Milwaukee's Andrea Boehlke has gone from 'Survivor' fan favorite to mental health advocate. She's combining these two worlds this week.

Yahoo

25-02-2025

Andrea Boehlke appeared to be living the good life. Or she thought she was.
The Random Lake native was starring on "Survivor" not once, not twice, but three times. And she was doing it very well as a strategic, social and physical threat who had everyone's attention every time she stepped foot on the beaches of Nicaragua, the Philippines and Fiji. Amid her "Survivor" stints, she was an in-demand entertainment host. From the island to the red carpet, her 20s appeared to be a roaring success.
But she later realized "those were all just huge distractions."
Her mental health was taking a back seat. A trauma, a loss so profound — the death of her younger sister — from her teen years was being buried deep within her.
"I would come home after being at the Grammys or Oscars and I would be really sad and miserable," she told the Journal Sentinel this week. "And I didn't understand what was going on. I had it all but I was not really wanting to exist and so it finally got to a point where it was so bad that I had no other choice but to really seek help and I wish I would have done that a lot earlier."
Boehlke, 35, is now a mental health advocate and is taking what she's learned about herself to help Milwaukee-area youth. And she's set to combine this passion with her other love, of "Survivor," on Wednesday night.
Boehlke is hosting a watch party at the Ivy House in Milwaukee for the season 48 premiere of "Survivor," the long-running CBS competition reality based show, with a star-studded guest list. Proceeds of the sold-out event are going to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Southeast Wisconsin.
"The charity is very, very important to me," Boehlke said.
"Survivor" and mental health advocacy. They're two areas that'll come into focus for Boehlke on Wednesday. But they didn't intersect for her until recently.
Boehlke, a graduate of UW-Stevens Point, has left her imprint on "Survivor." She first appeared 15 years ago, at age 21, when she was looking for a challenge. She returned two years later as a fan favorite and then again at 27 for a game-changer-themed season. She still holds the record for most votes cast against her in the show's history, a record notable to her that highlights her ongoing threat level to the other contestants.
Boehlke, who moved back to Wisconsin during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic after years in New York City, still gets stopped on the street or in her favorite coffee shop by people remembering her from her first go-round.
"That is so different than who I am today," Boehlke said about her younger self. "Not that I'm embarrassed of that person, but it's just a different person. So, it's always a little weird. That's what happens when everyone sees you grow up on national television."
She said, in some ways, she wished her "Survivor" journey started later because of where she's at in her life now. But she has no regrets.
"I'm very content with how it all went," she said.
Getting to a state of contentment in her life has taken time.
Andrea was 15 when her sister Jeri died in an all-terrain accident. Jeri was 13.
The two were extremely close growing up together on the family farm in rural Sheboygan County. She discussed her late sister on "Survivor" and felt her presence on the island. But over the years, Boehlke realized that she never dealt with the trauma of it.
"I didn't go to therapy and I didn't go to counseling. I stuffed it down," she said. "It took a while but all of the issues bubbled up eventually."
It didn't matter if she was competing on a popular TV show or later interviewing Brad Pitt or Jennifer Lopez for People Magazine.
"You distract yourself for so many years but it's going to rear its head at some point," Boehlke said. "So, even though all of my trauma with losing my sister in this terrible accident, being the only one there, that didn't really manifest until maybe my late 20s and, by that point, it was kind of hard to decipher what was an issue and what wasn't 'cause I was living the life."
She turned for help to address her inner pain, and later to the NAMI nonprofit where she's a volunteer speaker to students in middle and high school. Boehlke wants to break down the stigma of mental health and encourage people to seek help if they're struggling.
"It's so important to talk about these things to work through them, to be open about them," she said. "So, I always feel like I am a future version of them because these kids are 15. That's exactly when I lost my sister and exactly when my mental health issues started. So, if there's anything I can tell them is there is help out there and there are options and it's really important that we take care of our mental health."
One of Boehlke's guests Wednesday, former "Survivor" finalist Ben Katzman, was open about his own mental health struggles that reappeared in Fiji two seasons ago.
"I think 'Survivor' has adapted to modern times and they do try to highlight issues that parallel what's going on in our society," Boehlke said, in appreciating Katzman's vulnerability and the franchise discussing it on TV.
Boehlke has found her purpose, a home and community.
She has many projects and jobs she thrives in. Boehlke hosts "Discover Wisconsin," where she travels around the state promoting everything it has to offer. Like her "Survivor" experiences, she's up for any challenge. And she was recently hired as a producer and host of "Discover Wisconsin's" new podcast "The Cabin." Boehlke has also been a correspondent for TMJ4's "The Morning Blend" for several years.
She loved NYC but Milwaukee makes her part of a community.
"I know it's cliché of Midwest nice, but it's really cool to be in this community and have people help you out of the goodness of their hearts," Boehlke said. "And I just love running into people. I'm a social butterfly. I love the familiarity of Milwaukee."
"Survivor" is one big community, too. The show is set to celebrate 25 years on TV this year. As a child, Boehlke always watched the show with her family. Upon returning to Wisconsin, she was looking for that connection again. It was here. Wicked Hop owner Andrew Zanoni contacted her with immediate interest to help host fan events.
"It's really cool to have this group of dedicated Survivor fans that wanna show up to the parties, watch together," Boehlke said.
Boehlke said she didn't know many people at that first party but her "tribe" continues to grow every season. She even put on a show at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for CBS' college tour last season. Four hundred people came, with 200 more on the wait list. A couple of "Survivor" alums even joined her.
The Madison event made her realize "there's such a hunger for these events."
That led to this week's event. With the help of Zanoni and Milwaukee resident Amaris Bates, she's bringing in several former players, including three from last season in winner Rachel Lamont, runner-up Sam Phalen and Genevieve Mushaluk, who finished fifth. Katzman and Q Burdette from season 46, and Joel Klug, a Green Bay native who's a "Survivor" original from Season 1, will also be part of the festivities.
A meet-and-greet is scheduled with the "Survivor" players, a Q&A, a raffle that includes a 30-minute Zoom call with "Survivor" host Jeff Probst, a performance by Katzman, who's a musician, and, of course, a screening of the season 48 premiere.
Boehlke said she feels the rise of streaming services has allowed for a younger fan base to emerge in recent years and become passionate about the series.
"I am surprised that, after 48 seasons, there's still such a dedicated fan base, but it's not that surprising when I go around the city," Boehlke said. "People are coming up to me all the time."
Boehlke is the last Wisconsinite to appear on the show. That was eight years ago. Overall, she's one of only seven from the state to get the opportunity of a lifetime to be on "Survivor."
"On one hand, yes, it's cool to be one of the only ones, but I think it will be fun to get another person on because then we can do some big parties where we're watching a current contestant, 'cause that's when it's most fun," she said. "When I was on the show and watching my season(s) with fans, it was a blast because I know what happens, but nobody else does. And so they're really rooting for you."
Boehlke didn't win Survivor but, years later, she realizes her purpose might have been bigger than the $1 million prize.
"I had a really good 'Survivor' journey and I'm very happy with it," Boehlke said. "If I can use my 'Survivor' experience to raise a bunch of money for a mental health organization, a charity that I care about a lot, and help people, then that's a great thing to get out of this experience."
A sign of someone truly living the good life.
"I'm so much happier now and I love my life," Boehlke said.
If you or a loved one are experiencing a crisis, call or text 988 to get connected with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 offers 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress. It also provides prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Andrea Boehlke to host Survivor premiere watch party for mental health