Everyone lies on Survivor. The nature of the game is to be cunning, deceptive, and manipulative, yet wrapping it up in a charming, “butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth” package. Although those players often do well on the island, they are not necessarily liked and respected. Until Todd Herzog, that is.
The Survivor: China contestant managed to use his dirty plays for good by revealing all during an impassioned speech at the final Tribal Council. The honesty seemed to impress his tribemates as they crowned him the Sole Survivor.
Gambling for Your Life
Tribal Council is where the drama on the island all comes to a head. Nerves and tensions are high as contestants prepare to vote out one of their own, with each praying that their own name doesn’t appear on the scraps of paper that host Jeff Probst reads out.
In Survivor: Edge of Extinction, Chris Underwood knew that the only way he’d make it to the very end would be by getting Rick Devens voted out. Although Chris had won immunity, he gave it up to compete in one final challenge against Rick. Chris’s plan worked and he went on to win the season.
Fake It Till You Make It
The immunity idol is the most coveted possession on the island. Each nail-biting episode of the series sees the tribe members competing for the precious token by performing strenuous, cunning, and sometimes, even revolting activities. Considering there’s only one idol up for grabs, however, the odds are not really in one’s favor. Yau-Man decided to change that, though, while on Survivor: Fiji.
During his time in exile, the Malaysian native discovered a hidden immunity idol. Not only did Yau-Man have an advantage over his fellow tribemates, he shrewdly decided to plant a fake idol in its place.
What’s a Dead Grandma Amongst Friends?
There is no contestant in Survivor history who is more ironically named than Jonny Fairplay. The golden-locked star of Survivor: Pearl Islands received an outpouring of sympathy from his tribemates when he was informed during a loved one’s visit that his dear, old grandmother had passed away while he was on the island.
The devastating news naturally tugged on the contestants’ heartstrings and they let Jonny and his friend win the challenge. Unbeknownst to the islanders — or even Jeff Probst — grandma was actually alive and well at home! So much for fair play.
Seek and Ye Shall Find
The producers of Survivor don’t make the time on the island easy for the contestants, but they do give them opportunities to decide their own fate. One way is by finding the immunity idol that has been hidden somewhere amidst the overgrown trees and jagged rocks.
Because searching for a hidden idol is as much like looking for a needle in a haystack as it sounds, the tribemates are given clues. Survivor: Samoa’s Russell Hantz didn’t need any, however, as he began searching after the first tribal council and became the first player in history to find the idol without assistance.
Two Is Better Than One
Why play one immunity idol when you can use two?! When Parvati Shallow returned for Survivor: Heroes vs Villains, she had a huge target on her back. It’s just as well, then, that she had not one, but two, immunity idols hidden up her sleeve.
Just before merging with the Heroes, she and her Villain tribe mates devised a plan to make it seem as though she had already played her idol. Although suspicions arose, her choosing to save Sandra during Tribal Council had the Heroes believing Jerri was a goner — that is until Parvati pulled out a second idol!
Black Widow, Baby
Female Black Widow spiders are renowned for their ruthless nature. After mating, the venomous arachnids eat their male counterparts, giving credence to the saying that women shouldn’t be trusted… Eric Reichenbach should have heeded that advice on Survivor: Micronesia.
The remaining female tribe members had formed what was known as the Black Widow Brigade and had managed to convince Eric to give his immunity idol to Natalie Bolton under the promise of voting out Amanda Kimmel. Sadly, he did, with Eric’s gullibility making him easy prey for the Black Widows.
Honesty Above All
Everyone lies on Survivor. The nature of the game is to be cunning, deceptive, and manipulative, yet wrapping it up in a charming, “butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth” package. Although those players often do well on the island, they are not necessarily liked and respected. Until Todd Herzog, that is.
The Survivor: China contestant managed to use his dirty plays for good by revealing all during an impassioned speech at the final Tribal Council. The honesty seemed to impress his tribemates as they crowned him the Sole Survivor.
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
While on Survivor: Cook Islands, Cao Boi Bui had an ingenious idea. Knowing that one of his tribemates had a hidden immunity idol, he devised a plan to smoke it out by causing a split vote, forcing the idol into play to save someone.
