Saturday night in Hollywood, “Survivor” staged a massive Emmys For Your Consideration event featuring perennial host Jeff Probst, past contestants, authentic challenges, and island-themed drinks and bites. With the recent death of Sonja Christopher still on the minds of fans, Gold Derby chatted exclusively with Probst about his thoughts on the first-ever contestant to be voted off of CBS’s reality TV show.
“Every time I saw Sonja,” Probst remembered, “whether it was on the first season when she was tripping in the first challenge and that kind of doomed her, or when I would see her at ‘Survivor’ events, she was always joy, always happy, always wanting to know how you were doing. And I thought it was pretty interesting that first season, that the first person voted out was Sonja, who had recovered from cancer and came with her ukulele just to have some fun — and then the...
“Every time I saw Sonja,” Probst remembered, “whether it was on the first season when she was tripping in the first challenge and that kind of doomed her, or when I would see her at ‘Survivor’ events, she was always joy, always happy, always wanting to know how you were doing. And I thought it was pretty interesting that first season, that the first person voted out was Sonja, who had recovered from cancer and came with her ukulele just to have some fun — and then the...
- 4/28/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
“Sunday Burquest had one of the brightest smiles of any person to ever play ‘Survivor,'” tweeted Jeff Probst following the recent death of the fan-fave castaway from “Millennials vs. Gen X.” Sunday, age 50, passed away on April 18 after a year-long battle with esophageal and ovarian cancer. The “Survivor” host continued, “She radiated kindness and understanding. She seemed to understand better than most, that life is for living, so say yes to life whenever possible. My condolences go out to her family and friends.”
Sunday Burquest had one of the brightest smiles of any person to ever play Survivor. She radiated kindness and understanding. She seemed to understand better than most, that life is for living, so say yes to life whenever possible. My condolences go out to her family and friends. pic.twitter.com/eL2Q1qDw3f
— Jeff Probst (@JeffProbst) April 18, 2021
See Everything to know about ‘Survivor 41’
She...
Sunday Burquest had one of the brightest smiles of any person to ever play Survivor. She radiated kindness and understanding. She seemed to understand better than most, that life is for living, so say yes to life whenever possible. My condolences go out to her family and friends. pic.twitter.com/eL2Q1qDw3f
— Jeff Probst (@JeffProbst) April 18, 2021
See Everything to know about ‘Survivor 41’
She...
- 4/19/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
“Survivor” contestant Cassandra Anne “Angie” Jakusz is dead at age 40 after a three-year battle with cancer. She passed away on Friday, January 8, 2021, according to her New Orleans obituary. Angie rose to fame in 2005 by starring on “Survivor: Palau,” the reality TV show’s 10th season on CBS.
Angie is now the eighth person from “Survivor” to pass away, following Jenn Lyon (2010), B.B. Andersen (2013), Caleb Bankston (2014), Dan Kay (2016), Ashley Massaro (2019), Rudy Boesch (2019), and Cliff Robinson (2020). See more info on all of these memorable players by clicking through our photo gallery above.
See Everything to know about ‘Survivor 41’
“Whether she was sewing, painting, drawing, doing nail art or makeup, costuming, reading, snorkeling, scuba diving, traveling or just raising hell, she did it lovingly and with laser precision,” her family wrote in her obituary. “She is survived by her husband of nine years, Steven Calandra; her parents, Linda and Wayne Jakusz; her brother,...
Angie is now the eighth person from “Survivor” to pass away, following Jenn Lyon (2010), B.B. Andersen (2013), Caleb Bankston (2014), Dan Kay (2016), Ashley Massaro (2019), Rudy Boesch (2019), and Cliff Robinson (2020). See more info on all of these memorable players by clicking through our photo gallery above.
See Everything to know about ‘Survivor 41’
“Whether she was sewing, painting, drawing, doing nail art or makeup, costuming, reading, snorkeling, scuba diving, traveling or just raising hell, she did it lovingly and with laser precision,” her family wrote in her obituary. “She is survived by her husband of nine years, Steven Calandra; her parents, Linda and Wayne Jakusz; her brother,...
- 1/14/2021
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Even though more than 600 castaways have played the game of “Survivor” over the past two decades, fans have never forgotten B.B. Andersen. This original cast member from the iconic first season was the second person voted off the island when he was 64 years old. After the show wrapped, B.B. lived for another 13 years until his death at age 77 from brain cancer. (He’s one of six dead “Survivor” castaways — see photos above.) Let’s all raise a torch to the late B.B. Andersen, who was voted out of “Survivor: Borneo” 20 years ago this week.
See‘Survivor’ gross-out flashback: It’s the 20th anniversary of Gervase Peterson eating grub worms, and we’re still gagging [Watch]
When he first set foot on the island of Pulau Tiga, Malaysia, B.B. was a fish out of water in terms of his social game. He found himself on the Pagong tribe along...
