Social media star Nix Adams has been crowned the winner of Celebrity Treasure Island, becoming the first wahine Māori to win the modern-day era of the show.
The 37-year-old outlasted 15 other Kiwi celebrities to take home a top prize of $105,000 for her chosen charity, the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation.
Adams defeated actor Liv Parker and content creator Louis Davis in the final treasure hunt, which sent the trio racing around the island collecting symbol cards needed to uncover the buried treasure.
After a tight race to the finish line in which all three finalists took the lead at different points, it was Adams who uncovered the loot first and secured the win.
Watch: Moment Celebrity Treasure Island winner crowned - Watch on TVNZ+
Speaking to 1News, Adams had two words to describe the winning feeling: “F***ing overwhelming”.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she added. “I feel all the things, but I’m very proud.
“I just feel proud in the way of reminding women and Māori that we can do just as much as anybody else.
“As long as we stick together and push through the hard days, we will always prevail.”
The social media star said joining Celebrity Treasure Island was nothing like she expected.
'Girl, there's no Airbnb’
“I remember when I got there at first, I was like ‘Where is the Airbnb?'” she laughed.
“Then they told me, 'Girl, there’s no Airbnb’, and I was like ‘What the f*** have I signed up for?'”
Adams entered the competition as one of New Zealand’s most recognisable online personalities, known for her raw humour and brutally honest storytelling.
She first built a following by openly sharing her journey overcoming addiction, homelessness and grief, later growing that platform into one of the country’s biggest online audiences.
The social media star formed a close alliance with several fellow wahine contestants on the show, something she said helped "tremendously".
“This victory really just shows the strength of women uniting.”
Adams said winning money for the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation — $100,000 from the grand prize and an additional $5000 earned during an earlier challenge — made the victory even more meaningful.
'Struggle after struggle after struggle'
“Anything that can go towards educating families and helping prevent child abuse, I’m down,” she said.
“If there’s anything I can do to help prevent another loss of a child in this country, I’ll be there.”
She also revealed the show came during one of the toughest periods of her life, saying the year of filming had been filled with “struggle after struggle after struggle”.
“It was probably the hardest year of my life since I got out of jail,” she admitted.
But that experience ultimately helped restore her confidence and belief in herself.
“I gained a lot of belief back in myself, and back in my abilities of being a mum,” she said.
“It really rammed home to me that, ‘Nix, you’ve got it’. No matter what challenge comes your way in life, you tackle it head on.”
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