Survivor has featured many villains over its 43 seasons, but Kâoh Rōng's Nick Maiorano is one of the most underrated villains in the show's history, participating in season 32 in 2016. The season was filmed in Cambodia and was a "Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty" season, as the initial tribes split into contestants that embodied one of the three characteristics.
Nick was a personal trainer during his time on Survivor and started the game as a member of Gondol, the "Beauty" tribe. He was notable for having an up-and-down relationship with the season's eventual Survivor winner, Michele Fitzgerald. Michele characterized Nick as arrogant and condescending, leading to one of her most well-known moments when she emphatically stated, "I don't need to be carried, bro," in a confessional about Nick. Nick survived the game's pre-merge portion - in large part because his tribe never went to Tribal Council - but he was voted out in his very first Tribal Council and became the jury's second member.
Nick Maiorano Is Married And Has A Baby Boy
Since appearing on Survivor in 2016, Nick's life has changed quite a bit. He has changed careers, going from personal training to becoming a TV writer and executive producer. His personal life has also gone through changes since Survivor. Single during his time on the show, Nick would occasionally joke about dating his Survivor rival Michele, but despite becoming friends after their season, their relationship never came to fruition (at least, not to public knowledge). Nick married his wife, Kaila Fritz Maiorano, and they recently welcomed their first child, Remy, in November 2022. Nick posted the news on his Instagram and was met with congratulations from many Survivor alumni, including his season 32 cast mate Michele.
Nick's reputation with fans has also shifted a bit since his Survivor appearance. Depicted as arrogant and oblivious during his season, Nick has shown a different side of himself during podcast appearances on Rob Has a Podcast. Affectionately referred to as the "Maio Jar" by host and former Survivor All-Star Rob Cesternino, Nick discussed Survivor several times since his season. Nick's personality and sense of humor on the podcast run counter to his depiction in Survivor, as he has generally been very lighthearted and self-deprecating, building a friendly rapport with Rob and RHAP collaborator Josh Wigler. Nick hasn't appeared on the podcast since 2020 and has been keeping a fairly low profile on social media for the last few years, but he appears to keep in touch with the Survivor community.
Though Nick isn't one of the most notorious Survivor villains of all time, he was still a great character on the show and has only built support since playing. He's probably not at the top of Survivor's list of players to bring back for a future returnee season, but he would be a welcome but surprising choice to grant a second chance at the game. With several years of life experience since his time on the show, he'd likely play a much different game, and it would be exciting to see him give Survivor another go.
Source: Nick Maiorano/Instagram