Barbara's Island Ordeal

I’m No Super Villain!

- Kelly Bertrand

Barbara Kendall has had many labels throughout her illustrious career − Olympic champion, recordbreaker, national treasure.

But villain? That’s a new one. It was among many firsts the legendary boardsailor experienced during her time on Celebrity Treasure Island. With the series finally finished, Barbara is lifting the lid about what really went down, including enduring sickness, petty squabbles, regrets, and confronting her own insecurities and fears.

“Well, it’s been a fascinating journey, that’s for sure!” she laughs.

“It’s been really confronting, actually. I had to hold up a mirror [to myself] and have a look in.”

As soon as she stepped on the tropical island, Barbara − or Queen Barbs as she was dubbed − took on a leadership role, with her naturally competitive nature quickly emerging.

But almost instantly, she was dubbed a “villain”, she tells.

“Eric [Murray], Sam and I were put into the villain thing. That’s because some people can’t handle forthright women who say what everyone else might be thinking!”

Barbara’s main source of conflict was a ‘mercy card’, which she won after a challenge. It gave her the power to save a player from elimination − but in an effort to be transparent, she told her teammates she’d only use it to save ‘physically strong’ Shane Cameron (41) or Moses Mackay (26), angering fellow competitor Matty McLean (32), who went on to utter the now world-famous-in-New Zealand-line, “I don’t have to prove myself to Barbara Kendall!”

So, did our favourite weatherman ever go on to do just that?

“He never had to prove himself to Barbara Kendall!” the 52-year-old says with a laugh − but also with a touch of exasperation.