STAR CASTAWAYS Some came with fame while others left with it

FAME IN THE GAME

COUNTRY STAR CHASE RICE SAW HIS FIRE FOR MUSIC COME TO LIFE AFTER SURVIVOR

Two years after coming oh-so-close to winning Survivor: Nicaragua, Chase Rice earned a different kind of prize: career respect as a cowriter on Florida Georgia Line’s monster 2012 smash “Cruise.” The former NASCAR pit crew worker then hit the top of the Billboard country airplay chart in 2019 with the ballad “Eyes On You.” With his latest work, The Album, released in May, Chase took time out to talk Survivor.

What was the most memorable aspect of your time on Survivor: Nicaragua? This is really random, but I was watching TV and Gulliver’s Travels was on, and that was actually the movie playing on one of the rewards we went to! We got to watch a movie and eat all the food, popcorn and candy, which was unbelievable anytime you got food on that scale. The funny thing is I was 6-0 on any sort of thing that had to do with food. I was undefeated. And if it had to do with going home for tribal council? I was 0-6. That showed my motivation right there!

Did the reality aspect appeal more than the gameplay?

I remember all the cool things that I was able to do — riding helicopters, sledding down volcanoes, crazy stuff like that. And that’s why I think it’s one of the coolest shows out there, looking back. It’s because it really does give you an adventure, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Did you learn more about yourself in the process?

I wear my heart on my sleeve and say how I feel when I want to say it, simple as that. And I really didn’t know that going into the show. You’re young, you’re figuring out who you are as a person. And I realized after the show, “Damn. I’m the absolute worst player in Survivor history.” I gotta be! People would ask me stuff and you’re supposed to be secretive or manipulative, and I wasn’t that. I would just tell people what happened.

Yet you ended up in second place.

I’ll openly say I might be the worst f—ing player in Survivor history, but I made it all the way to the end, and technically, under the new rules, I won.

Chase played his single “Buzz Back” at the Survivor: Nicaragua live reunion in December 2010.

Does that still sting?

Nah. I mean, that’s so far from my control and I’m a realist. Looking back, I’m like, “Yeah, it’s possible that maybe I should have won.” You know, I pleaded my case and I won that last night, I know that, because I was going in with zero chance, then all of a sudden, I lose 5-4. There’s a reason for that. Having said that, there’s no way in hell I should have been there in the first place!

Wearing your heart on your sleeve is good for songwriting, but not so

much for Survivor? I got a hundred grand out of it and that allowed me to move to Nashville to write songs and follow that dream. I’m appreciative of that.

And the rest is history?

I moved to town and I was “that guy that was on Survivor.” But that motivated me to earn my stripes as a songwriter. I was almost out of money by the time we ended up writing “Cruise.” Then it was like, “All right, this is a real-life thing you’re doing.” And then everybody started forgetting about the fact that I was on Survivor and they started knowing me as a songwriter.

What’s ahead for you?

There’s still so much that I can do in music, and that’s the beauty of music. It ain’t like sports where all of a sudden you’re 35 and too old for it. I think my career is just beginning, and that’s an exciting thing.

These are just some of the famous faces who have appeared on Survivor SPORTS PLAYERS & EXECS

ALAN BALL NFL (Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers) ELIZABETH BEISEL Olympics (Island of the Idols) CRYSTAL COX Olympics (Gabon) BRAD CULPEPPER NFL (Blood vs. Water, Game Changers) TYLER FREDERICKSON Arena Football League (Worlds Apart) GARY HOGEBOOM NFL (Guatemala) JIMMY JOHNSON NFL (Nicaragua) JEFF KENT MLB (Philippines) TOM LAIDLAW NHL (Island of the Idols) GRANT MATTOS NFL (Redemption Island) DANNY MCCRAY NFL (Survivor 41) BI NGUYEN MMA fighter (David vs. Goliath) SCOT POLLARD NBA (Kaôh Rōng) s KATRINA RADKE Olympics (Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers) CLIFF ROBINSON NBA (Cagayan) JOHN ROCKER MLB (San Juan del Sur) DAVID SAMSON MLB (Cagayan) STEVE WRIGHT NFL (Redemption Island)

ENTERTAINERS & GAMERS

WHITNEY DUNCAN Country music singer (South Pacific) MATT ELROD aka WYATT NASH Actor (Redemption Island) BRIAN HEIDIK Actor (Thailand) JOHN HENNIGAN WWE wrestler (David vs. Goliath) KEN HOANG Pro gamer (Gabon) TAJ JOHNSON-GEORGE R&B singer (Tocantins) ASHLEY MASSARO WWE wrestler (China) JONATHAN PENNER Actor and writer (Cook Islands, Micronesia, Philippines) WILL SIMS II YouTube sensation (Worlds Apart) MARI TAKAHASHI Pro gamer (Millennials vs. Gen X) s LISA WHELCHEL Actress (Philippines) MIKE WHITE Actor and Writer (David vs. Goliath)

POST-SHOW SUCCESS

ANDREA BOEHLKE s People Now co-host (Redemption Island, Caramoan, Game Changers) JOHN COCHRAN Star Trek: Lower Decks screenwriter (South Pacific, Caramoan) COLBY DONALDSON History Channel host (The Australian Outback, All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains) COLLEEN HASKELL The Animal actress (Borneo) ELISABETH FILARSKI HASSELBECK s Former The View co-host (The Australian Outback) WENDELL HOLLAND HGTV co-host (Ghost Island, Winners at War) RAFE JUDKINS The Wheel of Time series creator (Guatemala)

s

ROYAL FLUSH: CURRENT POKER PROS

GARRETT ADELSTEIN (Cagayan) RONNIE BARDAH (Island of the Idols) JEAN-ROBERT BELLANDE (China) SHIRIN OSKOOI (Worlds Apart, Cambodia) JIM RICE (South Pacific)

GANG HANG Past the 20-minute mark, contestants could only use their legs to remain on the frame if they wanted to win immunity.

REDEMPTION ISLAND

The highly anticipated battle between returning players Rob Mariano and Russell Hantz never fully materialized due to Russell’s early Day 10 departure. But Season 22 ended up as a showcase for Boston Rob at his most Boston-Rob-ish, mixing up strategy, psychology and challenge prowess into a heady, winning brew. Even with the debut Redemption Island and the emergence of future returning players Andrea Boehlke, Francesca Hogi and Phillip Sheppard, Rob stole the show.

FIGHTING YOUR WAY BACK IN THE GAME

International versions of Survivor have featured a variety of one-on-one, nonimmunity challenges, but Redemption Island capitalized on the format. Unlike Exile Island, R.I. featured voted-off contestants waiting to win a series of duels in order to come back to the merge or the final four. Duels would be observed by a pair of castaways from each tribe in order to gather intel (and provide some spectators, too).

“We did a haphazard version of Redemption Island a few years ago called the Outcasts,” Jeff Probst told Entertainment Weekly’s Dalton Ross in 2010, “and it didn’t work, and it didn’t please the audience, and there was one fundamental flaw: We didn’t tell people upfront it was going to happen.” By explaining the rules at the outset, “a rule can’t be unfair if you know going in,” he added. “It’s an equal opportunity.”

FOURTH TIME’S A CHARM

Boston Rob, of course, ignored the twist completely and ran the game his way from Ometepe through Murlonio. “You have to work hard to make it look easy,” Stephen Fishbach says, “and the fact that Boston Rob was able to so completely dominate that tribe, that was such a testament to his skill.”

To those who argue that a four-time player ought to win, Stephen notes that Russell was a three-time player against newcomers “and he was terrible. Yes, Zapatera was a different tribe than Ometepe, but that was really a masterclass in how to play the perfect game of Survivor.” Stephen adds, “Rob just showed everything that a dominant strategic force could and should do, and it was a performance that really has never been matched.”

FRANCESCA’S FRUSTRATING FIRSTS

From the moment she saw that returning player Boston Rob would be (left) Russell and Natalie talked strategy from Day 1.Ometepe’s leader, Francesca wanted to get him out. Kristina agreed and insisted on blindsiding him. Yet Francesca hesitated about gunning for Rob so soon. Whatever future plans she and Kristina may have had were thwarted at tribal council, though, when erstwhile ally Phillip turned on them. Francesca became the first person ever sent to Redemption Island after being voted out (inset) and the first person ever to lose a duel there (right), sending her home on Day 6. Fate would again be cruel to Francesca when she returned for Caramoan. This time, although Phillip insisted he could pronounce her name correctly, Francesca was voted out on Day 3, becoming the only person (so far) to be voted out first, twice.