According to the nail salon manager, Plan Voodoo, as he called it, came to him in a dream. Although Cao Boi was actually the one who ended up being voted out in that Tribal Council, the method he invented has been used in later seasons with success.
Using the Vote
Watching Rob Cesternino on Survivor: Amazon was a bit like observing a masterclass. The New Yorker managed to swing from alliance to alliance as easily as Tarzan launched from branch to branch. Rob’s ability to do so saw him persuade even those he had betrayed to vote out his biggest threats.
His cunning game plan took him to the final three, but, unfortunately, did not earn him the $1 million, with host Jeff Probst deeming him “the smartest player to never win”.
Harmful Hubris
Arrogance is a dangerous state of mind on the island. Many over-confident players have met their downfall thanks to their own hubris, including John Carroll from Survivor: Marquesas. He and his three Rotu tribe mates had a strong alliance by the time the two tribes merged, with the Rotu Four, as they became known, even alienating the remaining three Rotu members.
On the outskirts, the trio banded with the two new members from the other tribe and managed to vote out John who was clearly in shock that he had been outplayed.
The Pioneer
Players who join Survivor now have years worth of seasons to study in order to devise the best game plan to win. But when the first season of the reality show commenced, it was up to those first bunch of contestants to figure out how exactly to outwit, outplay, and outlast.
Richard Hatch had a vision of forming alliances and, as we now know, that is the way to go. It made him the worthy winner of Survivor: Borneo.
A Deal Gone Awry
Trust is a major component of playing the game, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned from watching Survivor over the years, it’s that no one can be trusted. Sandra Diaz-Twine learned that the hard way after she struck a deal with Denise Stapley on Survivor: Winners at War.
Sandra decided to offer Denise her immunity idol in exchange for two fire tokens so that she could vote out Tony Vlachos. Under the agreement, Denise would hand over the first token, and only provide the second after the idol proved to be real. Instead, she saved herself with the idol and voted out Sandra.
Outsmarting the Bid
Survivor contestants spend weeks away from their loved ones, which is often more difficult than dealing without food or a hot bath. And so, letters from friends and family are often one of the most prized possessions offered up for auction at the show’s bidding fest.
Being an avid fan of the series, Shirin Oskooi decided to shake things up on Survivor: Worlds Apart. Whereas these precious letters are typically sold to the highest bidder, Shirin encouraged her tribemates not to outbid the opening bid of $20, enabling everyone to receive their letters for just twenty bucks.
Forfeiting for the Future
Ethan Zohn is regarded as one of the nicest players in the game, which is part of the reason that he was eventually crowned the Sole Survivor of Survivor: Africa. But that’s not to say that the former professional soccer player didn’t have a strategic mind.
After his allies were placed on the other team during a tribe swap, numbers were not in Ethan’s favor. He thus convinced his remaining tribemates to throw a challenge and purposely head to Tribal Council to vote off Silas Gaither. Not only did they get rid of an annoying contestant, but the numbers were once again on Ethan’s side.
Eleventh Hour Plans
Tribemates are prohibited from speaking to one another on the way to Tribal Council, but that wasn’t always the case. Back in season 2, Survivor: The Australian Outback, Mitchell Olson was voted out with what seemed, to the audience, like no warning.
It was only when the eventual winner, Tina Wesson, cast her vote that she revealed to the camera how a discussion had taken place on the hike to Tribal Council in which she orchestrated the plan to snuff out Mitchell’s torch. Talk about leaving it till the last minute…
Whatever It Takes
There is a delicious irony about Survivor. Although it is a game where alliances are imperative, there is only one person who walks away with $1 million at the end of it all. Sandra Diaz-Twine never lost sight of that while competing on Survivor: Pearl Islands.
The US Army vet would often say “as long as it ain’t me” when her fellow tribemates and even allies were voted off. The attitude appears to have worked, however, as she became the show’s first two-time winner.
The Weakest Link
It is said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. While it is best to form a strong alliance that can take you to the final Tribal Council, every alliance has one member that is perhaps a tad weaker than the others.
