Look out Survivor Australia: there's a Cairns bloke with a wild sense of humour set to take the reality series by storm.

Local radio personality Barry "Baz" Lea has been announced as one of 24 contestants on the next series of the hit TV show after challenging himself to step outside his comfort zone.

Under strict confidentiality restrictions, Barry had to keep his appearance on the show a total secret until it was officially announced by Channel 10 yesterday.

The show is set to air after the Rio Olympics after a gruelling shoot in Samoa.

Barry said taking part in the show was one of the toughest challenges of his life.

"You always wonder how fair dinkum reality TV shows are, you're skeptical about how much is done for show and for the cameras," he told TropicNow.

"But it was honestly incredibly tough, one of the hardest things I've ever done.

"It was very real, it was 100% real, and you can see from the changes in people from the start to finish just how tough it is."

Barry said a big part of his motivation to nominate for the show - among 15,000 other hopefuls - was the need to be a role model for Indigenous kids in remote communities.

"Sometimes you have to put yourself out there, you have to get off your arse, you have to take yourself out of your comfort zone," he said.

"When you've got a good support system and family network around you and when you've got the right frame of mind you can do things you didn’t imagine possible.

"There are a lot of Indigenous kids have to leave their community to study uni, or for sport, and some have to leave for high school, and it can be difficult for them.

"But you've got to tough it out. You will reap the benefits later in life."