Sandra Diaz-Twine, the "Queen of Survivor," is returning to the game, but this time, it's for a season of Australian Survivor. Sandra is one of the most legendary players to ever appear on the show. She won the game her first couple of times playing, becoming the first two-time winner in Survivor history. She is often considered one of the greatest players of all time. Sandra played twice more after her second win, but her reputation preceded her and she was voted out. She also served as a mentor to new players, along with "Boston" Rob Mariano, on Survivor: Island of the Idols in 2019.
Sandra is making the leap Down Under to play in the seventh season of Australian Survivor. The show uses the same basic format as the American version but is its own distinct entity. A typical Australian Survivor season begins with 24 players rather than the usual 18-20 in the American version. It's also a much longer game, going weeks longer than U.S. seasons. However, the game still requires strong social and strategic awareness to win, qualities that are definitely not foreign to Sandra.
Sandra is set to appear on the upcoming season of the show, titled Australian Survivor: Blood V Water. As in American Survivor: Blood vs. Water seasons, each contestant will be playing the game with a loved one. For the first time in her Survivor career, Sandra will have a family member competing on the same season, as her 24-year-old daughter, Alanna "Nina" Twine, will also be battling for the title of Sole Survivor. Sandra is prepared to duke it out with her daughter, remarking in a promo for the season, "If me and my daughter have to go head-to-head, I'm beating her ass to remind her who's queen." The duo will be taking on the challenge in the harsh terrain of rural Queensland, where the show has set up production since the COVID-19 pandemic forced border closures in Australia.
It will be a thrill to see Sandra take on the Aussie game, especially in a Blood vs. Water season. How she and Nina will acclimate to the social and physical environment will be interesting to see as it plays out. They'll have a challenge ahead of them, as they'll be going up against some professional athletes and other Survivor vets, including Australian Survivor season 2 couple Mark Wales and Sam Gash.
Sandra is one of the most adaptable players in the history of Survivor, and if her competitors are smart, they'll recognize her for the major threat she is. If Sandra wants to win, she'll have to keep her wits about her and not let the Blood vs. Water element soften her senses. She may talk a big game when it comes to competing with her daughter, but when the game gets going, she could find it difficult to play with a loved one. Fans will have to tune in to find out how the Queen fares down under.
Australian Survivor premieres January 31 on Network 10 and Paramount Plus.