The new season of Survivor will be aired on Sept. 24, and it will feature 18 contestants who will be vying to take home $1 million dollars. The show originally had 20 contestants, but a pair dropped out due to a medical emergency 48 hours before the show began filming.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, prior to the show's filming, host Jeff Probst said, "We spend months casting our show — months... And you finally get your 20 people, and then though no fault of their own — just a medical situation — they can't play.... So instead of 20, it puts us at 18. Instead of equal men and women, it puts us uneven men and women."
Nevertheless, the show was able to survive with 18 contestants and even persevered amidst a 12-hour strike by the show's editing team. Viewers will be able to watch this season's castaways, namely:
- Dale Wentworth (Coyopa tribe) and daughter Kelley Wentworth (Hunahpu tribe)
- Alec Christy (Coyopa tribe) and brother Drew Christy (Hunahpu tribe)
- Val Collins (Coyopa tribe) and husband Jeremy Collins (Hunahpu tribe)
- John Rocker (Coyopa tribe) and girlfriend Julie McGee (Hunahpu tribe)
- Josh Canfield (Coyopa tribe) and boyfriend Reed Kelly (Hunahpu tribe)
- Jaclyn Schultz (Coyopa tribe) and boyfriend Jon Misch (Hunahpu tribe)
- Wes Nale (Coyopa tribe) and father Keith Nale (Hunahpu tribe)
- Baylor Wilson (Coyopa tribe) and mother Missy Payne (Hunahpu tribe)
- Natalie Anderson ( Coyopa tribe) and twin sister Nadiya Anderson(Hunahpu tribe)
The show was filmed in San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua from June 2 to July 10, and it used the concept of Blood vs. Water combined with Exile Island.
The show's description says, "... each week two loved ones square off against one another in a battle that will send the loser to isolation on Exile Island while the winner receives a reward for his/her Tribe. However, the winner will also have to choose a tribemate to accompany their loved one to Exile Island."
