16-05-2025
Survivor star Jane Bright dead at 71 as fans mourn loss of 'iconic' contestant from competition series
Survivor: Nicaragua star Jane Bright has passed away at the age of 71 - nearly 15 years since she appeared on the CBS competition series.
Her daughter Ashley Hammett announced the news of her mother's death in a Facebook post on Thursday and revealed that her body was discovered inside her house.
'Today Jane Hammett Bright was found passed away within her home by a good friend and county sheriff,' Ashley wrote, although a cause of death was not disclosed.
Social media users jumped to X to mourn over Bright's passing, with one penning: 'RIP. She was iconic, she had some of the most entertaining moments on that (slightly underrated) season.'
Another typed, 'Rest in peace Jane. one of if not the best part about Nicaragua,' and one also shared, 'She was a legend and of my favorite that season. I really wish I could have met her. RIP Jane.'
'She was a beast. RIP,' a fan commented, while another penned, 'oh no RIP, Jane. Her putting out the fire once she realized she's about to go home is one of the most poetic moments of this show for me :(.'
'Today Jane Hammett Bright was found passed away within her home by a good friend and county sheriff,' Ashley wrote, although a cause of death was not disclosed
One X user typed, 'Oh that's such sad news. Legend of the season. Condolences to her daughter and family.'
'Wow! this breaks my heart - rip to a legend,' another shared, and one fan added, 'One of the most entertaining contestants of her season.'
Another tweeted, 'Rest in peace to this legend,' and one wrote, ':( she started it she finished it, she was an icon.'
Jane made an appearance on season 21 of Survivor which was filmed near San Juan del Suir on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua.
She began shooting episodes of the show when she was 56-years-old, making her the oldest contestant of the season.
Bright's journey started with the Espada tribe and notably placed sixth among a total of 20 contestants.
Jud "Fabio" Birza came in first as the sole survivor while Chase Rice placed second and Matthew "Sash" Lenahan in third.
However, Jane ended up winning the Sprint Fan Favorite award as well as a $100,000 prize after her time on the show.
Another typed, 'Rest in peace Jane. one of if not the best part about Nicaragua,' and one also shared, 'She was a legend and of my favorite that season. I really wish I could have met her. RIP Jane'
'She was a beast. RIP,' a fan commented, while another penned, 'oh no RIP, Jane. Her putting out the fire once she realized she's about to go home is one of the most poetic moments of this show for me :('
One X user typed, 'Oh that's such sad news. Legend of the season. Condolences to her daughter and family'
Bright had lost her husband just months before she began filming Survivor and opened up about the topic during a past interview with Entertainment Weekly at the time.
She explained that he had 'always wanted me to do this' and 'knew I was applying throughout the years.'
Jane added that her late husband was there with her 'because we've had pictures taken of my house, and I lost him and one of my best show dogs about the same time.
'And there are orbs that show up in pictures so I know they are with me,' the reality star further expressed.
Back in 2010, Bright also talked to Today about her exit from the series after she was voted off.
When questioned if she attempted 'to build any other alliances,' the late star replied with, 'There were several times I tried to build alliances with Fabio and Benry [Ben Henry] - but I'm telling you, men are weird.
'They don't want to make alliances with women, they want to stick with men,' Jane expressed to the outlet.
In regards to the moment when she put the fire out at the camp before her exit frin the series, she explained what led her to do so.
'Oh yeah, because according to my weather prediction that morning - I was real good about forecasting it while I was out there 'cause I farm - I knew probably by evening it was gonna be pouring down rain.'
Bright was born in December 1953 in North Carolina, and her main occupation had been a dog trainer before her appearance on Survivor.
