There are many former Survivor contestants who are eligible for a second chance at the game, but few are as deserving as Survivor: Africa standout, Teresa "T-Bird" Cooper. She played in the show's third season, which featured one of the most memorable locations in Survivor history, Kenya's Shaba National Reserve. Despite the season's harsh physical conditions, including the threat of the area's dangerous wildlife, T-Bird definitely flourished in the game. Although she was in a minority alliance throughout the season, she made it all the way to fifth place because of her impeccable social game. Unfortunately, she was ultimately eliminated by the power alliance consisting of Lex van den Berghe, "Big Tom" Buchanan, and eventual winner, Ethan Zohn.
Over a decade after her Survivor: Africa stint, T-Bird was invited to be a candidate for another shot at the game in 2015. She was eligible to be voted into Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance by the Survivor fanbase. However, out of the 16-woman pool of candidates to return, she wasn't voted into the top ten who would go on to play in the season. When host Jeff Probst announced that T-Bird didn't get voted into Cambodia, it came as a major shock to many Survivor fans. That is because many online polls showed her being towards the top of the women most likely to get voted in.
Since her heartbreaking Second Chance close call, T-Bird has only further underscored the fact that she deserves another chance to be a part of Survivor. She hasn't let her disappointment at not getting selected for the season sour her on the show. She remains one of Survivor's most enthusiastic personalities, and is a fixture in the Survivor community. In 2019, she joined forces with Survivor legend Rob Cesternino, to create and host the Talking with T-Bird podcast. It's part of Rob's popular reality TV podcast network, Rob Has a Podcast. On Talking with T-Bird, T-Bird tracks down former Survivor contestants and thoughtfully re-introduces them to the fanbase. Then, she and Rob interview them about their experiences on the show, and their lives outside of it.
T-Bird's enduring love for all things Survivor is nothing short of infectious, and that alone warrants a return trip to the island for her. However, T-Bird isn't just a fun personality. She's a very skilled and cunning Survivor strategist, as evidenced by her gameplay in Africa, when she voted for Lex and gave him a stone-faced denial. That happened before she let him blame and target Kelly Goldsmith for the vote. T-Bird has a rare combination of charisma, enthusiasm, and strategic guile, making her a perfect candidate for a second Survivor chance.
Unfortunately for T-Bird, the casting of Survivor tends to skew younger, and given that her season aired over 20 years ago, she would be one of the older contestants that the show has cast in recent years. That shouldn't matter, though, as she's clearly still physically fit. She often posts on social media about her workouts and her "age is just a number" mentality. The show should recognize T-Bird's potential and passion for the game, and give her the long-awaited opportunity to once again prove herself as a Survivor competitor.