Latest news with #Survivor50
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Boston Rob reveals why he turned down 'Survivor 50' casting: 'I have played so many times'
Boston Rob Mariano is taking full responsibility for his absence from the Survivor 50 cast list. The five-time Survivor player and one-time winner posted a lengthy statement to his Instagram on Friday revealing why he turned down a spot on the coveted milestone season's cast list. "Wow!!! I got all of your DM's and messages so so many thank you all!!" Mariano wrote. "But literally don't be mad @survivorcbs and @jeffprobst early on they called and asked… I just felt like I have played so many times and I am truly fulfilled with my Survivor Journey." The legendary player, who was the first to ever hit five seasons on the long-running CBS series, added that he hoped dropping out of season 50 would allow someone else to get another chance at the title of Sole Survivor. "I wanted my spot to go to someone else that deserved another chance!" he wrote. "I've gotten so much out of Survivor. It will always be a part of who I am! I'm eternally grateful. Like I said ..It's gonna be OK. I feel like something good is coming!!!" Survivor 50 won't air until 2026, but host and showrunner Probst already announced the full cast on Wednesday. The supersized group of 24 returning players is the series' biggest cast ever, featuring contestants going all the way back to season 1 of Survivor: Borneo (Jenna Lewis-Dougherty) as well as two yet-unnamed competitors from Survivor 49, which just filmed a few weeks ago and will air this fall on CBS. The cast also features two legends competing for the fifth time, Cirie Fields and Ozzy Lusth, tying Mariano's record as the most seasons ever played. Other notable returning players include The White Lotus creator Mike White and recent winners Dee Valladares (Survivor 45) and Kyle Fraser (Survivor 48). Mariano previously told Entertainment Weekly that he was ready to field Survivor 50 alliance requests. "I'm stirring it up on social media like I like to do," he said in 2024. "So slide into the DMs, all you former players, and we'll let you know whether or not you can get in the alliance or not. Actually, talk to my secretary, Sandra [Diaz-Twine]. She's fielding all the requests." However, he previously told EW a few months earlier that he was not open to appearing on the show the way it's currently constructed. "I mean, in what capacity?" he said. "As a contestant playing with everyone else, it just feels like we've been there and we've done that." . He added that he was still down to appear on the show either in a mentor role again (as he appeared on the Island of the Idols season) or another way in which he will not be immediately eliminated due to his massive threat level. "I've always said it would take some kind of unique format change to make me go back and compete over there," he said. "Something would have to happen, otherwise we're faced with the same situation where they gang up on me and want to get me out, or keep me around for a little bit, or whatever... I think there would have to be a pretty dynamic format shift to get me excited to get back out there." Mariano also recently competed on Peacock's The Traitors and NBC's Deal or No Deal Island, but came up short of winning either series. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Boston Rob Turned Down ‘Survivor 50' Offer Because ‘I Wanted My Spot to Go to Someone Who Deserved Another Chance,' Tells Fans: ‘Don't Be Mad'
'Survivor' announced its cast this week for the show's 50th season, but not every fan was too pleased with who got invited to come back. While the return of 'The White Lotus' creator Mike White and fan favorites like Cirie Fields and Ozzy Lusth generated excitement, the omission of iconic players like Rob Mariano (aka Boston Rob), Parvati Shallow and more left many fans scratching their heads as they wondered why so many players from older seasons of 'Survivor' were not included. Boston Rob, whose reality show career has flourished in recent years with appearances on 'The Traitors' and more, has now taken to Instagram to explain his absence from 'Survivor 50.' It turns out the show did ask him to return, but he made the decision to opt out in order to give other players their chance to return to the 'Survivor' spotlight. More from Variety 'Survivor 49' Cast Includes 'Black Panther' Producer and Former Marvel Exec Nate Moore Jeff Probst on Why He Worried 'Survivor' Was 'Doomed' After Season 1, What Season 50 Gameplay He Hopes Fans Vote For and Whether a Live Finale Could Return Jeff Probst's First-Ever Tears on Air Bring 'Survivor' to a Season High of 4.5 Million Viewers 'Wow!!! I got all of your DM's and messages so so many thank you all!! But literally don't be mad,' Boston Rob wrote in a message to fans. ''Survivor' and Jeff Probst early on they called and asked… I just felt like I have played so many times and I am truly fulfilled with my 'Survivor' journey. I wanted my spot to go to someone else that deserved another chance!' 'I've gotten so much out of 'Survivor,'' he added. 