22. REDEMPTION ISLAND PHILLIP SHEPPARD

Did you prepare in any special way for Redemption Island? I read a book called The Psychology of Survivor. It was helpful for me because the first time I played, there was one person in there who I read a lot about without knowing it—I just thought it was interesting what they wrote about him—Boston Rob: He was in that book, so that gave me a clue about how to approach him. How did you do it? I saw how people on the tribe loved him, and that’s when I came up with the idea. I said, “Boston Rob, my mother told me that 20 percent of something is better than a whole lot of nothing. And when I look at it, a lot of people out here, they’re going home with nothing, right? I can help you win out. Watch me.” And that’s when he was smart enough to watch me as I would do those big antics, what I called the inconvenient truth for the player that I selected. You can go back and see it now. Each time somebody went home from our tribe, I had an argument with him that day and it would be about something truthful. Has it taken awhile for people to assess your Redemption Island game beyond Rob? It’s very challenging for any player who gets a certain type of edit because they know what was going on in their mind and what they were seeing and what they were experiencing, versus what you at home see. When someone is setting it up week-to-week, “We’ve got the craziest Survivor ever,” they were foretelling what was going to be seen and how it should be interpreted. That was the more interesting, more difficult aspect of it for me. But I still made it to the end. One thing Caramoan allies like John Cochran enjoyed were the titles you handed out. Where did that come from? I knew from when I was in the Army and I did something wonderful on some exercise in Europe somewhere, I would get a piece of paper that would say something like, “You give great credit to the United States Army and the American people.” And it would go on and on and on with these platitudes, but there’d be no money following it. OK, but boy, your chest would get all puffed up. So I had that in the back of my mind. And it worked, right? By saying, “I give you the name, Intelligence Attaché John Cochran, so named…” every time I did that, although they would poke fun at it, they would all perk up and smile. What do you think of your legacy on the series? Well, I’m one of the most memorable characters to ever play. I went to some Survivor event for the 40th season and it was nonstop people wanting to photograph me, calling me The Specialist, Stealth R Us, saying things that I said in the show. OK, fine, but I’m just so much more complicated than what you see.

THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION

Boston Rob had already played Survivor three times, but the title of Sole Survivor remained ever elusive. He got close in All-Stars, pipped only by his future wife Amber. What would it take to make his dream come true? Apparently little sleep, lots of conversations and complete concentration. Along with the aspects of the game he knew well, Rob picked up extra skills in idolfinding, couple-splitting, and using the Redemption Island twist to his advantage without ever being sent there. Reflecting on it now, Rob says, “There are always ways to take it up another notch.”

In July 2021, Phillip was admitted to the MBA program at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.

Ep 10 Ometepe found maggots in their rice and asked Zapatera to spare some of theirs. Steve said no since it could lead to contamination; Phillip took their rice anyway. When Steve called Phillip “crazy,” Phillip accused him of racism, invoking the n-word. Adding to the tension, Phillip’s swim trunks went missing. At tribal council, Phillip explained to Jeff why his experiences led him to react to Steve the way he did. Jeff listened, and then elicited a confession from Julie about stealing Phillip’s clothes.

Ep 1 With Old School vs. New School bragging rights at stake from their lingering Heroes Vs. Villains rivalry, Boston Rob and Russell returned to head up two tribes of new players (above). In a random buff draw, Rob landed in welcoming Ometepe while Russell ended up in wary Zapatera. But making a name for herself on Day 3 was Kristina, who found a hidden immunity idol at Ometepe without any clues. Ep 3 The majority alliance on Zapatera roped in Julie to help them throw the next challenge, all so they could get Russell out of the game. Russell suspected as much but ended up on the raw end of the votes anyway. Ep 4 On Day 10, Russell got overcome by emotion after losing his Redemption Island duel against Matt, mourning his earliest ever exit from Survivor. Ep 6 Before leaving the Redemption Island arena after losing to Matt, Kristina left him her luxury item—a Bible—as a gift. s RUNNER-UP: Phillip Sheppard 1 vote s 2ND RUNNER-UP: Natalie Tenerelli 0 votes

s SOLE SURVIVOR: Rob Mariano 8 votes SPRINT PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Rob Mariano

(won $100,000)

LOOKING BACK ON SEASON 22…

BROADCAST: February 16, 2011 to May 15, 2011 LOCATION: San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

MATT’S ISLAND

The last thing Boston Rob wanted to see at camp was a power couple that didn’t consist of him and Amber, so he decided to split up Andrea and Matt by convincing Ometepe to send Matt to Redemption Island. But Matt tapped into his faith to win duel after duel. On Day 19, Matt joined the merge tribe but soon ran afoul of Rob again by admitting he was tempted to flip, but didn’t. That gaffe landed him back on Redemption Island, Ironically, Matt lost the final duel to Andrea and ended up in 7th place. CONTESTANTS: 18

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT)

Kristina Kell 4 4th voted out, 3rd eliminated from R.I. Francesca Hogi 4 1st voted out, 1st eliminated from R.I. Ashley Underwood 44 17th voted out (jury) Phillip Sheppard 44 runner-up Grant Mattos 44 15th voted out (jury) Natalie Tenerelli 44 2nd runner-up Ralph Kiser 44 12th voted out, 10th eliminated from R.I. (jury) Mike Chiesl 44 9th voted out, 13th eliminated from R.I. (jury) David Murphy 44 10th voted out, 7th eliminated from R.I. (jury) Sarita White 4 7th voted out, 6th eliminated from R.I. Steve Wright 44 13th voted out, 9th eliminated (jury) Krista Klumpp 4 5th voted out, 4th eliminated from R.I. Stephanie Valencia 4 6th voted out, 5th eliminated from R.I. Russell Hantz 4 3rd voted out, 2nd eliminated from R.I. Julie Wolfe 44 11th voted out, 8th eliminated from R.I. (jury) Rob Mariano 44 winner Andrea Boehlke 44 14th voted out, 2nd returnee from R.I., 16th voted out (jury) Matt Elrod 44 2nd voted out, 1st returnee from R.I., 8th voted out, 12th eliminated from R.I. (jury)

TRIBE KEY

4 OMETEPE

(blue) starting tribe named for an island in Lake Nicaragu

4 ZAPATERA

(purple) starting tribe named for an island formed by a volcano in Nicaragua

4 MURLONIO

(black) merge tribe named after one of Rob and Amber’s stuffed animals

23. SOUTH PACIFIC SOUTH PACIFIC

LOOKING BACK ON SEASON 23…

Ep 2 Although he had kept his uncle’s name a secret for four days, Brandon couldn’t hide his obsessive aversion to Mikayla. When his alliance didn’t seem keen to vote her out, Brandon lied to Coach and said Christine and Stacey were targeting her. At a heated tribal council with a lot of denials, Brandon finally confessed to his scheme. Mikayla remained safe and Christine was voted out. Ep 7 While Savaii came down hard on Cochran for causing them to lose a pivotal reward/immunity challenge, Upolu’s win meant they had to watch a screening of Jack and Jill. Ep 8 Upon Ozzy’s return from Redemption Island, Cochran stayed true to his promise and gave Ozzy back his immunity idol, which Cochran had held for safe-keeping. Ozzy then asked Cochran to be a “double agent” to pry info from rival Upolu members like Edna (above). But Coach was on to him and appealed to Cochran’s outsider status, offering him protection for defection. Cochran would then flip on Savaii, crossing tribal lines to vote Keith out. Ep 15 As part of Jim’s address to Albert at final tribal council, he insisted, “I don’t want to hear you say compliments, or you’ll lose my vote.” Albert replied, “That’s a great question, Jim.”

A MATTER OF HONOR

Ep 14 For 35 days, Brandon confounded his alliance with his erratic game and volatile behavior. Then he won the reward/immunity challenge and seemed destined for the final five. But back at camp, Brandon hesitated when Sophie suggested he turn on ally Albert. That hesitation led to shocking action when Brandon gave Albert his immunity necklace at tribal council and spoke about his troubled past and desire to play with honor. Confident in his alliance, he stated, “Coach is going to do what God wants him to do and if God wanted him to vote me out, I believe he would.” Sure enough, Brandon was sent to Redemption Island, where he explained what happened to an incredulous Ozzy. Redemption Island returned for Season 23, as did popular players Benjamin “Coach” Wade and Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth. This time around, both emerged as natural leaders, their tribes trading immunity victories in the lead-up to the merge. Even so, Coach and Ozzy pushed their games as far as they could go only to be bested by 21-year-old medical student Sophie Clarke.

THE HANTZ WITHOUT A HAT

South Pacific welcomed the first relative of a former player with Russell Hantz’s nephew Brandon Hantz. But any expectation for a Russell 2.0 was quashed by Brandon himself. A 19-year-old oil tanker crewman with a wife and kid, he had athleticism and survival skills, but he struggled to combine his Christian faith with his family’s win-at-all-costs ethos.

Reflecting on Brandon’s journey, Stephen Fishbach says: “For someone who’s an incredibly young person to come out and deal with all of the psychological pressure that this game exerts is really tough. He gave up his immunity necklace just as Erik Reichenbach had, and then he had to go on

SOUTH PACIFIC

SHOULDER THE LOAD

Savaii’s Elyse and Ozzy started adding 20-lb. weights to Keith’s pole in a reward/immunity challenge.

the reunion and have his uncle ridicule him. Russell called him out and said what a terrible player he was. I think that anyone, especially at that age, would be really rattled by that.”

