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The announced maximum kitty for the season was $500,000, though the absolute maximum was slightly more than that. The final group kitty was $203,000. This season featured a slightly different format from other seasons, in that the challenges took place over a weekend in New Zealand, and afterward, the players were flown in to a studio in Sydney for a live quiz and elimination. This also meant that the seclusion of the players, normally a standard feature of The Mole, was broken, as the players were able to talk to friends and family while in Sydney, watch the produced episode, and even check the internet for clues.
Additionally, it was revealed at the beginning of the series that if the Mole went unidentified over the course of the series, they would win all the money that was kept from the kitty.
There was no 2004 season due to poor ratings from the third and fourth seasons but the show was revived in 2005 with the hope that ratings would again return. Poor ratings for this season meant that there have since been no further seasons in Australia until 2013.
Williams was brought on to host the show because popular previous host Grant Bowler was unavailable due to a prior commitment. Episodes were broadcast on Thursday nights (thus partially directly going head to head with a behind-the-scenes edition of Australian Idol) and the PG rating was brought back due to the show airing at 7:30pm. In the first episode, as the elimination process was about to start, one of the production assistants accidentally yelled out: "It's Josh!" (in reference to the contestant who was about to be eliminated). Luckily, the contestants didn't hear those words. Some eliminated contestants would appear on Sunrise the morning after their elimination.
It was also notable for being sponsored by the then new PlayStation Portable, which each contestant receiving instructions and challenges by way of a memory card and on-screen displays.
The winner of The Mole, Liz Cantor, has since become a fill-in weather presenter on Seven News Brisbane.
Read more about this topic: The Mole (Australia Season 5)
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