Whilst on Survivor: Fiji, Stacy Kimball realized that Edgardo Rivera was the least threatening member of the Four Horsemen alliance, and so, although she and the members of her Syndicate expected the Horsemen to play their immunity idol, the quartet was blindsided when the majority of the votes had Edgardo’s name.
Dinner and a Show
Many enemies are made during the weeks spent on the island. With backstabbing and blindsiding being the nature of the game, it is highly likely that each contestant has upset at least one tribe mate. Should you manage to make it to the final Tribal Council, those odds increase tenfold.
The problem, however, is that those who are voted off form part of the jury, and it is their votes one is vying for in order to be named the Sole Survivor. During Survivor: Philippines, Malcolm Freberg offered the jury a show when he flashed his immunity idol and warned his tribemates against sending any votes his way.
3… 2… 1… Let’s Go!
Cirie Fields did not have an Excel spreadsheet during her time on Survivor: Panama, but we’re sure it would have come in handy based on the amount of strategizing she conducted. Cirie did not want Courtney Marit to reach the end with Shane Powers and Terry Deitz, and so she orchestrated what has come to be known as the 3-2-1 vote.
While the majority of the final six had agreed to vote off Aras Baskauskas, Cirie got Aras and Danielle DiLorenzo to put down Courtney’s name and told Shane that Danielle was the one to vote for, while Terry stuck to the original Aras plan.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Contestants spend weeks (even months!) working on their strategies, but sometimes it all comes down to the luck of the draw. Ciera Eastin became the kingmaker whilst part of the final six on Survivor: Blood vs Water, with both Hayden Moss and Tyson Apostol begging her to be on their respective sides.
When she eventually sided with Hayden and Katie Collins, Ciera initiated a tie, meaning the trio was forced to draw rocks to see who was going home. Katie was the unfortunate tribe member who picked the bad stone.
High Stakes
Would you risk your own game to save someone else? Many players would outright say no. But if done properly, the gamble can pay off in spades. Russell Hantz demonstrated how during his time on Survivor: Heroes vs Villains when he used his immunity idol to save Parvati Shallow.
Although “Boston” Rob Mariano thought it suicidal still the time, describing the Russell as “kamikaze”, the bold move worked and Russell was able to take control of the game.
Bonding Session
Many contestants prefer holding their cards close to their chest while battling out the elements (and their fellow tribemates) in order to put them in the best position to be named the Sole Survivor. While this has worked for some who change alliances as often as Jeff Probst changes shirts, others have employed a different tactic.
Denise Stapley preferred to bond with her tribemates during Survivor: Philippines, gaining their trust. It earned her respect, particularly when she called out Abi-Maria Gomes over her dubious behavior.
Everybody Makes Mistakes
Natalie Anderson was undoubtedly a smart player, but it was her playing dumb that got her out of hot water. The Survivor: San Juan del Sur contestant was part of a five-person alliance that had decided to vote off Keith Nale.
Realizing that Keith remaining in the game would benefit her, she decided to switch her vote to Alec Merling — but had to do so without upsetting her alliance. How did she pull it off? By telling them that she had voted for Alec by mistake. Somehow, her lie worked…
Bonding Through Tears
What forms the basis of a great alliance? Strategy? Friendship? Mutual enemies? Each season has its own method, but when it came to Survivor: Blood vs Water, familial bonds were the key. Tyson Apostol and Gervase Peterson had both had their loved ones voted off, and though the pair had become as thick as thieves (or Coconut Bandits), they needed numbers.
Enter Monica Culpepper into their alliance. She, too, had lost a loved one at Tribal Council, allowing the trio to form an emotional bond based on shared loss.
Undermining Emotions
Many viewers felt that Colby Donaldson should have won Survivor: The Australian Outback. How could you not root for the lovable Texan cowboy?! Yet, it was perhaps Colby’s humanity that got in the way of him walking away with the $1 million prize.
Instead of keeping alliance member Keith Famie in the game, Colby voted him out as he didn’t like him. The move, driven by emotion, allowed Tina Wesson to stay, with the strategic player winning in the end. Colby should have paid closer attention to Tina’s emotionless game plan.