BREAKING DOWN TO BUILD A GOOD CASE

Meanwhile, Brandon’s ally Sophie articulated her moves with a blunt detachment. Yet that facade cracked on Day 37 and again at final tribal council. She cried about the toll the game took on her and vowed to improve herself based on people’s feedback. “I think the jury really felt that Sophie was this cold player,” Stephen says, “and for her to weep, whether or not it was strategic, it really was what they needed to see from her.”

While Stephen says “it’s very rare” for final tribal council speeches to sway jurors since most have made up their minds already, “the few cases where they are able to influence the vote, it’s always just through these incredibly emotionally astute reads on knowing what someone needs to hear, which is very frequently not what they’re asking.” s SOLE SURVIVOR: Sophie Clarke 6 votes s RUNNER-UP:

Benjamin

“Coach” Wade 3 votes s 2ND RUNNER-UP: Albert Destrade 0 votes

SPRINT PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Ozzy Lusth

(won $100,000)

BROADCAST: September 14, 2011 to December 18, 2011 LOCATION: Upolu, Samoa

CONTESTANTS: 18

(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Edna Ma 4414th voted out, 12th elim. from R.I. (jury) Rick Nelson 44 16th voted out (jury) Sophie Clarke 44 winner Albert Destrade 44 2nd runner-up Mikayla Wingle 4 6th voted out, 5th elim. from R.I. Christine Shields Markoski 42nd voted out, 6th elim. from R.I. Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth 44 7th voted out, 1st returnee from R.I., 9th voted out, 2nd returnee from R.I., 17th voted out (jury) Elyse Umemoto 4 5th voted out, 4th elim. from R.I. Mark Caruso 4 3rd voted out, 2nd elim. from R.I. Dawn Meehan 44 11th voted out, 9th elim. from R.I. (jury) Keith Tollefson 44 8th voted out, 8th elim. from R.I. (jury) Jim Rice 44 10th voted out, 7th elim. from R.I. (jury) Whitney Duncan 4412th voted out, 10th elim. from R.I. (jury) John Cochran 44 13th voted out, 11th elim. from R.I. (jury) Semhar Tadesse 4 1st voted out, 1st elim. from R.I. Brandon Hantz 44 15th voted out, 13th elim. from R.I. (jury) Stacey Powell 44th voted out, 3rd elim. from R.I. Benjamin “Coach” Wade 44 runner-up

TRIBE KEY

4 SAVAII

(red) starting tribe named for Savai’i, the largest island in Samoa

4 UPOLU

(blue) starting tribe named for an island in Samoa

4 TE TUNA

(yellow) merge tribe name derived from a Polynesian legend about the origins of the coconut tree

Before Winners at War, you said you had some unfinished business from South Pacific. What was it, and did you finish it? Yeah. Changing the way I played meant two things. One, just having fun and enjoying myself. My first time playing Survivor, I think I was so scared. I was so young. I was constantly worried, “Am I going to get voted out? Am I going to be able to win at the end?” I was just constantly tired and hungry and really affected by the elements. Then, when I got home, you watched it on TV and you see the beautiful water and you think, “Why didn’t I snorkel more?” What was the second thing? The other part is there’s so many different ways to win Survivor, and I think the first time I played, I managed to win through a very quiet and stealthy game. And I think in retrospect, I realized that kind of is my game. I’m never going to be Tony; I’m always going to do things a little more subdued. But I felt like in this game, I was able to let my voice be heard a little bit more. That felt like success for me. Was it odd to film Season 40 in the middle of wedding planning? I think it was almost like a blessing in disguise. Usually a wedding is something that kind of happens. You’re planning and planning and planning, and then it’s there. I was gifted with this pause where I was able to reflect on the relationship I’ve formed over the last couple of years with Bobby and what I wanted out of the future. It sounds like the second time around brought you joy even though you won the first time? I think South Pacific has gained a slight cult following because it’s so dark and strange and abnormal, but I don’t think you’d find many who would think it was in the top 10. Season 40 was fun. Obviously the internet existed in 2011, but not quite the same internet that exists today. And just the creativity of the fans making parody videos and funny memes, it feels much more like a celebration this time watching the season and participating in the season than it felt last time. Whitney and Keith met on South Pacific and later got married. Were you aware of them as a couple when you played? I remember making the merge and finding out they had their own little bungalow and I was like, “That’s a little weird!” And then it slowly all started to trickle out. I mean, I just can’t imagine playing Survivor with my loved one. I’m so jealous because, you know, one of the most overwhelming feelings on Survivor is loneliness, not just because you’re physically far away, but you feel emotionally alone because every conversation you have, you don’t know if it’s real or fake. So seeing Boston Rob and Amber getting to physically touch each other on Survivor, it must be the greatest gift. SOPHIE CLARKE

Chatting with future fellow winner Cochran.

Sophie and Bobby Shady wed on August 24, 2019; they had their first child, Robinson Bullard, on June 17, 2021.

“I didn’t expect to become the puzzle queen,” Sophie admits.

OZZY’S DARING GAMBIT

Coming back to Survivor for his third season, fan favorite Ozzy wanted to add strategic cunning to his resumé to bring home an elusive win. Fortunately for the challenge beast, Redemption Island was in play.

On the eve of a suspected merge, Ozzy told his Savaii tribemates to vote him out. He was certain he could beat reigning Redemption Island champ Christine in a duel, and if he did so, he could re-enter the game at merge giving Savaii a numbers advantage over Upolu. Furthermore, he would tell Christine and Upolu duel witnesses that Cochran had found the hidden immunity idol and used it to blindside him, thus providing cover for the ruse.

They did as he wished, voting him out (inset) on Day 18. He then did as he promised, defeating Christine in a key-retrieving duel (left).

His return to camp was short-lived, however, when he was voted out for a second time on Day 22. But this being Ozzy, he dusted off the setback and won all the remaining duels to make it to the final five.

OW PAIRS Sabrina put the pieces together to score immunity for the Salani tribe. ONE WORLD

Manono and Salani, divided into men and women, lived on the same beach at the start of One World. But the rivalry that had been building between the two tribes would affect the game going forward, especially after the medical evacuation of strategically smart but socially divisive student Colton Cumbie. Cutting through the clutter was bridal shop owner Kim Spradlin, who formed her core alliance early and steered herself to a convincing 7-2 victory.

UNCOVERING A POLARIZING PLAYER’S GAME

Manono outsider Colton sought solace from the women on Salani but joined a “misfit alliance” to stay with the numbers. Soon, though, he would set the tone for his allies, his bratty pronouncements sparking open confrontations while his charming side led to intriguing gameplay. And then he was evacuated on Day 16 for suspected appendicitis.

“As ugly as some of Colton’s behaviors and attitudes were,” Stephen Fishbach says, “strategically speaking, he was a great player. He pulled off one of the most incredible moves in the show’s history, which was to get a group of people to agree to go to tribal council! I mean, it’s unbelievable. He got Bill Posley to basically agree to go to a tribal council where he was voted off.”

A CLEAN RUN TO THE FINISH

Colton’s departure would leave a leadership void. “The first half of the season promised this Kim vs. Colton showdown, like good vs. evil,” Stephen explains. “You had this great strategist on the one hand, Kim, who was this force of order assembling her numbers against this force of chaos who was just completely sowing madness. I was really looking forward to that showdown.”

Although Stephen admits his guard can be up when meeting fellow Survivor alumni “because I expect them to be charming and trying to make an alliance for a future season,” he insists Kim is the real deal. “I have found Kim incredibly charming,” he says. “She’s one of the most charming people in real life whom I have ever met. So I was not that surprised she did so well. That season became a cakewalk for Kim.”

NO HOSTS BARRED

Three years and five seasons earlier, Survivor: Samoa featured the show’s first do-it-yourself reward challenge, one where castaways received a crate with all they needed to set up a game and read tree mail to learn the rules. The castaways on One World participated in two of them—a knot-unravelling challenge to win a tarp (right) and a bola-tossing challenge to win a barbecue feast. The stakes may have been real for the contestants, but the challenges themselves seemed surreal to the home audience. Without Jeff Probst to supervise or call the action, did a challenge even happen? Production learned its lesson and never again would run a challenge un-hosted.

24. ONE WORLD

KIM SPRADLIN-WOLFE

Fans consider your win in One World a dominant one. Did you think of it in those terms while you were playing? Nope, not at all. I just kept thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe this is going so well!” I questioned most of the decisions I made and wondered if I would regret them later. I had no idea what to expect walking into final tribal council.

Was there a specific aspect of the season that stands out as fun? Honestly, and maybe sadly, I’m not able to have very much “fun” when I’m out there. I feel an intensity about my reasons for being there that make it hard for me to relax. I do have “good” memories, like the yacht with Chelsea and Sab. Chelsea and I sat up all night on the deck and talked, even though a comfy bed was offered. It was breathtakingly beautiful and we have a friendship that transcends the game.

