Survivor has officially entered a new era after its milestone 50th season, with 16 castaways still competing for a $1 million prize — although a twist could double the winnings.
Season 51 began with 21 players ages 24 to 49, including a Grey’s Anatomy actor, a wrestler and a federal prosecutor.
They’re the first to navigate Survivor‘s “Open Era,” where the rules of the past are back in play. As host Jeff Probst explained during the Season 50 finale, “Anything that’s ever happened on Survivor can happen again — at any time, in any order, without warning.”
The Open Era introduces a coin flip that could add another $1 million to the winner’s prize. If the flip is lost, that additional money rolls over to the following season.
Warning: Spoilers from Episode 5 included below.
Seven castaways have now left the competition. During Episode 5, a double elimination meant that both Alexis Levine (Savu) and Linnea Capobianco (Dina) were voted out.
Levine went first after the Day 1 “helicopter alliance” of Ori, Devin and Jelly held together and voted her out 3-1.
Capobianco’s departure resulted from Maggie’s extra votes forcing two ties and Kilby refusing to budge. The rest of the tribe then agreed to send her home rather than risk rocks to save her.
Six women in a row have now been voted out, leaving the remaining 14 to include nine men and five women.
Here’s who’s still in the running — and what the castaways have said about why they wanted to play.
An “Thien An” Nguyen
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Current residence: Fort Worth, Texas
Nguyen sees the show as a rare opportunity to experience something different from everyday life. “Very few opportunities in life let you connect to life in such a raw and authentic way,” she said. “It’s everything I love! New friends and the outdoors.”
Angelica “Jelly” Loblack
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Hometown: Garland, Texas, and Midwest City, Okla.
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Current residence: Bloomington, Ind.
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Occupation: Sociology professor
Loblack said Survivor has been part of her life “for as long as I can remember.” She added, “I want to play and win Survivor and experience it with the loved ones who introduced it to me while they’re still here.”
Brady Booker
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Hometown: La Salle, Ill.
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Current residence: Knoxville, Tenn.
Booker grew up watching the show with his family and is looking forward to testing himself in a different kind of competition. “I love adventure in the outdoors. I love competition,” he said. “I love being pushed to my limit to show what I am truly capable of doing.”
Carter Krull
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Current residence: Sioux Falls, S.D.
Playing Survivor has long been on Krull’s bucket list. “You never know when your last day will be,” he said, “so better get rollin’ on the list!”
Cristian Chavez
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Current residence: Salt Lake City
Competition is the big draw for Chavez. “I love competition!” he said. “I also want to test my limits in this game and be pushed past my breaking point just to experience it.”
Danny “Kilby” Kilby
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Hometown: Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada
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Current residence: London, Ontario, Canada
Kilby said appearing on the show is the “biggest dream of my whole life.” “Survivor has given me so much already,” Kilby said, explaining that he met his girlfriend while playing a fan-made Survivor game.
Devin Way
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Current residence: Los Angeles
“There is nothing else like this in the world,” said Way, who has acted in shows including Grey’s Anatomy and Queer As Folk. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play one of the best games in existence!”
Eric Macksoud
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Hometown: Lincoln, R.I.
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Current residence: Windsor Locks, Conn.
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Occupation: Mental health counselor
Macksoud’s interest in people is part of what attracts him to Survivor. “As someone who loves people and learning about what makes people tick, Survivor is the ultimate celebration of the human experience,” he said.
Kristin Flickinger
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Current residence: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Flickinger has been trying to get on Survivor almost since the beginning. “I have been applying for Survivor since the middle of Season 1,” she said. Over the years, the show “has become the lens through which I view and navigate the world — however, dysfunctional that may be.”
Lewis Kelly
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Current residence: Puerto Rico
Kelly said becoming a U.S. citizen helped turn his ambition to play into a reality. He described the opportunity as a chance “to really live and be an example of my American dream.” His philosophy going in? “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Maggie Nestor
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Hometown: Middleway, W.Va.
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Current residence: Charlestown, W.Va.
Nestor said she has “loved” Survivor since she was 15. “I’ve been watching for 25 years and waiting for this opportunity of a lifetime,” she added.
Mike Pinsky
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Current residence: New York City
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Occupation: Baseball executive
Pinsky said, “Getting to actually live this dream for real is a one-of-one life experience, and the thrill of this type of adventure sets my heart on fire!”
Ori Jean-Charles
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Hometown: Spring Valley, N.Y.
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Current residence: Spring Valley, N.Y.
Jean-Charles’s motivation centers on his family. “They sacrificed everything for me to be here today,” he said, calling Survivor an opportunity “to pay that back for all they have done.”
Sharonda Cox
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Hometown: Pompano Beach, Fla.
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Current residence: Richmond, Ky.
Cox hopes competing can also inspire “those little Black boys and girls” and people from low-income communities by showing “what we can do despite our disadvantaged beginnings.” She also has a personal goal: “I also want to stop going through the motions of life and meet the new, unapologetic Sharonda.”
