In a surprise move the final vote was not revealed at the final tribal council but back in Sydney, Australia, in front of a live audience made up of family members.

It's a hefty sum of money but for most of the Survivor superfan competitors it's the title that holds the most value, after spending 55 days on a Samoan island outwitting, outplaying and eventually outlasting all 23 other players.

Jericho beat finalist Tara, a 32-year-old mother and barrel racer from Queensland, by two votes based on his final speech to the jury: "I can confidently say that, yeah, I have your blood on my hands, and I'm fine with that. And that's why I still am sitting here, and I feel like that's why you're sitting there."

Jericho looked in trouble when he admitted that his mistake could have been evicting Tessa from the jury, despite her saying that she saw Tara as the weaker player, after Jarrad threatened to write his vote with a line under it: "What goes around comes around."

But it turned out Jarrad was a fan and not bitter by Jericho's backstabbing of him.

The best pitches for Sole Survivor came when Ziggy asked them to speak for the other.

"The strategising aside, the fella is what ... 159cm? And he drags logs that are twice his size from the one end of the beach to the other and he makes sure that fire is always going. He makes sure that we've always got food, comfort," said Tara warmly. "When there was 12 of us in the hut, he was the one that was sleeping at the bottom of our feet like a dog because he knew there was no room.

"Jericho's heart has got him where he is today, and this is why he deserves to be here."

Jericho showed Tara to be the real game player: "I think Tara has evolved. Originally she acted on emotions and definitely wore her heart on her sleeve. Then the second half of this game she started to change it up, she started realising that if she wants to get far into this game, she has to start making big moves and risky ones and controversial ones.

"She just put herself on the line and it was, like, mad respect. And that's why I think she deserves to be here and be a Sole Survivor."

Jericho tried to reveal that he wasn't the nice guy everyone thought he was, but a serious player in the game. Yet many did not believe him and considered that he rode Luke's coat-tails.

But Luke came to his aid: "As much as people say it about riding coat-tails, I feel like we were always coming together talking about divide and conquer and creating conflict, and so our discussions were quite even."

It was the same for Tara, with the council believing she got by under Locky's wing.

Yet Henry came to her aid: "You survived on your social game to get to the end. You're sitting there, and not only sitting there, you were pivotal in deciding if Jericho could get to the end. So, you chose, you kept him alive and you got him there. You've basically stated that you didn't have any moves. All the jury, all I hear is 'All our big moves put us there'. Maybe she's the smart one saying, 'I'm not gonna make my big moves till the final seconds, and then that's how I'm gonna win this game'."

Jericho took ally Tara to the end after winning the final immunity challenge, which eliminated Peter, a 22-year-old digital advertising producer from NSW, from contesting the crown of Sole Survivor.

The immunity challenge saw all three players atop a harsh rocky outcrop at night, balanced painfully on upright poles as the ocean crashed around them, and only using a totem for support.

"When I can see the waves come, I can sort of duck my head down," Tara told host Jonathan LaPaglia. At night-time, a wave could hit you in the face and you could just lose balance. So this has upped the ante with doing it in the dark, that's for sure."

Tara was the first to drop out after almost three hours. It became clear that after five hours and 13 minutes Peter could no longer stand up to Jericho's challenge and quite literally buckled under the strain, with Jericho claiming victory.

"Peter ... You made me fight for my life!" Jericho told a weeping Peter. "You have gained my respect, my bro. Man, I'm so proud of you.

"... We proved to everybody that we deserve to be in the final three. No-one can tell us and devalue what we've achieved."

At the tribal council, Peter and Tara exchanged harsh words while fighting for the final spot.

Peter argued that the jury saw Tara as the weakest among them and Jericho would be better off taking him since he was stronger at challenges.

"I do not think I am the easy ride out. I think Jericho has played a really good game," Peter said. "And I believe that the jury would respect someone who stuck to their word in taking big plays. And I believe I am a big player in this game.

"I believe I've really had to fight my way through. And I've worked with a lot of people and I've worked individually. And I believe that if he does take Tara to the end, when there is very likely a consensus from the jury that Tara is the weaker player, then he's potentially undermining his own game; whereby he's not taking risks and he's not making a big move in taking someone like me who's played a really good game to the end.

"...And if you're taking an easier option, and I'm sorry, Tara, but I do believe you are the easier option tonight because you did spend a lot of time in Locky's shadow. I don't believe all of your moves have been logical in this game.

"I believe if you don't take me, then the jury will consider that as a negative."

While Tara argued that she was the one who took risks and made moves, and that she stuck by Jericho and therefore was the most deserving.

"In my defence, I could be classed as an underdog or I could be classed as a weak player," she said.

"But you know what? Bring it on. Because if you want a fight, then bring me. You take Petey and it will be a bit of a disrespect to the game. That's what I'm saying."

"You can weigh up the two options that I have - they're both very different people," Jericho earlier said. "It's like trying to decide apples and oranges.

"... It's not about who's an easy win. It's more so who deserves to be sitting next to me and how they should stand against me in the final two. That's how I look at it."

But in the end he went with Tara. But the smack talk did not end there, with both revealing their pitches to the cameras.

"For me, there is no option apart from winning this," Jericho said. "Back in the Philippines, my parents weren't wealthy.

"In fact, we lived in a shelter that just was able to withstand the rain. The reason why I stand here is because they worked blood, sweat and tears for me and so I owe it to them.

"I feel like they deserve everything and I want to be the person that can finally provide for them just as much as they provided for me...

"People underestimated me. People thought that I was this angelic boy, when really, I was a wolf in sheep's clothing. I always made sure that resources were used wisely. I had Luke. He was my best friend and we conquered Asaga together.

"Then I had the jar of cookies and I used it to build an army. I placed certain people in the frontline to fight my battles, to act as shields. They were the ones that got taken down, with my name never been written down until 52 days later.

"And that is why I guaranteed myself a spot to plead my case in front of the jury. I am going to make sure that they give me that crown tonight, because I deserve it."

But Tara also had a strong case to make.

"Jericho made a mistake taking me to the final two," Tara told viewers. "He's looking at me as not a big threat when I will be.

"I survived by getting booted out of Samatau, headed to Exile Beach, then I had to come here to Asaga, form new relationships and build trust, make it to the merge, and Jericho has never left Asaga.

"But then on top of that, I can say that I have survived 21 Tribal Councils and Jeri only got his name written down once. He definitely had it easy.

"Half a million dollars - it sets up my family. I have three growing boys and with Mum living with us as well, it'd be nice to get her a little place where she can call home. So I would do anything to win that money."

But in the end it was Jericho's to lose.

"Honestly I looked at everybody and I was just like, 'Holy crap. I'm honestly against these guys'. Some of them are, like, 6'4" and I was just like... ..how would I compete against them in the challenges? But honestly, I'm still shocked that I'm still standing here. I was surprised at my own capability," he said during the reunion.

"I've been watching Survivor since I was a kid. And so, being there every day, I just savoured the moment. And if it was my last day, I made sure that it was going to be the most amazing day. So, you know, with the Locky experience, that was, like, one of my biggest highlight. I was just stoked that I was there."