You were coming off a difficult divorce and starting a new relationship while on Season 24. Did being on Survivor offer perspective? Growing up, I always thought I had great instincts. Choosing a marriage that makes no sense a few years later made me really question if I could trust my judgement. I was somewhat afraid of going out on Survivor and being vulnerable, exposed, and who was I at the core, but what I found was that I actually really liked her. Being stripped of all physical

and emotional comforts brings you to a new low and brings a lot of clarity to who you are and what you want. I realized I did want to be married and have kids, so I went back and did both about as fast as is humanly possible. Zero regrets there.

How did winning change your life? For me, I didn’t want to sell bridesmaids dresses anymore. I realized the part I liked best about opening the bridal boutiques was renovating and designing the spaces for them. After I won, my husband and I bought and renovated several houses, which has led me to a career and a passion in home design.

Back for Winners at War, you had 3, 4, and 5-year-old kids at home. When would you say you got into game mode? Day 16. I kid not. I bawled like a baby all day, everyday up until then. I tried every trick I knew to kick it into gear, but I couldn’t shake the sadness I felt at being apart from them. Oh, the irony of all the days I wished I could have 5 minutes of peace! At some point, I stopped thinking of it so much and I could say their names without crying. It was never fun if I’m being honest. Every day is a grind out there.

Any new lessons from playing a

second time? I learned that I am good at reading the room, but if you can’t change what’s going on in that room, the read isn’t much help!

In April 2020 with (from left) Walt, August and Michael.

Kim finished 9th on Winners at War.

Celebrating at the One World finale with Sabrina (left) and Chelsea.

IMMUNE NO MORE

s

Ep 4 When Michael told Colton he saw ally Leif having a chat with Colton’s nemesis Bill, Colton added Leif’s name to his kill list. Bill tried to speak to Colton to settle their drama, but Colton rebuffed him. So when Manono won immunity, Leif and Bill let out sighs of relief. Colton, though, proposed giving up immunity in order to clean house, which suited Tarzan, who thought Leif had betrayed them. A leery Jay admitted, “I’m completely bum-puzzled right now.” Sure enough, Manono stunned Jeff when they showed up at tribal council, the first time a tribe willingly gave up immunity for the privilege. But any blame Leif may have shouldered gave way to a pointed argument between Bill and Colton (fourth from left). Although Colton got his way and Bill was voted out, Tarzan noted the conversation “has devolved into a number of social platitudes unfair to both guys.”

BILL’S PARTING THOUGHTS

“My tribe is doing some very unorthodox things, but since I was probably next on the chopping block anyway,

I came to tribal council to roll the dice. One day, Colton will be put in a situation where he can’t just not like someone because they’re not people that he’s used to or that he’s grown up with. He judged me because of my

”differences, and I accept him because of his.

LOOKING BACK ON SEASON 24…

Ep 1 No matter what they offered, Salani couldn’t get Manono to help them start a fire. Christina finally mediated a deal for 20 woven palm fronds; Alicia fumed privately about the exorbitant price. Things didn’t go any better at the immunity challenge—Kourtney broke her wrist and had to be evacuated for surgery. One bright spot for Sabrina came when she found a hidden immunity idol, but it turned out to be for the other tribe. She decided to give it to Colton, hoping to forge a future connection. Ep 5 A rock turn or a buff draw for a tribe swap? Been there, done that. This time, castaways cracked eggs on themselves to reveal the color of their new team. Ep 6 Outsider Christina endured a constant barrage of verbal abuse from Alicia and Colton in the game and in their minds. As Colton brayed in a confessional, “You can quit or you can wait and go home in two days, or you can jump in the fire and be medevaced, whatever’s more convenient for you.” Ironically, Colton would fall ill on Day 17, crumpled on the ground. Christina called for medical help with Tarzan suspecting he had appendicitis. Worried that his heart rate doubled when she pressed his sides, Dr Ramona Salins told a crying Colton he had to be pulled from the game. Jonas shed a tear, too, sad to see the super fan go. But when Colton said he would take his immunity idol home as a souvenir, ally Alicia grumbled in a confessional that he screwed her over. Ep 10 Having burned an idol and lost a friend in Jay at the last tribal council, Troyzan knew he was next to go. So when the opportunity came at the reward auction to buy a letter from home, he held back. “I just feel alone,” he said. But $420 later, he bought an advantage, and when he moved on to the final stage of the immunity challenge (above), he yelled, “This is my island! You can’t beat me!”

BEYOND A ‘MISFIT’

Although a hard worker at camp and a reliable force at challenges, Leif gravitated toward the “misfit alliance” of Tarzan, Troyzan, Jonas and Colton. However, Leif’s kindness and earnest efforts to make friends cost him strategically. As he said once at tribal council, “I am definitely a guy that plays with my heart on my sleeve.” He continued to do so, finishing in ninth place and, as the first little person on Survivor, becoming a role model. s SOLE SURVIVOR: Kim Spradlin 7 votes s RUNNER-UP: Sabrina Thompson 2 votes s 2ND RUNNER-UP: Chelsea Meissner 0 votes

SPRINT PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Kim Spradlin

(won $100,000)

BROADCAST: February 15, 2012 to May 13, 2012 LOCATION: Upolu, Samoa

CONTESTANTS: 18

(BOTH STARTING TRIBES FROM LEFT)

Kat Edorsson 4 13th voted out (jury) Alicia Rosa 444 12th voted out (jury) Jonas Otsuji 444 5th voted out (jury) Michael Jefferson 4 446th voted out (jury) Kourtney Moon 4 evacuated on Day 3 Sabrina Thompson 444 8th voted out Troy “Troyzan” Robertson 444 9th voted out (jury) Kim Spradlin 444 winner Greg “Tarzan” Smith 444 11th voted out (jury) Nina Acosta 4 1st voted out Matt Quinlan 4 2nd voted out Christina Cha 444 13th voted out (jury) Bill Posley 43rd voted out Leif Manson 444 8th voted out (jury) Monica Culpepper 44 4th voted out Colton Cumbie 44evacuated on Day 16 Chelsea Meissner 444 runner up Jay Byars 444 7th voted out (jury)

TRIBE KEY

4 MANONO

(orange) starting tribe of men named for a Samoan island

4 SALANI

(blue) starting tribe of women named for a surf resort in Upolu, Samoa

4 TIKIANO

(black) merge tribe name derived from the Samoan word for year of the God

25. PHILIPPINES PHILIPPINES

LOOKING BACK ON SEASON 25…

Ep 1 Castaways learned that each of their three tribes would get a new member—a returning player who had been medically evacuated on a previous season. Jonathan headed to Kalabaw and became an instant target. Michael joined Tandang and mingled easily with others. Russell was sent to Matsing and set to work, finding a clue to the whereabouts of the hidden immunity idol. Ep 3 Abi-Maria (above left) made an early alliance with R.C. (above right), who had told her she had the hidden immunity idol clue. But wary of R.C. making a better bond with Michael, Abi-Maria shared what she learned with Pete. Ep 4 Encouraging friction between Abi-Maria and R.C., Pete hid a hidden idol clue in R.C.’s bag, where it fell out in front of her tribemates. A stunned R.C. tried to salvage her relationship with an angry Abi-Maria, who thought she had been betrayed. Ep 5 The medical staff attended to Dana, who was suffering from stomach pains. Although she was cleared to continue, she said she wanted to seek more treatment and decided to leave the game. Ep 11 Abi-Maria spent $500 at the auction for an advantage and then spent her energy at camp trying to get everyone to think she had won some sort of immunity. She kept up the ruse at the next challenge and embellished upon it, saying one part of the note gave her an edge in the challenge and the other part she would keep secret. She then tore the note up for dramatic effect.

SURPRISE SURPRISE

Ep 8 After Jonathan won a much needed immunity challenge (inset), the target shifted to Michael. Lisa, however, told Pete she knew Malcolm had a hidden idol and they should blindside him. Pete went to Malcolm, who offered up Jeff K. Jeff K. told his allies to vote against Pete. At a wild tribal (above), Malcolm told everyone that Lisa snitched on him, took out his idol and threatened to use it. Abi-Maria revealed her idol, too. When the final votes were read, the old Tandang alliance prevailed and Jeff K. was sent home. Paraphrasing Saturday Night Live character Stefon, this season of Survivor had everything—a former child actress, returning medical evacuees, a five-time MLB All-Star, several hidden immunity idols in play, and three new fan favorites in Malcolm Freberg, Abi-Maria Gomes and winner Denise Stapley. To get to the end, Denise attended, and survived, all 15 tribal councils in the season, the first player ever to accomplish that feat.

UNDERCOVER CELEBRITIES

While others on Kalabaw may not have recognized former pro second baseman Jeff Kent, Sarah Dawson did. But instead of revealing his secret, she kept it as well, thinking she could use the knowledge later if she needed to. On Tandang, Michael Skupin told Lisa Whelchel in private that he knew who she was; Lisa said she would lay low for now but if someone at the merge IDed her, she would come clean.