'It will always be a part of who I am! I'm eternally grateful. Like I said ..It's gonna be OK. I feel like something good is coming!!!' Boston Rob is one of 'Survivor's' most prolific contestants and the only one to compete on five seasons of the show. He debuted in Season 4, 'Survivor: Marquesas,' and placed 10th, before returning for the first time in Season 8's 'Survivor: All-Stars' and being the runner-up. He appeared on 'Survivors: Heroes vs. Villains' (13th place) and won 'Survivor: Redemption' before serving as a mentor on 'Survivor: Island.' His last appearance on the show was Season 40, 'Survivor: Winners at War.' 'Survivor 50' will feature 24 returning players and will premiere on CBS in Spring 2026. The milestone anniversary season promises to 'push the series into uncharted territory and impact the players like never before.' For the first time, the game is also being planned by the fans. Earlier this year, fans were able to vote on key elements of the game, including on whether there will be idols, whether fire making will remain and whether the live finale and reunion show will return in Los Angeles. The 'Survivor 50' contestants will compete for a $1 million cash prize. See the full 'Survivor 50' cast here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Boston Rob Mariano (@bostonrobmariano) Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Survivor' legend Jerri Manthey posts devastated reaction to being cut from season 50
Jerri Manthey is an icon of the early era of Survivor, but that icon will not be appearing on the highly anticipated Survivor 50, which begins filming soon and will air in early 2026. Host and showrunner Jeff Probst revealed the Survivor 50 cast on Wednesday's episode of CBS Mornings, and Manthey's name was one of the most notable omissions. While Manthey had previously indicated she would not be part of the final cast by posting a silent video on social media of herself nodding no shortly before the official announcement, she has now posted a lengthy reaction on her Instagram account to being cut from the cast in the form of a Cameo to a fan named Nancy. 'I'm devastated as well, as you can imagine,' Manthey says in the video. 'The outpouring of support and encouragement from everybody online has just been so helpful in helping me start the process of healing, but I'm not going to lie: I am pissed, I'm disappointed, I'm sad, and I sometimes am asking that very same question too: How am I going to get through this?' The video, which Manthey says was recorded in the desert near Joshua Tree, goes on with the three-time player processing her grief over being a last-minute cut. 'I've also been sitting still with my own thoughts and processing what happened, and the utter disrespect for the fact that I have spent the past 25 years of my life, which is almost half of my life, involved in, supporting, being a part of making an effort to be a part of the Survivor community," she said. The original Survivor black widow, Manthey popped off the screen on Survivor's most-watched season ever, The Australian Outback (season 2). She was the first true franchise 'villain,' although her antics (like accusing another player of smuggling in beef jerky) were positively tame compared to what would follow in future installments. Manthey then returned for Survivor: All-Stars, where she walked out of the live reunion episode after being booed by an unruly Madison Square Garden audience. But the player experienced an almost complete turnaround in her third appearance on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, as she went from the contestant audiences loved to hate to one they simply loved, as viewers were drawn to her quirky flirtmance with tribemate Benjamin 'Coach' Wade and she made it all the way to fourth place. Manthey referenced some of those early struggles on her video. 'I know what I've been through, and people that are old enough to watch season 2 when it was happening in real time — those people understand what I've sacrificed and what I've given up in my life for that show. Forgive me, it's really hard to feel underappreciated on that level.' The 54-year-old Survivor all-star also wondered out loud if age played a factor in her not being cast for a fourth appearance. 'Being a woman in your 50s is already sometimes difficult enough, because I've always heard the saying that when you get into your 50s, you become irrelevant, nobody notices you anymore, and I can feel that. And this is actually proof that it is happening.' Manthey continues and notes that her Survivor journey — of both playing and watching — is over. 'My Survivor chapters are closed," she said. "It was very clear that what Jeff Probst and [executive producer Matt Van Wagenen] thought was that I should be grateful because I am the only person to experience a three-season character arc. Oh! I should just be so grateful for that. But you know what? You know what's even better than that? Watching someone come full circle." "And that is what I was robbed of," she continued. "That is what was stolen from me. I don't know what else to say other than I just need to figure out a way to get through this.… Personally, I am done watching it. I am not going to watch any of it anymore. I refuse to support a franchise that doesn't support and get behind its pivotal people.' And it was not just her own omission that Manthey saw as glaring — she also called into question some of the other women who were not on the final list. 