Let’s Hear It for the Underdogs
No player should ever be underestimated in the game of Survivor. Even though it may seem that numbers are not in their favor, it is often when the chips are down that contestants throw all caution to the wind and pull some rabbits out of hats (or buffs).
Following the tribe swap on Survivor: Cook Islands, Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth, Yul Kwon, Sundra Oakley, and Becky Lee became the only remaining members of the original Aitukai tribe. Numbers being against them allowed the foursome to be underestimated, but their strategic prowess and ability to win immunity challenges led to them reaching the final four.
All in Jest
Some players are worth keeping around for the camaraderie factor. 39 days is a long time to be on a deserted island, so it helps to have people around who can keep others smiling and offer up some entertainment. Tony “Tasmanian Devil” Vlachos was that person on Survivor: Cagayan.
The police officer’s sense of humor endeared him to some of the stronger players in the game, which led to him reaching the final Tribal Council and walking away with the million.
If It Pleases the Jury
It could be argued that Nick Wilson had an unfair advantage when he competed on Survivor: David vs Goliath. His background as a public defender meant that Nick was well adept at dealing with juries and knows what to say (or not to say) in order to win a case.
The skill came in handy during Tribal Council when voted-out contestants would observe, and it was his ability to get the jury on his side that ultimately resulted in Nick winning the season.
Keeping the Faith
Contestants have formed bonds of a myriad of things — location, past illnesses, occupations. During Survivor: South Pacific, one of the strongest alliances was built on religion.
Benjamin “Coach” Wade and newcomers Brandon Hantz, Sophie Clarke, Albert Destrade, and Rick Nelson were devout Christians who endeavored to keep their alliance as formidable as their faith. The pledge to prayer worked as these five made it to the final stages.
Staying Under the Radar
Some of the best players have never won the game because they’ve been perceived as a threat — and rightly so. All that cunning strategy, while definitely needed, sends up red flags which makes one an obvious target when it comes to those evenings at Tribal Council.
And yet, no one really viewed Michele Fitzgerald as a threat, which perhaps they should have done in retrospect… Michele not having strong bonds (or animosity) with any of her Survivor: Koah Rong tribemates meant that no one viewed her as a threat. And that’s how she claimed the title of Sole Survivor.
Knowing When the Time Has Come
Abi-Maria Gomes was not the best-loved player during her tenure on Survivor: Cambodia. Having previously competed on Survivor: Philippines, Abi’s game plan became even more cut-throat the second time around, often blindsiding those who had betrayed her.
Tasha Fox, Spencer Bledsoe, Kimmi Kappenberg, and Jeremy Collins realized just how much of a threat Abi was turning out to be and turned the vote on her. It was this move that enabled Tasha, Spencer, and Jeremy to become the Final Three.
Girl Power
It is natural for people to gravitate towards others with whom they share things in common, and so, the chances of an all-female alliance are often highly likely. Although they don’t always have success, the one formed by Alicia Rosa, Chelsea Meissner, Sabrina Thompson, Kim Spradlin-Wolfe, and Christina Cha during Survivor: One World did.
The powerful quintet controlled much of the game, with one of their own taking the prize.
It’s All in the Timing
Hidden immunity idols are a total game-changer if used at the right time. Unfortunately for Ozzy Lusth, he got his timing wrong during Survivor: Micronesia. Having previously competed on Survivor: Cook Islands where he came second, his tribemates naturally viewed him as a threat.
Although Ozzy’s alliance had agreed to vote for Jason Siska, Cirie Fields saw it as an opportunity to get rid of Ozzy. Although Ozzy had found a hidden immunity idol on Exile Island, the unexpected blindside meant he didn’t play it.
The Detriment of Loyalty
Double-crossing is something that comes with the territory on Survivor. Although no one wants to be a victim of the dubious move, it should always be in the back of the competitors' minds. Tom Westman and Ian Rosenberger were always close on Survivor: Palau, but Tom’s strength definitely made him a threat.
When Tom learned that Ian was considering getting rid of him, the firefighter decided to force a tie between Ian and Jenn Lyon. Although Ian won the tiebreaker challenge, he felt so guilty about betraying Tom that he asked his friend to vote him out at the next Tribal Council.