“What is interesting about casting celebrities is all the baggage they could bring into the game,” Stephen Fishbach says. “From the player’s perspective, you’re constantly having to navigate your persona. So what

PHILIPPINES

IDOL HANDS Malcolm (left) and Jeff K. battled to win coffee, tea and biscuits for their tribe by knocking idols off hand-carried discs.

do you do if your persona is that you’re very successful and already wealthy? It may actually be easier for them to get into the finals because there’s the perception that no one will vote for them, but then winning has, so far, eluded them.”

SHIFTING STRATEGIES

Returning players have changed their strategies with mixed results, proving there is never a certain way of knowing how to approach Survivor. “What’s interesting about the Philippines specifically is how a reputation can haunt a player,” Stephen says, “and that speaks to both their other tribe members and also themselves.”

For Jonathan Penner, “he was always perceived as a devious player, and so people were always going to suspect he was devious,” Stephen explains. “On the other hand, you had Russell Swan, who had his own self doubts because of how he went out. He had a lot to prove, not to his tribemates, but to himself. And as a result, the same thing happened where he put too much pressure on himself and wasn’t able to live up to his own expectations.” s RUNNER-UP: Lisa Whelchel 1 vote s RUNNER-UP: Michael Skupin 1 vote

s SOLE SURVIVOR: Denise Stapley 6 votes SPRINT PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Lisa Whelchel

(won $100,000)

BROADCAST: September 19, 2012 to December 16, 2012 LOCATION: Caramoan, Philippines

CONTESTANTS: 15 (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) + 3 (RETURNEES, INSET, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) Katie Hanson 44 6th voted out Angie Layton 4 3rd voted out Malcolm Freberg 444 14th voted out (jury) Lisa Whelchel 444 runner-up Pete Yurkowski 444 10th voted out (jury) Sarah Dawson 44 5th voted out Roberta “R.C.” Saint-Amour 444 7th voted out (jury) Carter Williams 444 12th voted out (jury) Roxy Morris 4 2nd voted out Artis Silvester 444 9th voted out (jury) Jeff Kent 444 8th voted out (jury) Denise Stapley 444 winner Abi-Maria Gomes 444 13th voted out (jury) Zane Knight 4 1st voted out Dana Lambert 44 quit on Day 12

TRIBE KEY

4 KALABAW

(red) starting tribe named derived from kalabáw, the Tagalog word for water buffalo 4 MATSING

(blue) starting tribe named derived from matsíng, the Tagalog word for monkey 4 TANDANG

(yellow) starting tribe named derived from tandáng, the Tagalog word for rooster

RETURNEES Russell Swan 4 4th voted out Jonathan Penner 44411th voted out (jury) Michael Skupin 444 runner-up 4 DANGRAYNE

(black) merge tribe name derived from “Dang, rain” after three weeks of bad weather

What do you remember from the Philippines that will always stay with you? I will never forget the rain, the misery that came with it, and the bonds that came out of it. I will also never forget seeing my husband come running out of the jungle for that family visit. He looked like a tall, cool drink of water that I needed on a hot day! I climbed that guy like a coconut tree and held on for dear life.

Were you ever starstruck by the celebrities and returning players on your first season? Even though I had watched The Facts of Life for much of my elementary and middle school years growing up, it honestly did not faze me to be playing with Lisa Whelchel. Or even Penner, whom I have always been a fan of. Why? Because out there, all of that essentially gets stripped away. You are just trying to survive literally day-to-day, voteto-vote. And you have to remember that no matter who they are, they are all there to play the same game that you are. What was it like returning home? A bit surreal. The thing that helped the most was getting back into a normal routine as quickly as possible. I came home, gave myself the weekend and an extra day off, and then I was back in my office seeing clients like normal. How did you spend the $1 million you won in DENISE STAPLEY Season 25? The majority of the winnings post-tax were invested. No major purchases, no major moves. But we did take our first fun family trip out of the country! The funny thing is that up until recently, I was still driving the same car that I had when I played the first time in 2012. It now has plenty of dents and a bit of duct tape, so it was the perfect car to finally pass on to our teenage daughter. Did you play any differently during Winners at War? I would love to be able to say that I played so much more strategically this time around, that I was able to put plans in place and drive votes. But that’s just not how the game plays out for me. I continue to believe my best strategy is knowing what to do with timing and luck when it is finally in my favor. Like the Sandra vote-out! When did the plan come to you, and how proud are you of that move? The moment Sandra offered me the deal, the plan was hatched because no matter what her intentions may have been, I doubted them 100 percent. The first time that I played Survivor, I didn’t tell my family anything. Nothing. But this time, I couldn’t help it. When I saw Brad and Sydney on the island, one of the first things I had told them was that I took out the Queen! So heck, yes, I’m proud of that moment, and I’m proud of that move, and I will gladly own it!

Denise won four challenges and survived every tribal council in Season 25.

She finished in 6th place in Winners at War.

Denise posted this happy family pic in May 2020.

THE FACTS OF SURVIVOR

Actress Lisa relished the chance to appear on TV not as a grown-up Blair Warner, her childhood alter ego from the hit ’80s sitcom The Facts of Life, but as herself, a faith-driven, fun-loving Survivor fan.

Aligned with Michael on Tandang, she seemed to gain confidence as the days went by, even finding Malcolm’s hidden immunity idol in his bag, a piece of info she would keep handy.

But Lisa often confessed her moral compass and her gameplay were usually in conflict. ”If I do the wrong thing, will I still be OK?” she asked. “If I am not liked or I’m judged, will that be OK? Can I survive not being, you know, Little Miss Perfect?”

Relief came during the loved ones visit when Lisa’s brother Justice (top, second from right) gave her the OK she needed. Lisa ended up making it to the final three, and she was overjoyed at the reunion (bottom right) to be named the fan favorite of the season.

SURVIVOR 101 YOUR BURNING MEDICAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED

How large is the Survivor medical team on

location and what are its daily responsibilities?

During filming, production includes a medical team consisting of three doctors and five nurses and paramedics. “We provide medical cover for crew building challenges and tribal council, challenge rehearsals, as well as the actual shooting of challenges and tribal council,” says Dr. Joe Rowles, Survivor’s medical director. “We also have a clinic open every day for both local and international crew, and provide on call cover overnight.”

What are the most common injuries, or aftereffects of challenges, suffered by contestants?

Aside from weight loss, skin infections are fairly common since camp life and challenges can cause many cuts and grazes that can become infected in the warm and humid tropics. The physical nature of challenges means that “musculoskeletal injuries are common,” Dr. Rowles says, but good risk assessment and management means “serious injuries are very rare.”

What goes into a decision to evacuate a contestant?

“If a contestant is seriously unwell, then safety always overrides any gameplay,” Dr. Rowles insists. “Rarely does a situation arise where a contestant feels OK but has a problem that could become serious without hospital treatment. Things like an inflamed appendix or a serious skin infection often need investigations and treatment in a hospital.”

How do you break the news to the person who has to be pulled from the game?

“In these cases, there is usually a conversation between myself, Jeff and the contestant where we explain the situation and the need to be pulled from the game,” Dr. Rowles says. “There has always been a good relationship between the medical team, the producers and the contestants, which means we’ve never had to pull a contestant against their wishes.”

For the remaining contestants, what impact does an evacuation have?

It depends on the closeness of the evacuee and the tribemates, but Know-It-All Stephen Fishbach says play just has to continue. When Joe Dowdle was evacuated from Tocantins, “his leaving actually was counterintuitively great for the Jalapao 3,” Stephen recalls. “Part of why we were successful was that nobody perceived us as a threat. Joe, especially because he was a strong, charismatic guy who was great in challenges, added a lot to our relative threat level. His departure truly made it seem like Taj, J.T. and I were nobody to worry about.”

What kind of care is needed for the crew?

Treatment for more than 500 international and local crew takes up the bulk of the medical team’s work, as well has providing services for locals. Not only are medicines available at the Survivor clinic, “We also have the ability to provide blood tests and ultrasound scans,” Dr. Rowles says. The cases he sees range from gastrointestinal issues and chest infections to jellyfish stings, snake bites and dengue fever. “We also manage the public health of the crew by testing our drinking water, carrying out mosquito-eradication programs and providing health screening for the local crew,” he says.

OK, but what’s the best way to handle a bug bite?

Clothing is the best weapon against bug bites. “Jeans and a jacket means a much more comfortable night’s sleep,” Dr. Rowles says. “The bites can be very irritating, but it’s all part of living in the jungle.”

Suffering from heat stroke during an intense digging challenge, Caleb Reynolds’s heart rate dropped to dangerously low levels. He was air-lifted away from Kaôh Rōng on Day 9, one of 15 medical evacuations during the show’s first 20 years.

The Art of Shooting CHALLENGES

CBS photographers go out on a limb, or in the water, or in the air, to capture castaways in action. Here are some of our favorite shots

ROBERT VOETS

S24 One World Christina Cha had a bit of fun on the slide portion of the Ep 8 reward challenge, where she and the “yellow” team won a trip to the “7Up Oasis.”