See‘Survivor’ gross-out flashback: It’s the 20th anniversary of Gervase Peterson eating grub worms, and we’re still gagging [Watch]
When he first set foot on the island of Pulau Tiga, Malaysia, B.B. was a fish out of water in terms of his social game. He found himself on the Pagong tribe along...
- 6/10/2020
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
This week marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most iconic gross-out moments in reality TV: Gervase Peterson eating grub worms on the second episode of the first season of “Survivor.” The date was June 7, 2000. Gervase’s Pagong tribe had won the previous week’s inaugural immunity challenge and was spared from voting someone out at tribal council, so they came into this second challenge with a lot to lose. All they had to do was eat grub worms faster than their Tagi tribe counterparts, and a fresh-faced Jeff Probst would give them the immunity idol again. How did it all play out? Watch the “Survivor: Borneo” flashback video above.
SEESonja Christopher still a ‘Survivor’ fan 20 years after being first person voted off: Tony Vlachos is a ‘loose cannon’ but ‘it worked for him’
“In Borneo this is considered like sushi,” Jeff explained as he revealed the fish bowl filled with dirty beetle larvae.
SEESonja Christopher still a ‘Survivor’ fan 20 years after being first person voted off: Tony Vlachos is a ‘loose cannon’ but ‘it worked for him’
“In Borneo this is considered like sushi,” Jeff explained as he revealed the fish bowl filled with dirty beetle larvae.
- 6/4/2020
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Leave it to Jeff Probst, four-time Emmy-winning host of CBS’s “Survivor,” to perfectly state how the show’s fans are feeling after Rudy Boesch‘s death was announced this weekend. “The ‘Survivor’ family has lost a legend,” Probst tweeted about the fan-favorite contestant who died following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. “Rudy Boesch passed at the age of 91. He played in the first season of ‘Survivor’ at the age of 72. He is one is the most iconic and adored players of all time. And he served our country as a 45-year Navy Seal. Rudy is a true American hero.”
The Survivor family has lost a legend. Rudy Boesch passed at the age of 91.
He played in the first season of Survivor at the age of 72. He is one is the most iconic and adored players of all time.
And he served our country as a 45-year Navy Seal.
The Survivor family has lost a legend. Rudy Boesch passed at the age of 91.
He played in the first season of Survivor at the age of 72. He is one is the most iconic and adored players of all time.
And he served our country as a 45-year Navy Seal.
- 11/3/2019
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Rudy Boesch, a retired United States Navy Seal who competed in two seasons of CBS’ Survivor, has died at age 91 due to complications from Alzheimer’s Disease, People reports.
Boesch was 72 years old when he began his Survivor career on the reality competition series’ very first season (aka Survivor: Borneo) in 2000. Despite being significantly older than his fellow competitors, Boesch proved that age isn’t everything, ultimately finishing in third place behind Kelly Wiglesworth and Richard Hatch.
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Boesch was 72 years old when he began his Survivor career on the reality competition series’ very first season (aka Survivor: Borneo) in 2000. Despite being significantly older than his fellow competitors, Boesch proved that age isn’t everything, ultimately finishing in third place behind Kelly Wiglesworth and Richard Hatch.
More from TVLineAll Rise's Wilson Bethel Talks the Joys of Mark and Lola's Platonic FriendshipSabrina the Teenage Witch 'Revival': Melissa Joan Hart Reunites...
- 11/2/2019
- TVLine.com
Wednesday’s season premiere of “Survivor: Island of the Idols” was one of the show’s strongest, certainly of the last 10 seasons, but quite possibly among the best in its 19-year history. We are so high on the premiere that it’s giving us hope that producers have course-corrected some of the poor editing and meandering storylines that plagued the last few seasons. Four seasons ago Ben Driebergen‘s eventual win was blatantly obvious from the jump due to his heroic editing and just last season the “Edge of Extinction” twist corrupted the tail end of a season where the story was forced to focus on endgame players that would eventually lose to Chris Underwood, a player who was in the game proper for only 13 of 39 days,
So what made us think that the “Island of the Idols” premiere was a promising start to what could be one of the...
So what made us think that the “Island of the Idols” premiere was a promising start to what could be one of the...
- 9/28/2019
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
“Survivor: Island of the Idols” gave us our first glimpse at the eponymous twist of the season, with former winners Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine offering game tips to one of the 20 new castaways. In the Season 39 premiere, Olympic swimmer Elizabeth Beisel was the lucky/unlucky first contestant exiled to the Island of the Idols where she sought advice from the past “Survivor” champs. Now that we’ve seen how it plays out, is “Island of the Idols” an exciting new twist or, like those giant Rob and Sandra statues, a bust? Vote in our poll below.
