Latest news with #Survivor:Davidvs.Goliath
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Mike White's Survivor 50 return has an obvious White Lotus problem
Mike White's Survivor 50 return has an obvious White Lotus problem One of the most consequential and fun Survivor castaways in the show's history is coming back for Survivor 50 and, in many ways, it wouldn't make sense to approach the milestone season without Mike White. Survivor: David vs. Goliath, the 37th season of the long-running reality show, is consistently ranked as one of the series' best. White is a large part of that. Back when season 37 aired in 2018, the filmmaker and actor was best known for writing 2003's School of Rock. That level of fame was probably still too much to sway the jury to give White the million dollars, but White — a personal friend of host Jeff Probst even before appearing on Survivor — impressively earned runner-up to winner Nick Wilson. No Ifs, Ands Or Buffs: 13 biggest snubs from the Survivor 50 cast What happened next is even more well-known by now. White went on to create the HBO smash hit The White Lotus and continually gave cameos and roles to his fellow Survivor: David vs. Goliath castaways. Now White is among the 24 contestants back for season 50, more famous than ever and with a bargaining chip as obvious as it is irrefutable. So how will Survivor handle a player who can offer a prize arguably more enticing than a million dollars? A spot on a prestige TV show attracting some of the biggest celebrities on screen sounds like heaven when you're stuck on an island for weeks without food. Especially when fellow Survivor 50 castaways Angelina and Christian already made appearances on The White Lotus. This immediately became a talking point among fans and previous castaways. Typically, the game polices itself well when other celebrities have played, proving fame to be quite a disadvantage. No one wants to give a million dollars to someone who already has much more than that in their bank account. Former Miami Marlins president David Samson was voted out first in season 28. Former Barack Obama speechwriter and current podcaster Jon Lovett was voted out first in season 47. Jimmy Johnson made it to Day 8 before his torch was snuffed in season 21. But those were all traditional seasons. In an all-star season, every contestant is a familiar face. Everyone's backstory is well-established. There's no hiding your real world self. Which means there are two likely ways White's return could play out. First, it wouldn't be surprising to see White go home as soon as possible. He comes in with the biggest target on his back and as arguably the biggest draw of the season. But many castaways will want to form an alliance with him. The other scenario is that White becomes the latest in a long line of Survivor goats, kept along for the ride until the end, but with ultimately no shot to win. How White handles this all is just as fascinating. Will his game be over before he even has a chance to really play? Will he lean into The White Lotus talk or refuse to acknowledge the show? All of it undoubtedly creates more intrigue for season 50, but lays traps everywhere — for the show's producers, the latest crop of contestants and, of course, White himself.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'White Lotus' creator Mike White returning to compete on 'Survivor 50'
The White Lotus creator and showrunner Mike White has been officially cast as a returning castaway competing on Survivor 50 — a milestone season of the long-standing reality competition series on CBS. Sign up for the to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment — delivered three times a week straight (well…) to your inbox! White — who's an out bisexual man — was featured on various reality shows over the years. Specifically, he competed on The Amazing Race 14 (placing sixth overall), The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business (10th place), and Survivor: David vs. Goliath (finishing as runner-up). White's latest reality TV stint, on Survivor, aired back in 2018. Three years later, White became even an even biggest household with the massive success of The White Lotus season 1 on HBO. CBS (L-R) Mel White and Mike White on The Amazing Race; Mike White on Survivor: David vs. Goliath. This will be White's first-ever reality TV stint following the huge success of The White Lotus, so he might not be able to hide in the crowd while playing with other returning Survivor cast members. We can't wait to see how this turns out! is scheduled to premiere in 2026 on CBS and .