'There are so many amazing women," she said. "Not just myself. But other people. Maria! Maria is an amazing strong woman who was robbed of her win and deserved another chance. Abi-Maria! Can you imagine if Abi-Maria and I were on the same season? That would be epic. Karla! Karla is another one. If you want to go new era, get the women who kicked f---ing ass! Come on! This is so upsetting! Not just because I am not on it, but because who is and who isn't.' Probst was asked on CBS Mornings about how they went down from 750 players to just 24. 'We went from 200 on a list to 100, to 80, to 50,' he told host Gayle King. 'And then those last 26, they were brutal cuts. And they still are. There are so many people we could have put out there but there are only so many people you can put on the show.' Manthey was apparently one of those final cuts. And while Jerri's Survivor journey may be over, her own is far from it. 'Damn straight, I am not laying down,' she says near the end of her video. 'And if anyone is going to end my story, it is going to be me, not Jeff and [Matt Van Wagenen] and the people at CBS. They do not get the right to end my story.' Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Survivor 50' Cast Photos: All The Castaways Confirmed For CBS Competition
Survivor 50 is set to welcome back legendary players from the CBS competition, and host Jeff Probst recently revealed most of the cast. The cast of Survivor's landmark 50th season will feature 24 players competing for the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million prize. More from Deadline As 'After Midnight' Ends, 'Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen' Returns To CBS Late-Night Slot IBEW Touts "Landmark" New Tentative Agreement With CBS 2025 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming Notable players returning for Survivor include The White Lotus creator Mike White, first featured in Season 37: David Vs. Goliath. Other castaways include Season 1's Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, Season 2's Colby Donaldson, and competing for the fifth time, Cirie Fields. RELATED: Following her win on the inaugural season of Peacock's The Traitors, Fields is back for more Survivor after being featured in Seasons 12: Panama-exile Island, 16: Micronesia – Fans Vs. Favorites, 20: Heroes Vs. Villains, 34: Game Changers. RELATED: Survivor 50 is dubbed 'In the Hands of the Fans,' with viewers having an impact on the game like never before. Earlier this year, fans voted on key elements of the game, including 'Idols or No Idols,' 'Final Four Fire Making: Keep It or Lose It' and 'Live Finale and Reunion Show in L.A. – or Keep the Winner Reveal and Aftershow in the Jungles of Fiji.' The players won't know what the fans voted for until the competition starts. RELATED: Only 22 names were revealed for Survivor 50, with the two remaining players coming from Survivor 49, which will air this fall on CBS. Survivor 50 will premiere in Spring 2026. Scroll through the photo gallery below to meet the cast of . Best of Deadline 'The Morning Show' Season 4: Everything We Know So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
The White Lotus creator Mike White is returning to to iconic reality TV show
'The White Lotus' creator Mike White is returning for 'Survivor 50' The 54-year-old writer and director - who competed on the reality show's 'David vs. Goliath' season in 2018 - will be back to help the CBS franchise mark its 50th anniversary alongside 23 other returning players. On Wednesday (28.05.25), host and executive producer Jeff Probst told 'CBS Mornings': "Mike, after he finished playing, said, 'I want to play again'. 'When 'White Lotus' hit, and I thought, 'Well, he'll never play again.' "But he kept texting and saying, 'Look, I'm serious. If you ever do anything where you have returning players, I want to play again.' So we're happy to have Mike.' Before 'Survivor' in 2018, Mike was best known for his work as a screenwriter on the likes of 'School of Rock', 'Nacho Libre' and 'Pitch Perfect 3'. Three years after he made it to the end of the intense reality show, he found success as the creator, writer and director of anthology thriller series 'The White Lotus'. He's cast a number of his fellow 'Survivor' alumni in the HBO series, which could endear him to the other contestants in the upcoming 50th season. In 2021, Mike - who also appeared on 'The Amazing Race' in 2009 - opened up about his love for reality TV, and insisted taking part in Survivor' in 2018 wasn't done as a joke. He told The New Yorker magazine: "'Survivor' is the only show I really devotedly watch, even though I get frustrated with it. 'Part of my job and my way of life is studying people and analyzing motivation and character. I still feel like, even on the most contrived reality show, the people are human and they're more interesting than some of the most well-scripted drama. "And for me, as a writer of drama, I aspire to do what reality television already does. To create characters that are surprising and dimensional and do weird shit and capture your attention.' However, at the time he didn't expect Jeff to want him back on board for another stint. he said: "Probst is like, 'Let's be real—you're never going to go on the show again'. I was like, 'Really? Why?' "We are friends. We've become more friends since I was on the show, and he's an impressive guy. I think the fact that we've become close is probably why he says that. "I don't know. I don't think they want the Hollywood Goliath who knows Probst to win a season. "Now that Probst knows I can get to the end, I don't think he wants there to be a chance of that happening again.'