SEERonnie Bardah (‘Survivor’ 39) exit interview: ‘Blindsided’ poker player admits it’s ‘pretty embarrassing to be voted out first’
After losing the first Immunity challenge of the season, a member of the Lairo tribe was forced to send one person to the mysterious new island and Elizabeth was randomly chosen. Arriving on shore, she...
SEERonnie Bardah (‘Survivor’ 39) exit interview: ‘Blindsided’ poker player admits it’s ‘pretty embarrassing to be voted out first’
After losing the first Immunity challenge of the season, a member of the Lairo tribe was forced to send one person to the mysterious new island and Elizabeth was randomly chosen. Arriving on shore, she...
- 9/27/2019
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
No one ever wants to be the first person voted out of “Survivor,” but each season premiere one unlucky castaway must have their torch snuffed by host Jeff Probst. For Season 39, aka “Survivor: Island of the Idols,” that person was Ronnie Bardah, a 35-year-old poker player from Henderson, Nevada. Ronnie went into tribal council convinced one of the weaker contestants like Vince Moua or Elaine Stott would be voted out first, but he just happened to be on the wrong side of the numbers. “I was blindsided pretty hard,” Ronnie said in his exit interview at the end of Wednesday’s season premiere.
See‘Survivor’ contestant deaths: Remembering the lives of Jenn Lyon, B.B. Andersen, Caleb Bankston, Dan Kay
“I did not expect that,” Ronnie stated after he and Aaron Meredith found themselves on the outs as the only ones to cast votes against Vince. “I thought I was contributing...
See‘Survivor’ contestant deaths: Remembering the lives of Jenn Lyon, B.B. Andersen, Caleb Bankston, Dan Kay
“I did not expect that,” Ronnie stated after he and Aaron Meredith found themselves on the outs as the only ones to cast votes against Vince. “I thought I was contributing...
- 9/26/2019
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
“Survivor” is one of the most dangerous competitions on television, as evidenced by the large number of castaways who’ve been injured over the past two decades. Thankfully, nobody has ever died while filming CBS’s reality TV show. However, four castaways have passed away in the years since leaving the island. In our “Survivor” deaths photo gallery above, we take a moment to remember all of those we’ve lost. May their torches live on forever in our hearts.
See‘Survivor: Island of the Idols’: Meet The Season 39 Cast
The first former castaway to pass away was Jenn Lyon of “Survivor: Palau.” Jenn made it all the way to the Final 4 in Season 10, where there was a tied vote between her and Ian Rosenberger. The rules at the time stated that a deadlocked vote in the Final 4 would result in a fire-making challenge, and since Ian was first to build a successful fire,...
See‘Survivor: Island of the Idols’: Meet The Season 39 Cast
The first former castaway to pass away was Jenn Lyon of “Survivor: Palau.” Jenn made it all the way to the Final 4 in Season 10, where there was a tied vote between her and Ian Rosenberger. The rules at the time stated that a deadlocked vote in the Final 4 would result in a fire-making challenge, and since Ian was first to build a successful fire,...
- 9/25/2019
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
With the “Survivor” Season 38 finale set for Wednesday night, it’s the perfect time to take a moment and remember all of the players we’ve lost through the years. Thankfully, no one has ever died while filming the American version of “Survivor.” However, four castaways have passed away in the years since their reality TV journeys came to an end. Click through our “Survivor” deaths photo gallery above for a look back at Jenn Lyon, B.B. Andersen, Caleb Bankston and Dan Kay.
The last episode of “Survivor: Edge of Extinction” will name a winner between either Victoria Baamonde, Rick Devens, Lauren O’Connell, Julie Rosenberg, Gavin Whitson, or one of the 11 voted-out castaways who will return from Extinction Island. The three-hour finale event begins airing at 8:00 p.m. Pt/5:00 p.m. Et, hosted once again by Jeff Probst.
See Rick Devens deserves to win ‘Survivor: Edge of Extinction,...
The last episode of “Survivor: Edge of Extinction” will name a winner between either Victoria Baamonde, Rick Devens, Lauren O’Connell, Julie Rosenberg, Gavin Whitson, or one of the 11 voted-out castaways who will return from Extinction Island. The three-hour finale event begins airing at 8:00 p.m. Pt/5:00 p.m. Et, hosted once again by Jeff Probst.
See Rick Devens deserves to win ‘Survivor: Edge of Extinction,...
- 5/15/2019
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Pretty, mean girl Morgan McLeod was eliminated at Tribal Council and Spencer Bledsoe won immunity in episode 7 of Survivor: Cagayan.