MONTY BRINTON S20 Heroes vs. Villains In the fierce Ep 1 reward challenge “Big Dig,” Parvati Shallow (far left) pulled at Stephenie LaGrossa while Cirie Fields (far right) grabbed Danielle DiLorenzo as they all coveted flint. Stephenie and Cirie ultimately helped the Heroes triumph. JEFFREY R. STAAB S16 Micronesia Ep 3 reward challenge “Beach Bash” was aptly named. Erik Reichenbach (right) tackled Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth while Alexis Jones hung onto the bag. Ozzy’s Malakal team won the right to pick camp items from a catalog.

BILL INOSHITA S13 Cook Islands In the Ep 9 reward challenge “Barrel of Monkeys,” Yul Kwon (left) and Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth rolled Sundra Oakley (inside, top) and Becky Lee to victory for underdog tribe Aitutaki.

GREG GAYNE S26 Caramoan Erik Reichenbach (center) steered the purple team through “Muddy Waters” to win a resort lunch in this Ep 10 reward challenge.

LOOKING BACK ON SEASON 26…

Ep 1 Phillip formed a new Stealth R Us alliance and said he would play with Boston Rob’s rules in mind. Francesca just wanted to make it beyond Day 3. Alas, she was voted out first once more. At least Phillip pronounced her name correctly. Ep 4 Shamar’s left eye became swollen after sand had blown in it. The medical team confirmed his cornea was scratched and said he needed to be evacuated. The Iraq war vet then shed a tear out of his other eye, sad to leave behind his loyal alliance. Ep 8 In a food challenge with rounds including shipworms and pig brains, Michael (above) made it past the beetle larvae, but an elated Cochran conquered those—and balut—to win immunity. Ep 10 When Dawn lost her bottom-teeth retainer in the water, she pleaded with Brenda to help in the search, saying she would quit if they were lost. Brenda found them and the pair bonded… Ep 13 …but Dawn became upset when Brenda sacrificed the loved ones visit she had won for both of them so that their other four tribemates could enjoy the prize. That night, Brenda was blindsided out of the game. Ep 14: Close to the end but suffering from starvation and dehydration, Erik was pulled from the game. Then, at an edgy final tribal council, Brenda asked Dawn to remove her retainer in front of everyone to prove she would have continued on even if Brenda hadn’t retrieved it.

BRANDON GOES HOME

Ep 5 On Day 13, Brandon’s rage got the best of him. During another argument with Phillip, he upset everyone by dumping Bikal’s rice and beans onto the dirt. Before the next immunity challenge started, he told rival Gota not to let Phillip win. Corinne then announced to Jeff that Bikal wanted to forfeit the challenge (above). This incensed Brandon even more, to the point where Jeff had to call him over to keep him at bay (inset). With tensions high, Jeff convened an instant tribal council to de-escalate the situation. With an unanimous verbal vote, Bikal sent Brandon home. The second incarnation of Fans vs. Favorites vascillated between highly charged scenes (Brandon Hantz’s Day 13 meltdown, Brenda Lowe and Dawn Meehan’s exchange at final tribal council) and gleeful game moments (Phillip Sheppard bestowing titles on his alliance members, Malcolm Freberg’s “Hold up, bro” idol plea). Emerging to the front of the pack was returning player John Cochran, who sealed the second-ever perfect game with an 8-0-0 victory.

CARAMOAN

THERE’S A NAME FOR THAT

Stealth R Us 2.0. The Cool Kids Alliance. The Three Amigos. Why the labels? “The impact in naming an alliance is the idea that the people playing the game think they are part of something, not just four people working together,” Stephen Fishbach explains. “I really believe that part of why Stealth R Us was so cohesive was because Phillip was constantly emphasizing that they were all in one alliance.”

Having a named alliance can also impact how members act. “People who make the game fun for themselves and for their allies are probably going to

CARAMOAN

do better overall,” Stephen says. “With the Three Amigos, where you have one of the most spectacular tribal councils in the show’s history with idols flying everywhere, part of that is because they called themselves The Three Amigos. Because they were invested in this kind of fun idea of themselves, they were able to play a bigger and flashier game.”

ANYONE CAN WIN

When super-fan Cochran first played Survivor in Season 23, he made it past the merge by flipping on his tribe but wound up in 8th place. This time, he stuck with Stealth R Us and worked within its structure to make the right sub-alliances to propel him to the finale. Not bad for a guy who was so very sunburned right out of the first challenge in Caramoan.

“Cochran portrayed himself as the consummate nerd,” Stephen says, “and to see that character win was such a reminder that anyone can win Survivor. I think he is still one of the iconic characters in the show’s history partially because he really embodied this archetype overcoming all of what we perceive as that archetype’s drawbacks.” s RUNNER-UP:

Dawn Meehan 0 votes s 2ND RUNNER-UP: Sherri Biethman 0 votes

s SOLE SURVIVOR: John Cochran 8 votes SPRINT PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Malcolm Freberg

(won $100,000)

BROADCAST: February 13, 2013 to May 12, 2013 LOCATION: Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Bicol Region, Philippines

CONTESTANTS: 20

FANS FAVORITES

(EACH TRIBE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT)

FANS Hope Driskill 4 3rd voted out Eddie Fox 444 15th voted out (jury) Allie Pohevitz 4 2nd voted out Michael Snow 444 9th voted out (jury) Julia Landauer 44 7th voted out Shamar Thomas 4 evacuated on Day 10 Laura Alexander 44th voted out Sherri Biethman 444 runner-up Reynold Toepfer 444 12th voted out (jury) Matt Bischoff 446th voted out FAVORITES Corinne Kaplan 444 8th voted out (jury) Phillip Sheppard 444 10th voted out (jury) Malcolm Freberg 444 11th voted out (jury) Francesca Hogi 4 1st voted out Erik Reichenbach 444 evacuated on Day 36 Brenda Lowe 4 44 14th voted out (jury)) John Cochran 444 winner Andrea Boehlke 444 13th voted out (jury) Brandon Hantz 45th voted out Dawn Meehan 444 runner-up

TRIBE KEY

4 BIKAL

(purple) starting tribe of fans named after a barangay (district) of Caramoan

4 GOTA

(orange) starting tribe of favorites named after a village in Caramoan

4 ENIL EDAM

(green) merge tribe named by Malcolm after his mother Madeline

How eye-opening was South Pacific for you as fan playing for the first time? I was overflowing with theoretical knowledge of Survivor. I’d written papers about it and did a newsletter and just kind of had a very clinical perspective on things. I’m like, “OK, on Day 5, that’s when you make an alliance. And on Day 8, that’s when you can make an alliance within an alliance.” And then you get out there and you realize it’s fundamentally a social experience and you have to adapt to the people around you. Did that aspect come naturally for you? When I went on Survivor, I only existed in academic environments. I went straight from high school to college to law school without ever dating, or going to a party, or having any friends that were not like-minded, nerdy people. And then suddenly I go on Survivor and I’m living in a shelter with a Miss America runner-up, a cop from New York and a guy with loco tattooed on his neck. It was a big transition. How did you approach the game? Constant vigilance and paranoia? Yeah. I think that’s fortunately one of the ways that my nervous system was already wired for Survivor. I’m already naturally very anxious and paranoid and insecure and think people are talking behind my back. Boston Rob said he goes to bed every night thinking, “OK, what’s each person lying around me thinking right now? Are they going to vote me off tomorrow?” That’s like my baseline level of existence.

What led to your becoming the Sole Survivor in Caramoan? The second time I played, the only thing people knew about me was that I was disastrous in challenges and betrayed everyone on my tribe. So my big focus was, “I’m going to be hyper-loyal and I’m going to try not to be a huge liability in challenges.” Also, I just allowed myself to bond with people a little bit more organically, and that allowed me to be calmer and play in a slightly more deliberate way, whereas the first time, I was just in such a panic. And now you are a TV writer. How did that happen? Jeff was kind enough to ask at the reunion show, “You graduated from law school and you just won Survivor, what’s next for you?” And without any expectation of anything, I answered sincerely, which goes against my impulse, “Oh, I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer.” Then a show-runner, Greg Garcia, was watching and called CBS that night and asked whether I’d interview with him to work on his show, and I’ve been doing that ever since. So Survivor changed your life? Participating on Survivor singlehandedly changed my career trajectory, my geographic location, every social circle I’m in, the sorts of people that I interact with, like, everything. I think it made me more comfortable as a person, and more confident as a person. JOHN COCHRAN How eye-opening was South Pacific for you as fan playing for the first time? I was overflowing with theoretical knowledge of Survivor. I’d written papers about it and did a newsletter and just kind of had a very clinical perspective on things. I’m like, “OK, on Day 5, that’s when you make an alliance. And on Day 8, that’s when you can make an alliance with an alliance.” And then you get out there and you realize it’s fundamentally a social experience and you have to adapt to the people around you. Did that aspect come naturally for you? When I went on Survivor, I only existed in academic environments. I went straight from high school to college to law school without ever dating, or going to a party, or having any friends that were not like-minded, nerdy people. And then suddenly I go on Survivor and I’m living in a shelter with a Miss America runner-up, a cop from New York and a guy with loco tattooed on his neck. It was a big transition. How did you approach the game? Constant vigilance and paranoia? Yeah. I think that’s fortunately one of the ways that my nervous system was already wired for Survivor. I’m already naturally very anxious and paranoid and insecure and think people are talking behind my back. Boston Rob said he goes to bed every night thinking, “OK, what’s each person lying around me thinking right now? Are they going to vote me off tomorrow?” That’s like my baseline level of existence.

