'Australian Survivor has restored my faith in reality TV men.'

Okay, so I cry a lot when watching reality TV. Like, more than a normal person.

I weep every final vows of Married at First Sight and I whimper during the 'sob story' segment of every MasterChef introduction package.

But that finale of Australian Survivor had me WAILING like I had just sent my husband off to WWII (I don't have a husband and it isn't the 1940s).

So what prompted this sudden outpouring of emotion over a bunch of disheveled strangers living in Samoa?

The contestants who made the finale were the type of men rarely seen on reality TV. These are some loveable men. I love these silly guys.

We love male friends being vulnerable with each other. Image: Ten.

The three finalists — AJ Antonios, Kaelan Lockhart and Myles Kuah — came from the 'Brain' tribe, which usurped the 'Brawn' tribe early in the game.

On a show where challenge beasts and general physicality are championed, it was a change of pace to find a group of brainy men dominating so much.

They even had a dorky alliance name that bound them together: the 'Graduates' which became the 'Post-Graduates' after merge, but a step up from an earlier alliance that Myles started called 'The Hunks'.

And these three men couldn't be more different from some of the beefier fellas and toxic 'alpha males' who have come before them on Australian Survivor.

Watch Mamamia's chat with David Genat from Australian Survivor.

The emotionally intelligent AJ was all about his social game, forming tight friendships with both Myles and Kaelan while keeping close alliances with most of the women in his tribe.

Challenge beast Kaelan quickly endeared himself not just to his tribe but to viewers for his sweet and gentle demeanor, kindness and loyalty.

Then there was Myles, who spent the bulk of his game as an outlier, never quite belonging to any alliance, but scraping his way through every tribal council, which he often attended wearing his Survivor scarf as a bandeau top, or with his hair braided into piggy tails.

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These were quirky characters who each deserved their spot in the top three, a position they helped each other reach.

In Monday night's finale, each of the men was open about how special it was that they were in the finale together, reflecting on how much they cherish their friendship.

"I've never had a relationship like I have with these two," Kaelan said at tribal council. "They are everything to me."

Kaelan broke down in tears talking about how much he was struggling to choose which of his "best friends" he would vote out.

In a series first, immunity winner Kaelan pulled aside both Myles and AJ to have a chat about what he should do in his final decision.

Kaelan consults his besties on what he should do. Image: Ten.

"Please help me a bit, it's been killing me all day," he gently told his friends.

Myles turns to him to offer comfort: "Whatever decision you make, that's the right one."

"Go with your heart, neither of us is holding anything against you," AJ added. "We've played this game amazingly and none of us would be here without the other."

The bond between three men was unbreakable. Image: Ten.

When Kaelan voted for AJ to miss out on the final two, he hugged his friend and wrapped his arms around him as he cried.

A moment from earlier in the episode where Kaelan carried AJ in his arms after he dropped out of a grueling endurance challenge made me audibly weep.

These are men. These are real men.

Men are vulnerable. Men hold each other up. Men can cry on each other's shoulders. They can talk about how they feel about each other.

It shouldn't be a novelty to see this level of intimacy between men on our screens, but it is. From MAFS to Love Island, the ways men interact not just with women but with each other on TV are often fuelled by conflict, emotional suppression and ego.

Considering this was the first time that only men made the Australian Survivor finale, an episode centred around male friendship was such a refreshing ending.

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This is not to say that the finale was one big love session between the three fellas.

It is still Survivor, after all. Of course, a bitter AJ called his friends 'delusional' for their jury pitches after Myles claimed that he rode AJ and Kaelan like, umm 'dragons' into the finale, and Kaelan said he used his friends as 'shields' to get to the top.

But that's just the razzle-dazzle of Survivor, baby.

It all led to the ultimate underdog Myles (aka 'the jungle rat') being crowned the winner, making him the first queer Australian Survivor contestant crowned the sole survivor.

After a record-breaking stint in the jungle, Myles copped seven votes out of a possible eight from the jury and took home the $500,000 prize money.

But the beauty of the season is that most viewers would have been happy with any of the men taking the crown.

The real winner? FRIENDSHIP.

I LOVE THESE BEAUTIFUL MEN.

MORE OF THIS PLS AND TY.

Feature image: Ten.