Survivor is arguably the most successful reality show of all time, but a lot of mystery still surrounds the show. It is one of the more intense reality shows for players, as they are put in a situation that is nearly impossible to prepare for. Viewers have oftentimes wondered how players cope with surviving on the outskirts of civilization, and what exactly happens on a normal day.
While there are restrictions as to what ex-contestants can say about their time on the show, they are able to reveal some secrets. Many have gone on to do so, helping viewers gain an insight into a day in the life of a Survivor contestant.
Production Picks Contestant's Clothes
Contestants are unable to bring many clothes, and the ones they do bring are oftentimes forced on them. What many casual viewers may not realize about reality TV is that a lot of aspects are closely controlled by the production team to create certain roles and narratives, right down to the clothes people wear.
Survivor host Jeff Probst's favorite winner John Cochran has discussed multiple times that production gave him his iconic sweater vest. Max Dawson from World's Apart wrote a detailed Reddit comment about this too, saying that production will give them guidelines of what kind of archetype their clothes should portray.
They Are Usually Forced To Compete In Underwear
To expand on the dress code enforced by production, they also like to have contestants compete in "filthier" and more realistic clothing that a marooned islander would have. To them, this means underwear rather than bathing suits.
Legendary and memorable Survivor contestant Parvati Shallow spoke out about this on Rob Cesterino's podcast, Rob Has A Podcast, claiming that despite her objections, she was forced to wear underwear rather than a bathing suit bottom. Lauren Ashley Beck also discussed it in a now deleted TikTok that they continued to force her to wear underwear even after she was afflicted by a UTI she got on the show.
The Reward Pizza Isn't Good
Challenges are intense, and earning a win in one is never a simple task. To make the players even more motivated than they already would be, "real" food is often a reward, with a contest such as the auction being one of the most popular Survivor challenges involving food. Pizza is a seemingly delectable reward, but contestants have said otherwise.
In an interview with The Ringer after their time on the show, Malcolm Freberg and David Wright both claimed that the pizza was quite bad. It is unrealistic to expect production to be able to bring them fresh New York slices, but it is a bit surprising that they can't even supply even a half-decent pizza.
Production Does Help On Occasion
The way the show frames its episodes makes it appear that the contestants are entirely on their own when it comes to survival skills, but some ex-survivors have made statements to the contrary. Both Erin Lobdell and Kelly Goldsmith have spilled some information about this.
Lobdell mentioned how when she was on Exile Island, producers helped her start a fire with a lighter (per Reality Blurred) while Goldsmith revealed to Survivor Oz that her tribe was given matches at certain points. A medical box containing absolute essentials like bug spray, sunscreen, vitamins, tampons, and contact lens solution is also accessible. Things like this being discussed on the show would certainly damage its credibility, so there are probably even more examples of similar situations that have not yet been revealed publicly.
Confessional Sessions Are Often Influenced
While these confessional sessions, where contestants are able to talk directly to the camera, aren't nearly as criticized as the diary room sessions in Big Brother for influencing gameplay, some past players have said they sometimes do indeed alter the game.
The Chicago Sun-Times covered alumni of the show, headlined by players such as Cochran, Goldsmith, Lobdell, Stephen Fishbach, and Mookie Lee, giving a lecture about the show at Northwestern University. They all agreed that these confessionals can be used to get players to think about certain things they may not have considered otherwise, or to get them to say one of the cliché phrases that pop up in every Survivor season.
Many Shots Are Not What They Seem
The same lecture as previously mentioned also discussed the little known production "Dream Team." The group are called this because they get to do something that could be considered a dream for many.
Aerial shots that seemingly show contestants walking to a challenge or competing during one as the rules are explained are usually not the actual contestants. Any shots done immediately before or during competitions would feature the visually unappealing production equipment, as well as a mob of producers standing around. To prevent this, production crew members who could reasonably pass as competitors set up mock walk-ins and competitions to emulate what the real thing would look like. It is nearly impossible for viewers to tell the difference.
Some Scenes Are Re-Enacted
Scripted or rehearsed scenes in reality TV are usually frowned upon by fans of the genre, and Survivor contestants have suggested that the show sometimes falls into a grey area with this. Fans often question if a conversation or situation that happened naturally is being redone for preferable camera angles or clarity.
Karishma Patel revealed that certain moments, the dramatic walk into tribal council for instance, is done multiple times so production can have as many angles at their disposal as possible (per Insider). The questions asked at the tribal council are also asked numerous times to different players in order to find the best clips. Other conversations and aesthetically pleasing scenes are also recorded numerous times for the same reason.
No Discussion Is Allowed On The Way To Tribal Council
Tribal Council is often the location of some of the most breathtaking and strategic moments in Survivor history, so production tries to make this happen as often as they can. It is located a bit far from the tribes basecamps so no exploring contestant stumbles upon it when they aren't supposed to, making it a bit of a long trip when they actually need to go there.
David Wright, Rick Devens, Elaine Stott, and Tyson Apostol all recalled the travel time as being called "lockdown," with nobody being allowed to speak (per The Ringer). The production team wants to save all last-minute strategy for the actual ceremony, so silence is strictly enforced.
Laser Hair Removal Is Surprisingly Common
Something that viewers of the show may be stumped on is how some contestants remain (mostly) body hair free. Hygienic items such as razors or waxing strips are not allowed, so some decide to take a much more drastic measure; laser removal.
Tyson Apostol, known for his hilarious quotes, has his own Survivor podcast where he discussed this. Some contestants, usually women, worry about being seen in their most disheveled state on national television. One thing they can control is their body hair by undergoing the procedure before their departure, so it is far more common than one may think.
The Production Crew Is Gigantic
On the same podcast, Tyson also reveals that the production crew is far larger than one might assume. 200-300 members make up the expansive crew in order to capture every moment.
This makes the competition far different for the people competing as opposed to how viewers may perceive it. It looks like the contestants are in a lonely, barren area with nobody but each other. This isn't a very accurate portrayal, as production really is everywhere.