What led to your becoming the Sole Survivor in Caramoan? The second time I played, the only thing people knew about me was that I was disastrous in challenges and betrayed everyone on my tribe. So my big focus was, “I’m going to be hyper-loyal and I’m going to try not to be a huge liability in challenges.” Also, I just allowed myself to bond with people a little bit more organically, and that allowed me to be calmer and play in a slightly more deliberate way, whereas the first time, I was just in such a panic. And now you are a TV writer. How did that happen? Jeff was kind enough to ask at the reunion show, “You graduated from law school and you just won Survivor, what’s next for you?” And without any expectation of anything, I answered sincerely, which goes against my impulse, “Oh, I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer.” Then a show-runner, Greg Garcia, was watching and called CBS that night and asked whether I’d interview with him to work on his show, and I’ve been doing that ever since. JOHN COCHRAN So Survivor changed your life? Participating on Survivor singlehandedly changed my career trajectory, my geographic location, every social circle I’m in, the sorts of people that I interact with, like, everything. I think it made me more comfortable as a person, and more confident as a person.

Rocking his quarantine look in September 2020. Rocking his quarantine look in September 2020. Though Cochran won this Though Cochran won this final immunity challenge… final immunity challenge…

…he celebrated more winning immunity after eating local delicacies. …he celebrated more winning immunity after eating local delicacies.

Favorite Malcolm and Fans Reynold and Eddie joined forces as The Three Amigos in order to protect each other from the dominant Stealth R Us alliance. Good thing, too, since the athletic trio lost the Day 25 immunity challenge and put themselves on the defensive.

At that night’s tribal council, when Reynold was about to play his idol, Malcolm said, “Hold up, bro,” and asked to play the idol for himself. But Stealth were ready for this ploy, flushing out the idol and voting out Michael instead.

Now with Michael sitting on the jury (near left) and Reynold (eighth from right) having won immunity on Day 28, Stealth were ready to take out Malcolm (fourth from right) or Eddie (6th from right) via a split vote. Malcolm, though, found an idol out in the open earlier in the day, complicating plans.

What Stealth didn’t expect was that Malcolm was still holding on to his own (very) hidden

Favorite Malcolm and Fans Reynold and Eddie joined forces as The Three Amigos in order to protect each other from the dominant Stealth R Us alliance. Good thing, too, since the athletic trio lost the Day 25 immunity challenge and put themselves on the defensive. At that night’s tribal council, when Reynold was about to play his idol, Malcolm said, “Hold up, bro,” and asked to play the idol for himself. immunity idol. In a tribal council shocker, But Stealth were ready for this ploy, Malcolm doled out an idol to Eddie and played flushing out the idol and voting out an idol for himself. Votes against the Amigos Michael instead. were negated and the four votes that remained, Now with Michael sitting on the including one from defector Erik, sent a jury (near left) and Reynold (eighth blindsided Phillip to the jury. from right) having won immunity on Day 28, Stealth were ready to take out Malcolm (fourth from right) or Eddie (6th from right) via a split vote. Malcolm, though, found an idol out in the open earlier in the day, complicating plans. What Stealth didn’t expect was that Malcolm was still holding on to his own (very) hidden immunity idol. In a tribal council shocker, Malcolm doled out an idol to Eddie and played an idol for himself. Votes against the Amigos were negated and the four votes that remained, including one from defector Erik, sent a blindsided Phillip to the jury.

MALCOLM & THE THREE AMIGOS MALCOLM & THE THREE AMIGOS

BLOOD VS WATER BLOOD VS. WATER

Viewers had seen Redemption Island twice before and returnees many times on Survivor, but Blood vs. Water added new twists to both. Veterans would play against their loved ones, but they could swap out for one another at any time during Redemption Island duels. After a 13-year absence, Borneo player Gervase Peterson came back and played a strong game with Monica Culpepper and Tyson Apostol; Tyson, though, would take out the Sole Survivor title. Viewers had seen Redemption Island twice before and returnees many times on Survivor, but Blood vs. Water added new twists to both. Veterans would play against their loved ones, but they could swap out for one another at any time during Redemption Island duels. After a 13-year absence, Borneo player Gervase Peterson came back and played a strong game with Monica Culpepper and Tyson Apostol; Tyson, though, would take out the Sole Survivor title. TURNING THE GAME ON ITS HEAD TURNING THE GAME ON ITS HEAD

When the concept of pitting loved ones against each other was first announced, Stephen Fishbach admits he thought it was a gimmick. In execution, though, it became fascinating. “The things that you might do against an enemy are suddenly, dramatically changed when the calculus is, you know, your daughter, or your girlfriend,” he says.

That elevated the stakes on Redemption Island, too. “Giving players the chance to sub in for their loved ones really put a lot of pressure on relationships,” Stephen adds. “Rupert [Boneham] immediately subbed out for Laura without hesitation, vs. Hayden Moss, who waves farewell to Kat [Edorsson]. But you know, even Tyson decided not sub in for Rachel [Foulger] because he felt like it would make more sense for both of them for him to stay in the game. And he was obviously right.”

When the concept of pitting loved ones against each other was first announced, Stephen Fishbach admits he thought it was a gimmick. In execution, though, it became fascinating. “The things that you might do against an enemy are suddenly, dramatically changed when the calculus is, you know, your daughter, or your girlfriend,” he says.

That elevated the stakes on Redemption Island, too. “Giving players the chance to sub in for their loved ones really put a lot of pressure on relationships,” Stephen adds. “Rupert [Boneham] immediately subbed out for Laura without hesitation, vs. Hayden Moss, who waves farewell to Kat [Edorsson]. But you know, even Tyson decided not sub in for Rachel [Foulger] because he felt like it would make more sense for both of them for him to stay in the game. And he was obviously right.” PERSONAL STORIES PROVE RIVETING PERSONAL STORIES PROVE RIVETING

Away from strategy and challenges, having loved ones compete against each other offered “a lot of emotion,” Stephen says, and that only enhanced the storytelling aspect of the series. “Whether it was Tina [Wesson] facing off against her daughter Katie [Collins], or Vytas and Aras Baskauskas, two Away from strategy and challenges, having loved ones compete against each other offered “a lot of emotion,” Stephen says, and that only enhanced the storytelling aspect of the series. “Whether it was Tina [Wesson] facing off against her daughter Katie [Collins], or Vytas and Aras Baskauskas, two brothers who were working through their fraternal issues by physically brothers who were working through their fraternal issues by physically battling each other on Survivor, it was great television.”battling each other on Survivor, it was great television.”

It culminated in a tribal council where Ciera Eastin voted out her mom, It culminated in a tribal council where Ciera Eastin votes out her mom, Laura Morett, “which is maybe one of the iconic moments in the show’s Laura Morett, “which is maybe one of the iconic moments in the show’s history,” Stephen says. “You know, it’s probably not a great strategic move for history,” Stephen says. “You know, it’s probably not a great strategic move for her at the time because if you’ve got any great ally in the game, it’s probably her at the time because if you’ve got any great ally in the game, it’s probably your mom, but it really encapsulated the theme of the season.” your mom, but it really encapsulated the theme of the season.”

BROTHERLY LOVE

Season 27 may have been Blood vs. Water, but for brothers Aras and Vytas, it seemed like Blood vs. Blood. In confessionals, the younger Aras called Vytas “a bully in my life,” and Vytas, who was forthcoming about his drug addiction recovery, bemoaned, “He was the golden child. He always wins.” They fought hard at the Day 8 sumo challenge (top right); Aras cried after defeating Vytas. But the acrimony wasn’t fully resolved. Upset at Aras’s trusting nature leading to both men being voted out, Vytas (bottom left) aired his frustration when they reunited on Redemption Island. Even so, they talked it out. Aras reflected, “I love him no matter what.” On Day 25, when Aras lost the duel to Vytas and Tina, Vytas told Jeff the two would continue to repair their relationship outside the game. Aras (inset, right) then gave Vytas a warm hug before saying goodbye.

27. BLOOD VS. WATER TYSON APOSTOL

Looking back on Tocantins, what impressed you most about the show? The thing that impressed me most was how many people are actually on the production crew. Sometimes hundreds of people watching the challenges, etc. When you see it on TV, it seems so lonely, but just behind the camera, many, many crew members are lurking.

Did your second season come too soon

after your first? As much as I wanted to play again, in hindsight, Heroes vs. Villains was a little too soon for me mentally and maybe emotionally. I remember about a week into the season thinking, “I’m not having any fun.” If you’re not having fun, what’s the point of even playing?