Seeing Things That Aren’t There
Anything goes in Survivor. Almost. We’ve seen contestants manage to find hidden immunity idols with absolutely no clues to go on, and we’ve seen players try to trick each other by creating and planting fake immunity idols for their tribemates to discover (some more convincing than others…)
Adam Klein was, arguably, the most adamant about an immunity idol coming to his rescue. Knowing that his torch was likely to be snuffed out, the Survivor: Winners at War contestant was convinced there was an idol attached to the voting podium that he wanted to play. Jeff Probst informed him that, sadly, he was wrong.
Null and Void
With so many seasons under the belt, Survivor producers are constantly thinking of ways to keep the game fresh. Enter the Idol Nullifier. Knowing that Immunity Idols are the most prized possession, Survivor: Island of the Idols included an idol to quash all others.
When Dean Kowalski was sent to the Island of the Idols, he was given a choice between an Extra Vote, an Immunity Idol, or an Idol Nullifier. He chose the latter and used it against Janet Carbin whose own Immunity Idol was rendered useless.
What Not to Do
In the Survivor playbook, there is a giant red flag next to James Clement’s strategy. Note to future players: don’t try this at home (or on the island.) While competing in Survivor: China, James proved his cunning, strength, and stealth by finding both of the season’s Hidden Immunity Idols.
Having those babies in his possession, as well as being part of a strong alliance, meant that James was practically untouchable. If only he had actually played even one of the idols on the night that his alliance blindsided him…
Bowling for Sympathy
Far be it from us to be shocked when players decide to bend the truth while on the island. Anything for the game, right? The lie which Jonny Fairplay told on Survivor: Pearl Islands stands out in many people’s minds, but Russell Hantz pulled out some whoppers of his own.
During Survivor: Samoa, Russell’s strategy was to deceive his tribemates, even lying to them that he was a heroic fighter during Hurricane Katrina and conveying a made-up story of how he had tried to save his non-existent German shepherd amidst the devastation. Talk about pulling on heartstrings.
Taking One for the Team
Brandon Hantz was about as hot-headed as they come returning for Survivor: Caramoan after making it to the Final Five on Survivor: South Pacific. Brandon’s unpredictable emotional state is what led to his team voting him out. His rivalry with once-ally Phillip Sheppard turned ugly when the two had an altercation and Brandon threw out the tribe’s food reserves.
As a result, the tribe forfeited the immunity challenge to verbally vote out Brandon in an impromptu Tribal Council.
Live Tribal Council
As host Jeff Probst said during the iconic Tribal Council of Survivor: Edge of Extinction, “it’s way better just to watch” than ask questions. In retrospect, Julia Carter may have wished that she kept quiet as it was her comment about the original Manu alliance members merely being “passengers” that led to the chaos that ensued.
As the tribemates sat amongst the torches, plans were hatched over who to vote for. Julie Rosenberg declared out loud that she was jumping ship and Julia had sealed her own fate. Even Jeff said he’d never seen anything like it.
The Dumbest Move in the History of Survivor
One would think that having won a season before, J.T. Thomas would be more adept at playing the game. Alas, the Survivor: Tocantins winner was blindsided during his return to the island on Survivor: Heroes vs Villains where he was placed on the Heroes tribe.
J.T. believed that he and his alliance would be safe if they added a Villain, and sent a Hidden Immunity Idol with a note to Villain tribemate Russell Hantz. Being the player that he is, Russell stuck with the Villains after the merge and used J.T.’s idol against him.
A Disposable Idol
Having won Survivor: Gabon at 57, Bob Crowley holds the title of being the show’s oldest winner. He is also remembered for being shrewd enough to create not one, but two, fake Hidden Immunity Idols. One of them caused the end of Randy Bailey’s time in the game. Randy wanted to get rid of Susie Smith who had flipped on his alliance and gotten Marcus Lehman voted out.
Randy hatched a plan where he would attempt to make his tribemates’ lives miserable so they would vote him out, only for him to use the Immunity Idol he’d gotten from Bob and blindside Susie. Except that the piece of wood was not actually an Idol and Jeff Probst threw it into the fire.
