Australian Survivor: Winner revealed in gripping finale

Pia Miranda has just been crowned the winner of Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders.

Pia faced off against rivals Harry Hills and Baden Gilbert for a prize of $500,000 in Tuesday night's grand finale.

Jonathan LaPaglia read out each name and revealed that Pia received nine votes while Baden didn't receive any votes after pitching to the jury.

Earlier in the episode, during the show's final immunity challenge, all three tribe members competed in a gruelling endurance challenge that tested them physically and mentally.

While their families watched on, the contestants stood on narrow pedestals while holding on to ropes attached to two heavy idols.

After six hours and 40 minutes, Baden outlasted Pia and Harry in the longest challenge in Survivor history to win individual immunity.  

At the final tribal council, Pia and Harry gave their pitch to Baden as to why he should take them to the final two, and he decided to take Pia.

Harry's torch was snuffed and was sent to join the eliminated tribe members at Jury Villa.

"It been an absolute privilege to play with all of you. Like, just an honour," Harry said as he walked out of tribal council.

It was then down to Pia and Baden — the final contender and champion — to give their opening statements and pitch to the jury on why they deserved to win.

Baden explained that his strength was playing from the middle, getting into good relationships and always having access to information.

Pia's opening statement involved talking about her alliances, how she pulled off a blindside against David and hid behind her buffers to sneak her way through to the end.

The Looking for Alibrandi actress proved why she was dubbed 'the smiling assassin', by calling Baden out for claiming he was always planning on taking Pia to the end.

"If I had the choice, I'd want Pia at the end," Baden told the jury.

"You didn't choose to take me to the end, you chose to vote me out and not Abbey. So that's not true," Pia clapped back.

The jury was convinced that Pia was the more strategic player and deserved to be the winner of Australian Survivor.  

"I just paid off my mortgage in seven traumatising weeks," Pia said in reaction to the win.

"I always said I'd be the first person voted out or I would win and I actually won!"

During Monday night's episode, fans were heartbroken when Luke Toki left after impressively winning four consecutive immunity challenges beforehand.

As of Tuesday night, fans had raised more than $367,538 using a crowd funding-page called Luke Toki — Australia's True Survivor.