The Mole (Australian TV series)

The Mole (Australian TV series)

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Predecessor	The Mole (Belgian TV series)
Founded	February 27, 2000 (2000-02-27)
Defunct	October 16, 2013 (2013-10-16)
Fate	Ended
Headquarters	Australia , Australia
Area served	Australia
Key people	Grant Bowler (host, seasons 1–4), Tom Williams (host, season 5), Shura Taft (host, season 6), David Mason (executive producer)
Products	Reality television series
Owner	Seven Network, FremantleMedia Australia (season 6)
Parent	Seven Network

The Mole is an Australian reality TV series broadcast on the Seven Network, adapted from the original Belgian format The Mole. Its latest installment was aired in 2013.

In this competition, participants collaborate to build a collective prize pool, while one individual—the "Mole"—covertly undermines their progress. The Mole’s identity remains concealed until the final episode, when the remaining contestants complete a quiz focused on identifying the Mole. Each episode concludes with the elimination of the contestant who scores lowest on this quiz.

The first four seasons were hosted by actor Grant Bowler. Hosting duties for season five were taken over by Tom Williams, followed by Shura Taft for season six. Filming locations varied: seasons one through three and six were shot within Australia; seasons four and five were filmed in New Caledonia and New Zealand, respectively. Mason Media Group produced the inaugural season, while Seven Network produced seasons two through five internally, with David Mason as executive producer. The sixth season’s production was handled by FremantleMedia Australia.

Contestants

Typically, contestants meet shortly before filming begins; however, in season six, they only assembled as a group following completion of the initial task.

Assignments

Each episode presents several assignments (referred to as "challenges" in season one), which vary in scope and monetary value. Successful completion contributes funds to the communal prize pot (called the "pot" in season six). Failure may result in penalties that reduce this fund. These tasks assess physical abilities, mental sharpness, and strategic thinking. Occasionally, only selected contestants receive complete information and may pursue different objectives.

Some tasks require unanimous success from all participants to earn any reward, while others assign individual values per player. Contestants frequently divide into subgroups with designated responsibilities. Clear rules govern each assignment, with financial penalties deducted from the prize pool for infractions, including those beyond the immediate task parameters.

Quizzes and elimination

At the conclusion of each episode, players answer a multiple-choice quiz designed to reveal who the Mole is. The contestant with the lowest score is eliminated (referred to as "terminated" in season six). Quiz lengths have varied: 20 questions in season one; 10 questions in seasons two and three; six questions in season four; a combination of five live questions plus five pre-recorded biographical questions in season five; and 20 questions again in season six. The final quiz typically doubles the number of questions from earlier quizzes.

Players can earn Free Passes (also known as exemptions or immunity), allowing them to bypass the quiz and automatically proceed to the next round. In season six, exemptions had to be defended during subsequent assignments or risk forfeiture. If multiple players tied for the lowest score, their quiz completion times determined who was eliminated first. Contestants could trade Free Passes for money added to the prize pool but remained at risk of elimination. Hosts occasionally disclosed exemptions prior to eliminations; passes were sometimes awarded through bidding using funds from the kitty.

Season six introduced "Freebies," which could be used to convert an incorrect quiz response into a correct one.

Season overview

Series	Premiere	Finale	Host	The Mole	Winner	Runner-up	Amount won	Location
1	27 February 2000	24 April 2000	Grant Bowler	Alan Mason	Jan Moody	Abby Coleman	$115,000	Australia (Tasmania)
2	21 February 2001	25 April 2001		Michael Laffy	Brooke Marshall	Hal Pritchard	$100,000	Australia (Victoria)
3	20 February 2002	24 April 2002		Alaina Taylor	Crystal-Rose Cluff	Marc Jongebloed	$108,000	Australia (Gold Coast)
4	27 July 2003	28 September 2003		Petrina Edge	Shaun Faulkner	Nathan Beves	$104,000	New Caledonia
5	25 August 2005	28 October 2005	Tom Williams	John Whitehall	Liz Cantor	Craig Murell	$203,000	New Zealand
6	2 July 2013	16 October 2013	Shura Taft	Erin Dooley	Hillal Kara-Ali	Aisha Jefcoate	$180,000	Australia

Awards

Logie Awards:

• 2001: Awarded Most Popular Reality Program
• 2002: Nominated for Most Popular Reality Program, lost to Big Brother
• 2003: Contended for Most Popular Reality Program, defeated by RPA
• 2004: Competed for Most Popular Reality Program, outperformed by Australian Idol
• 2006: Finalist for Most Popular Reality Program, bested again by Australian Idol

Notable contestants and statistics

• Alan Mason, the Mole from the inaugural season, later served as a judge on The Weakest Link.
• Abby Coleman, who finished second in the first season at just 18 years old—the youngest finalist—has become a presenter on Brisbane's HIT 105.
• Michael Laffy, the Mole in season two, is a former Richmond AFL player.
• John Binning, aged 72 during his appearance in season three, holds the record as the oldest participant in the series.
• Marc Jongebloed, runner-up in season three, went on to work in acting and marketing with the Collingwood Football Club.
• Alaina Taylor was both the youngest and first female Mole at age 21.
• Petrina Edge, who played the Mole in season four, contributed to the animated film Happy Feet.
• Nathan Beves, runner-up in season four, shifted his career focus to modeling.
• Heidi Monsour received two free passes within a single season and is connected by marriage to Queensland Premier Campbell Newman.
• Kristy Curtis has experience as a trainer on The Biggest Loser Australia and as a coach on The Biggest Loser Asia.
• Liz Cantor, winner of season five, currently works as a media personality on Brisbane's Seven News.
• The highest prize money won by a contestant was $203,000 by Liz Cantor in season five.
• The largest sum forfeited by a Mole was $427,000 by Petrina Edge during season four.
• Over five seasons, contestants collectively earned $630,000 (averaging $126,000 per winner), whereas Moles caused a total loss of $1,311,000 (averaging $262,200 per Mole) in prize money.
• Variations in prize money lost by Moles reached $342,000; meanwhile, contestant winnings fluctuated by $103,000.