After Tribal Council, Kass McQuillen returns to camp with Spencer, who criticizes her move at Tribal Council, which sent Sarah Lacina out of the competition. Kass thinks her strategy is sound and declares herself a free agent. The next morning, Kass is confronted with a new source of conflict: Morgan. Kass is frustrated with Morgan because she won’t help around the Solarrion camp, although, Morgan tells us, “She is a bitter, ugly, old lady. And I think she hates me because I’m cuter than her and have always been cuter than her.”
Reward Challenge
In the game, the contestants get ready for a reward challenge – winners get a meal from Outback Steakhouse, complete with steaks, sides and drinks. The remaining players are split into two teams, the...
After Tribal Council, Kass McQuillen returns to camp with Spencer, who criticizes her move at Tribal Council, which sent Sarah Lacina out of the competition. Kass thinks her strategy is sound and declares herself a free agent. The next morning, Kass is confronted with a new source of conflict: Morgan. Kass is frustrated with Morgan because she won’t help around the Solarrion camp, although, Morgan tells us, “She is a bitter, ugly, old lady. And I think she hates me because I’m cuter than her and have always been cuter than her.”
Reward Challenge
In the game, the contestants get ready for a reward challenge – winners get a meal from Outback Steakhouse, complete with steaks, sides and drinks. The remaining players are split into two teams, the...
- 4/10/2014
- Uinterview
CBS reality competition series “Survivor” has been renewed for 29th and 30th editions to air during the 2014-2105 season, with Jeff Probst returning as host and executive producer. The series’ current edition, “Survivor: Blood vs. Water,” will wrap up on Dec. 15 a 8 p.m., followed by a reunion show hosted by Probst at 10 p.m. Also read: ‘Survivor’ Contestant B.B. Andersen Dead at 77 (Report) The Emmy-winning series debuted in May 2000. “We are thrilled to announce this landmark renewal for ‘Survivor,’ a groundbreaking show that changed the TV landscape and helped usher in a new era of ratings dominance for the.
- 12/12/2013
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Season 1 Survivor contestant B.B. Anderson has died after battling brain cancer, according to People. He was 77.
"B.B. was one of the original cast members who launched Survivor back in 2000," host Jeff Probst said in a statement. "He was a powerful presence on the show and that zest for epic adventure was at the heart of everything he did. I was very saddened to hear of his passing."
Read More >...
"B.B. was one of the original cast members who launched Survivor back in 2000," host Jeff Probst said in a statement. "He was a powerful presence on the show and that zest for epic adventure was at the heart of everything he did. I was very saddened to hear of his passing."
Read More >...
- 11/2/2013
- by Robyn Ross
- TVGuide - Breaking News
B.B. Andersen, a contestant on the first season of the CBS reality competition “Survivor,” died Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer, the Kansas City Star reports. He was 77. Described in his obituary as a “conservative champion,” Anderson is also characterized as a “world traveler and avid sportsman” who was “a lover of fine cigars, fine wine, close friends, and good political debate.” Also read: Hollywood’s Notable Deaths of 2013 “Survivor” executive producer Jeff Probst called Andersen “a powerful presence on the show,” adding that he was “very saddened” to hear about his death. “B.B. was one of the original cast members.
- 11/1/2013
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
B.B. Andersen, one of the first contestants to compete on Survivor, has died after a battle with brain cancer, People confirms. He was 77.
Andersen passed away on Tuesday in Kansas City, Mo., according to an obituary posted in the Kansas City Star, which described him as "a lover of fine cigars, fine wine, close friends and good political debate."
In a statement to People, Survivor host Jeff Probst said: "B.B. was one of the original cast members who launched Survivor back in 2000. He was a powerful presence on the show and that zest for epic adventure was at the heart of everything he did.
Andersen passed away on Tuesday in Kansas City, Mo., according to an obituary posted in the Kansas City Star, which described him as "a lover of fine cigars, fine wine, close friends and good political debate."
In a statement to People, Survivor host Jeff Probst said: "B.B. was one of the original cast members who launched Survivor back in 2000. He was a powerful presence on the show and that zest for epic adventure was at the heart of everything he did.
- 11/1/2013
- by Steve Helling
- People.com - TV Watch
B.B. Andersen, one of the first contestants to compete on Survivor, has died after a battle with brain cancer, People confirms. He was 77. Andersen passed away on Tuesday in Kansas City, Mo., according to an obituary posted in the Kansas City Star, which described him as "a lover of fine cigars, fine wine, close friends and good political debate." In a statement to People, Survivor host Jeff Probst said: "B.B. was one of the original cast members who launched Survivor back in 2000. He was a powerful presence on the show and that zest for epic adventure was at the heart of everything he did.
- 11/1/2013
- by Steve Helling
- PEOPLE.com
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