THE survivors of the Sydney Siege have told of their feeling desperation and helplessness at the hands of Man Monis.

Channels 7 and 9 aired specials tonight featuring 14 of the siege hostage, some of whom were held at gunpoint for 17 hours until a dramatic police shoot-out at the Lindt Café in Sydney's Martin Place.

Two of the hostages revealed to Nine's 60 minutes that they planned on stabbing Monis in a bid to end the siege.

Jarrod Hoffman and Joel Herat said they pocketed knives while they were held hostage, waiting for an opportunity.

"He was, you know, right below me sitting on the lounge and like, do I stab him? You know, what if I miss? What are the consequences of that, you know?" Mr Herat told 60 Minutes.

Champion body builder Marcia Mikhael, whose pregnant friend Katrina Dawson was killed during the shoot-out, was one of six survivors who spoke to Channel 7.

The broadcaster's studios were just 30 metres from the café.

"It's just an angry face, not a friendly face," Mikhael said, when describing Monis to interviewer Melissa Doyle.

"He wanted to know about us, which was bizarre."

Former Wimbledon tennis player John O'Brien, 82, spoke of how he pulled off a risky escape from the cafe.

"That was the most wonderful moment when the SWAT team were just 20 feet around the corner because I thought it was my last day on Earth," he said.

But after the first three hostages escaped Mikhael revealed Monis threatened to kill two people for every one person who tried to escape.

A few of the survivors were reportedly paid six figures for their interviews.