And yet here, hardcore Aussie fans, who usually enjoy nothing more than a Pom being crushed beneath their heels, were saying what a shame it was to lose Graeme Swann mid-tour, and how sorry they felt for Alastair Cook.
In one case, that of Usman Khawaja, the Australian number 3, the decision appeared to be a clear injustice, provoking a complaint from the Aussie prime minister, Kevin Rudd.
While the Aussie version is being filmed in Africa, the UK version has always been filmed in northern New South Wales.
Although clearly an Aussie edition, will Guardian Australia also give a little focus to us poor Kiwi cousins over the Tasman Sea?
Soccer has by far the highest participation rate out of all the football codes, and if you look at the rate of injury by participation in the graph above, soccer is far lower than Aussie rules and all types of rugby.
In the first four days, he visited the pristine Whitehaven Beach, stopped for lunch at Hayman Island, went on a tour of the Coral Sea and Daydream Island and ended up at the Seaworld adventure park and a game of Aussie Rules (Richmond vs Adelaide - Go Crows!).
Facebook Twitter Google plus Share Share this post Facebook Twitter Google plus close 5.14pm AEST06:14 It's Pizza guy by Touch Sensitive at 38, AKA the one with all the other Aussie dance stars in the video.
The instinct, in these circumstances, is to brace oneself for the onslaught of unbearable Aussie swagger.
Updated at 1.21pm AEST Facebook Twitter Google plus Share Share this post Facebook Twitter Google plus close 1.15pm AEST02:15 More Aussie hip hop courtesy of Melbourne's Remi this time, whose Sangria is No 85.
And the first song from the Hottest 100 is Aussie prog rockers Karnivool's We Are.
But for those few days, he was an Aussie hero.
