called in. They ran some tests and determined Ky had an infection. Just six days after insertion, the team pulled her from the competition so she could get proper medical care.
“This challenge did not go as I expected. I went out on the back of major surgery and I was feeling good. I really hoped I’d be able to stay in for a long time. And I really don’t want to leave this challenge,” the stuntwoman and survivalist said after medics woke her up in the middle of the night to take her to the hospital to treat her infection. “Unfortunately, this season of Last One Standing is over for me. I feel really sad and frustrated that I wasn’t able to continue in this competition.”
“Out of seven challenges, this was my first, and hopefully my last, early departure,” she added.
‘Naked and Afraid’ alum had emergency surgery before filming began
Ky opened up about her disappointing Last One Standing experience in an Instagram update she shared after the episode aired.
“When we were coming up to season 3 of Last One Standing, I ended up having to have emergency surgery to remove three non-cancerous from my uterus,” she explained in the video.
During the “intensive” procedure to remove the growths – two of which were the size of “small oranges” – doctors decided to remove Ky’s entire uterus. Initially, Ky thought she’d be able to bounce back relatively quickly because she’d made a swift recovery from other surgeries. But those procedures didn’t involve removing an entire organ.
“I’ve always said that one of my superpowers is recovering quickly from surgery,” she said. This time, the healing process took longer than she anticipated. After five weeks, Ky was feeling about 80% and decided she was up for Last One Standing. But her stitches weren’t fully healed, and she developed an infection.
“I really did overestimate my ability to nurse my way into the competition and unfortunately I paid the price for it,” she said.
Ky wanted ‘another crack at’ the ‘Last One Standing’ title
Being forced to tap out was a major disappointment, in part because Ky was competing on her home turf.
“I did everything I could to recover quickly because I really wanted to represent Australia in Australia and because I also wanted to get back out for another crack at that title,” she said.
When the show’s medics arrived at her team’s campsite, she was stunned.
“When they came for me in the middle of the night, I couldn’t even comprehend what was happening,” she shared. But she admits that going home was the right thing to do. While she’s “fully recovered” now and feeling better than ever, it took time to get there.
“It ended up taking me six months to recover from my operation,” Ky said.
The takeaway? Healing takes time. And you never know what’s going to happen in a survival situation like Naked and Afraid
“Last One Standing is a beast of an adventure,” she said. “And it’s anyone’s game until that last arrow pyre.”
Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery Channel.
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