How important was it to have Rachel, now your wife, experience Survivor in Blood vs. Water? It was important for me to have Rachel experience Survivor because there is so much contestants are dealing with that TV viewers would have a hard time relating to. Witnessing the production and feel of the game first-hand, the highs and lows of the in-between phases while you’re waiting for the season to air, then the airing of the season, reliving a fraction of what you witnessed in person months earlier and knowing there was much more to what you’re actually seeing. Did your strategy change once she left, or would it have remained the same? My game got freed up to a certain degree when Rachel got voted out, just because I only had to strategize for myself at that point. Had she stayed in, the game would have moved much differently. I probably would have tried to keep the couples together and get rid of the singles. What did being called Sole Survivor mean to you, and, OK, winning a $1 million, too? Winning the game was just validation for me that I could win the game like I’d always thought. Getting the milly meant I didn’t need to ask my parents for cash quite as often. What was your favorite play, vote, or situation across all the seasons you were in? I mean, that first tribal council in Tocantins, I remember thinking right after we blindsided our first victim, “We’re really playing the game now.” Other than that, the tribal where we drew rocks. I remember feeling an entire range of emotions in a matter of less than a minute and trying to mask it all. Having been on Winners at War, how has having a family changed how you play or view the game? I obviously have more important thoughts everyday than how to win Survivor again when they call in a few years. I think I play with more compassion for others than I did before. That can be a negative or positive, depending on the sitch. My kids also do not really care about the show at all—it’s not a cartoon. Kind of puts it all into perspective. It’s great to be on the show and it’s fun to be on television, but there are many more important things in life than going on a TV show.

Tyson finished 11th on Winners at War.

Reading Parvati’s book in April 2020 with Marlowe (left) and Bergen.

Tyson bid farewell to Rachel on Day 7.

VOTING OUT MOM

Ciera knew it had to happen eventually. On Day 25, she and Laura M. were the only loved ones remaining in the game. Laura M., who had made it to Day 27 on Samoa, wanted to go further, but her daughter was in a better position to win. So Ciera sat down with her mom for a difficult heart-to-heart/ strategy session, explaining how she needed to move on alone for both of their sakes. In a confessional, Laura M. said with pride, “The fact that my daughter has the courage to say that to me shows that she has grown as a woman…. It is a huge blessing for me to be out here to witness that. Worth way more than a million dollars.” On Day 26, Laura M. saw her name on Ciera’s parchment (right), gave her daughter a hug, and was voted out (inset).

Ep 1 Returnees were excited to spend one night alone with their loved ones before play began. But when Jeff brought the 10 pairs together the next day, he told them they would be playing against each other. Furthermore, each tribe had to vote someone out immediately to go to Redemption Island. Laura B. was chosen for Tadhana, but husband Rupert stepped up to take her place (below left). Galang voted out Candice, but John elected to stay behind, kissing her farewell instead (below right).

LOOKING BACK ON SEASON 27…

Ep 3 Drama was high already in Redemption Island Arena when Marissa cussed out Brad for voting off the strongest Galang women first. But Colton took it over the top, crying and saying he wanted out. An angry Jeff accused him of quitting once before by feigning appendicitis on One World, which Colton insisted was a legit medical evacuation. He ran to his fiancé Caleb (right), who told him to do what he needed to do, so Colton confirmed he was quitting. Annoyed, Jeff dismissed him without letting him burn his buff. “We’ll keep that reserved for people who compete,” Jeff sniped. Ep 9 Thirteen years ago in Borneo, Tagi deemed Gervase the most squeamish member of Pagong and entered him into a food challenge tie-breaker. He lost to Stacey over grub-eating. On Day 22, the grubs got him again. Gervase narrowly lost immunity to Monica, who cleaned her plate first. Ep 12 When Day 32’s tribal council ended in a 3-3 deadlock between Hayden and Monica (Gervase had immunity) on the first vote and a re-vote, Ciera showed her hand. Vote my way, she told Tyson and Katie, or they will go to rocks. Katie was game; Tyson reluctantly agreed. That’s when Katie drew the dreaded white rock and was eliminated.

A DIFFERENT GAME

Early on, macho dudes Brad and Hayden joined forces in the Five Guys Alliance. However, four consecutive Tadhana losses weakened them and Brad (right), a former standout NFL defensive tackle, was voted out on Day 10. Big Brother Season 12 winner Hayden (left), the first Big Brother contestant ever to try his luck at Survivor, would fare better, but his run ended in 7th place. s SOLE SURVIVOR: Tyson Apostol 7 votes s RUNNER-UP: Monica Culpepper 1 vote s 2ND RUNNER-UP: Gervase Peterson 0 votes

BROADCAST: September 18, 2013 to December 15, 2013 LOCATION: Palaui Island, Cagayan Valley, Philippines

CONTESTANTS: 20 (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Tyson Apostol 4444 winner Rachel Foulger 444th voted out, 2nd eliminated from R.I. Laura Boneham 444 1st voted out, switched out, 9th voted out, 8th eliminated from R.I. Rupert Boneham 4 switched places with Laura B on Day 1, 1st eliminated from R.I. Tina Wesson 4444 12th voted out, 2nd returnee, 17th voted out (jury) Katie Collins 4444 eliminated on Day 32, 12th eliminated from R.I. (jury) Colton Cumbie 44 quit on Day 7 Caleb Bankston 4444 14th voted out, 11th eliminated from R.I. (jury) Ciera Eastin 4444 16th voted out (jury) Laura Morett 444 7th voted out, 1st returnee, 13th voted out, 14th eliminated from R.I. (jury) Marissa Peterson 44 3rd voted out, 3rd eliminated from R.I. Gervase Peterson 4444 2nd runner-up Monica Culpepper4444 runner-up Brad Culpepper 44 6th voted out, 5th eliminated from R.I. Hayden Moss 444415th voted out, 13th eliminated from R.I. (jury) Kat Edorsson 444 8th voted out, 6th eliminated from R.I. Candice Cody 4 2nd voted out, 4th eliminated from R.I. John Cody 445th voted out, 7th eliminated from R.I. Vytas Baskauskas 44 44 11th voted out, 10th eliminated from R.I. (jury) Aras Baskauskas 444410th voted out, 9th eliminated from R.I.(jury)

TRIBE KEY

4 GALANG

(yellow) starting tribe of returning players named after the Tagalog word for respect

4 TADHANA

(red) starting tribe of loved ones named after the Tagalog word for destiny

4 KASAMA

(purple) merge tribe named after the Tagalog word for companion

ANDREA BOEHLKE

How did you first get into Survivor? My mom and dad were both really big Survivor fans and we would have Survivor viewing parties every week. They both applied for the show and then one winter, my mom just encouraged me to apply and so she was the person who pushed me to send in a tape. They are huge fans, so it was a cool full-circle moment to make it really far on my seasons.

Your first one was Redemption Island. Was Boston Rob the clear winner? We all thought that Rob would never win the game and that if we were sitting next to him, we would maybe have won. The wake-up call came a little late for so many of us. By the time I had ideas to do things, I knew that if I went to anyone else and told them my plan, they would immediately tattletale to him. So you're kind of caught in this weird cycle of not being able to say anything. I am glad though, that I made a move against him at the end because it did set me apart from other people and then I was asked back.

On Caramoan, you were also aligned with the eventual winner. I'm obsessed with Cochran! He's one of the funniest people ever and, to this day, he's actually one of my closest friends. He was a blast to work with because he did always find the humor in everything. We had a lot of inside jokes. I had the best time with him and we really had a true friendship on that season and I couldn't even blame him for voting me out.

At least you ended up going home with an idol. Do you have it still?

I did go home with it and I got to keep it as a souvenir and it was my No. 1 prized possession, but I actually lost it in real life, which is the most depressing thing ever! I took it to a Survivor watch party with a few friends and I left the party, went on the train and went home and somewhere on the sidewalk or on the train, I don't know, it must've felt out of my bag. So somewhere, someone found a little trinket and probably doesn't realize how special of a possession it actually was to somebody.

Does it help to come back to the game with more experience under your belt?

It does. However, I had the worst time on my third season because I think I put a lot of pressure on myself. When you play with new players, there’s this happy-go-lucky feeling and everyone’s experiencing it for the first time and it’s very, very exciting. So then when you play with players that have played before, you don't get as excited about the little things. And it’s just way more cutthroat because everyone wants to win even more than they did their first time, probably.

How difficult was it to make the merge every season?

I'm very proud of that and it's always really fun making the merge because then you're at least on the jury. But I also know there is so much luck that goes into that, and I got so lucky on my second and third seasons because the swap gave me a really good tribe where I was already with people from my alliance. And look, I’m good at challenges and I know I helped my tribe in those early challenges and I’m sure that helps. It’s part skill and then part luck.

Andrea’s Journey

S22 Redemption Island (2011) 5th place

S26 Caramoan (2013) 7th place

S34 Game Changers (2017) 8th place

Total days on Survivor: 103\

• First woman to win a duel on, and return to the game from, Redemption Island.

• First woman to be voted out with a hidden immunity idol in her pocket.