UPI
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Watch: Mike White, Dee Valladares among 'Survivor' Season 50 cast
"The White Lotus" creator and "Survivor: David vs. Goliath" contestant Mike White will compete in "Survivor" Season 50. File Photo by Phil McCarten/UPI | License Photo May 28 (UPI) -- CBS has unveiled the cast of Survivor Season 50. Survivor host Jeff Probst announced 24 returning contestants in a video that debuted Wednesday on CBS Mornings. The White Lotus creator Mike White (Season 37), Season 45 winner Dee Valladares, and four-time contestants Cirie Fields (Seasons 12, 16, 20, 34) and Ozzy Lusth (Seasons 13, 16, 23, 34) will compete in the new season. The other contestants include Colby Donaldson, Aubrey Bracco, Q Burdette, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Tiffany Irvin, Kamilla Karthigesu, Kyle Fraser, Rick Devens, Joseph Hunter, Jonathan Young, Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, Genevieve Mushaluk, Emily Flippen, Christian Hubicki, Charlie Davis, Chrissy Hofbeck, Benjamin "Coach" Wade and Angelina Keeley.
Buzz Feed
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Fans Can't Stop Talking About These "Survivor" Cameos On "The White Lotus" — So Here's The Whole List
Before The White Lotus series creator/writer/director Mike White was living it up at a White Lotus resort, he was trying to outwit, outlast, and outplay his fellow castaways on Season 37 of Survivor. CBS / Via Season 37, also known as Survivor: David vs. Goliath, was a play on the biblical story. Basically a tribe of 10 underdogs vs. a tribe of 10 overachievers. Mike actually killed it on his season. He made it all the way to the final Tribal Council, but ultimately lost to Nick Wilson, seven votes to three, and none for Angelina Keeley. White may not have claimed the title of The Sole Survivor, but those 39 days stranded on a beach and hunting for immunity idols left a hugggggeeee impact him. That being said, if you pay close attention during The White Lotus episodes, you'll spy some familiar Survivor faces! It's true! Mike White snuck in some of his friends and tribe-mates as cameos. As a long-time Survivor fan, I screamed and pointed at the TV the first time I spotted a castaway. So without further ado, here's a list of all the Survivor cameos Mike White has snuck (so far) into The White Lotus. Cue my mom with a thousand questions: "Who is that? Why do they look familiar? What do I know them from?" Don't worry, I'm not gonna make you play a game of I Spy: Survivor. Let's get started: CBS / Via Watching Jennifer Coolidge run a Survivor obstacle course is all I want for my birthday. 1. Alec Merlino Survivor: Merlino and White were both on the Goliath tribe together during Survivor: David vs. Goliath. The White Lotus: Merlino played Hutch, showing up in Season 1, Episode 2 when he returned a lost bag to Armond (Murry Bartlett). Hutch also shows up as a waiter and bartender in four additional episodes. 2. Angelina Keeley Survivor: Angelina was another Goliath tribe member. You may remember her best for the infamous coat drama: Angelina voted out Natalie Cole, and then begged for Natalie's jacket as her torch was being snuffed. Talk about timing. Angelina made it all the way to the Final Tribal Council, but earned zero votes (or coats) from the jury. The White Lotus: during Season 2, Angelina played a rich guest chatting with a friend before guest Daphne (Meghann Fahy) interrupts their yapping. 3. Kara Kay Survivor: Kara was a Goliath tribe member — are you noticing a trend yet? Mike White was literally the reason Kara got eliminated. Kara and Mike went head-to-head in a fire-making challenge for a spot in the final four, which she ultimately lost. Kara was sent to the jury, coming in fourth place, and never had a single vote cast against her. The White Lotus: Kara lounged with Angelina on the Italian coast in Season 2. Kay had a handful of lines, including telling Daphne they "just flew in this morning." 4. Natalie Cole CBS / Getty Images Survivor: Natalie was a member of the Goliath tribe, but was eliminated pre-merge. Angelina reeealllly wanted her jacket. Natalie straight-up ignored her, and did not give Keeley the jacket. The White Lotus: Natalie had a brief moment in the Season 3 premiere as a stunnnnning hotel guest that catches Belinda's (Natasha Rothwell) eye at dinner. 6. Christian Hubicki Survivor: Christian was a David tribe member. In the season opener, Christian was quickly labelled as an underdog. He then proceeded to dominate in the opening challenge by solving a slide puzzle in under five seconds. Turns out, Christian created slide puzzles for fun. He ended up placing seventh. The White Lotus: Christian made a super quick cameo at a party during Season 3, Episode 5. When fans pointed him out, Christian played it down on Blueskly by joking, "No, that's Sam Rockwell."
