The iconic reality competition series Survivor, which is rapidly approaching its season 42 finale, has added novel twists in order to maintain viewers’ interest (such as denying the contestants the usual rations of rice) while continuing many of the staples that have defined the show since its 2000 debut.
While the series prides itself on its authenticity and considers the genuine hardship endured by the cast members its primary attribute, several individuals involved in its production have revealed specific elements of the show that were carefully constructed despite appearing to have occurred naturally when viewed from home. The most surprising of these revelations may lead audiences to view their favorite reality series in a different light.
The Walk To Tribal Council Is Often Filmed Multiple Times
Each non-finale episode of the series has depicted the contestants who are subject to elimination carrying their torches from their camp to the tribal council ceremony, often accompanied by dramatic music that emphasizes the players’ unease. In an interview with Insider, Survivor alum Karishma Patel revealed that this iconic walk is meticulously coordinated. According to Patel, “[When] they get that shot of us walking down the beach holding our torches...they do that shot about three times.”
While the producers’ manipulations may strike some as off-putting, such creative choices have certainly contributed to the show’s long-lasting success.
Survivor Occasionally Casts Actors And Models As Contestants
One of reality television’s selling points is its focus on common citizens rather than on professionally-trained performers. While Survivor has largely adhered to this tradition, casting officials have occasionally selected actors and models to compete in the series while denying cast openings to applicants with no connection to the entertainment industry.
According to TheCinemaholic, casting director Lynne Spillman admitted that the show opts for this practice when the majority of the applicant pool does not seem qualified to appear on camera (perhaps limiting the number of relatable Survivor contestants as a consequence). While Spellman’s reasoning is defensible, certain fans may find this casting habit to reflect poorly on the show.
Survivor Cast Members Have Body Doubles
Executive producer Mark Burnett is surprisingly among the Survivor crew members to have revealed some of the show’s unpublicized practices. TV Overmind reported that Burnett acknowledged the series’ use of body doubles for each of a given season’s contestants, whom are used for scenes such as Survivor's most dangerous challenges and overhead location shots.
Burnett is reportedly unashamed of this practice, believing it to improve the program for at-home audiences and viewing it as a harmless and minor manipulation of the events depicted in the series.
The Survivor Crew Chooses The Order In Which The Tribal Council Votes Are Read
Elements of Survivor that are particularly cinematic are generally engineered to be as such. According to Reality Blurred, host Jeff Probst and the show’s producers arrange the tribal council votes in the order that they believe will best play for television. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Probst said, “We just want to present them in the most dramatic fashion, so we pay close attention and try to think through every scenario.”
This production decision has certainly contributed to the show’s entertainment value, as the tribal council is decidedly the most pivotal scene of each episode.
All Survivor Contestants Receive Prize Money
While many of the show's viewers assume that only a given season’s “Sole Survivor” and runner-up are compensated for their efforts, each contestant receives prize money that varies based on the amount of time that they remained in the competition. An article by Today reports that Survivor: Guatemala’s third-place finisher, Rafe Judkins, confirmed receiving $85,000 for his participation in the season, and it includes the pay awarded to each finishing position.
Some may view these sums as lowering the stakes of the competition, while others may appreciate the recognition that each player receives for their effort and time commitment.
Survivor Contestants’ Clothes Are Selected For Them
All Survivor contestants are famously only permitted one outfit for the duration of their gameplay, but certain players are restricted even further by not being able to select those few articles of clothing for themselves.
Reality Blurred cites John Cochran and Candice Woodcock as players whose wardrobes were assigned to them by producers, mentioning that Cochran never wore sweater vests in his personal life despite later becoming defined by the one he wore on screen. Referring to her own show attire, Woodcock said, “They’re forcing me to have a sports bra. I’m wearing all pink; I don’t know why.”
Survivor Contestants Meet One Another Well Before Filming Starts
Many viewers likely assume that the cast members see one another for the first time at the outset of filming, as the final edits of season premiere episodes suggest as much. Insider reports that this is not the case, citing a TikTok video by Ozzy Lusth in which the former contestant says that each season’s competitors take the same plane to the filming location.
While contestants are not allowed to speak to one another prior to the beginning of the competition, Lusth claims that they are often able to communicate nonverbally, adding, “The game starts when you arrive at the airport.”
A Tribal Council May Have Been Rigged
Most of the concealed aspects of Survivor’s production fail to pose a true threat to the show’s integrity, but an alleged incident from season 1 would unsettle many audiences were it to be revealed as true. According to Showbiz CheatSheet, contestant Stacey Stillman sued production based on the belief that producer Mark Burnett convinced two of her fellow contestants to vote for her elimination at a pivotal tribal council, in one of Survivor's most controversial vote-outs.
One of the two contestants who voted for Stillman confirmed her allegation, while the other denied it. The dispute was ultimately settled out of court, but the implications of the supposed foul play are perhaps the greatest threat to Survivor’s reputation.
Survivor Producers Subtly Help Contestants During Interviews
While there are no reports of producers explicitly providing information to contestants, fan favorite Parvati Shallow revealed that those who interviewed her would often ask questions specifically designed to change her thought processes and influence the course of the game. According to Heavy, Shallow said, “They’re not like telling you stuff, but they’ll ask questions in [a way] that caused me to think about things that I wasn’t thinking about or seeing before myself.”
Such minor interference on the part of the producers is likely performed to make the game as captivating as possible for audiences.
Survivor Reward Meals Aren’t As Good As The Show Portrays Them
Each season of Survivor features challenges in which the victorious contestants receive full meals that they are normally denied during their time on location. These players are usually depicted as being enormously grateful for the prepared food, but certain former contestants have revealed that it is often of poor quality.
In an interview with The Ringer, former cast member Malcolm Freberg criticized the pizza that he was provided with as a reward, saying, “What they don’t tell you is because of production schedules, they had to have the pizzas like five hours early, so it’s not hot. It’s sitting under the Philippines sun for five hours, and then they serve it to you.” Survivor's best rewards thankfully appear to outshine these low-quality meals.