Leave Nothing Unattended
Rupert Boneham is arguably the most loved contestant ever on Survivor. With his signature tie-dyed shirt and long beard, the troubled teens' mentor resembled the beloved Hagrid from Harry Potter.
Although he never won a season, Rupert endeared himself to viewers during his first appearance on Survivor: Pearl Islands when he embodied a modern-day pirate by deciding to steal the shoes that the opposing tribe had left in their boat and barter them with the locals!
Banking on Oneself
It takes a lot of self-confidence to do what Ozzy Lusth did on Survivor: South Pacific. This season featured Redemption Island where contestants who had been voted off had an opportunity to re-enter the game by competing in challenges against their fellow ousted tribemates.
No one truly wants to go to Redemption Island — except Ozzy. The photographer asked his tribe to purposefully vote him out — giving up his hidden immunity idol — so he could defeat Christine Shields Markoski on Redemption Island. The risky plan, deemed “Trojan Horse”, worked, and Ozzy returned like he promised he would.
Nothing’s Fair in Survivor and War
Like it or not, luck is definitely a part of the game. While strategy, strength, and sociability are perhaps the most important qualities to have on the island, sometimes it’s just not your day… and no one knows that better than poor Cirie Fields. The nurse holds a unique (albeit unfair) honor — she is the only Survivor player to ever be voted out without a vote being cast against her.
During the Final Six Tribal Council on Survivor: Game Changers, no one wrote down Cirie’s name to leave. But because the other five contestants all played some form of Immunity Idol, Cirie’s torch was unluckily snuffed out.
Mutiny at Your Own Risk
The option to immediately switch to the rival tribe has been offered to contestants four times throughout Survivor history — but only once did players actually seize the opportunity. During Survivor: Cook Islands, the islanders had 10 seconds to decide whether to mutiny, with Candice Woodcock and Jonathan Penner choosing to drop their Aitutaki buffs in favor of Rarotonga’s.
The pair had originally been members of Raro and wished to return to their alliance members, but doing so put them in the bad books of the Aitu Four alliance which actually made it to the Final Four.
Only as Strong as Your Word
Does anyone actually keep their promises on Survivor? While there may be a handful of contestants who have played with integrity and stuck to their word, Survivor is generally a pretty dirty game. Andria “Dreamz” Herd won himself no favors on Survivor: Fiji thanks to his reneging on the deal he had made with Yau-Man Chan.
With the end of the game approaching, Yau-Man offered Dreamz the brand-new truck which he had won in the Final Six reward challenge in exchange for Dreamz giving him immunity if he had it when it came to the Final Four. Dreamz went back on his word, which arguably cost him the million.
Always Stick to the Plan
A lot of thought and planning typically goes into deciding who to vote for during Tribal Council. In the hours leading up to the voting ceremony, it is normal to see players have whispered conversations with one another, away from fellow tribemates, as names are thrown about and alliances are double-crossed.
“Boston” Rob Mariano came up with a clever scheme on Survivor: Heroes vs Villains — force a voting tie between Russell Hantz and Parvati Shallow, where one would need to play an Immunity Idol to save themselves. Instead, Tyson Apostol went rogue, switching his vote at the last minute, and creating a scenario where he got himself voted out.
Eternal Flame
As Jeff Probst always says, “in this game, fire is life.” It was his ability to make a fire that ensured that Ben Driebergen scored a second chance at life on Survivor: Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers. With a massive target on his back throughout the season, Ben resorted to hunting for Hidden Immunity Idols to keep him in the game.
At the final Tribal Council on the island, however, the army veteran was idol-less. It was almost certain that Ben would be the one voted out that night, but producers switched up the voting process to a fire-making challenge in which Ben sparked a flame. He ultimately claimed Sole Survivor.
Bros Before Idols
Malcolm Freberg had a knack for finding Hidden Immunity Idols throughout the game, but it was, perhaps, the way he scored an idol during Tribal Council on Survivor: Caramoan that was the most memorable. Malcolm’s ally, Reynold Toepfer, was convinced that his head was on the chopping block and planned to use his Hidden Immunity Idol to save himself. That is, until Malcolm uttered the since-immortalized words, “Hold up, bro.”
The wavy-haired contestant then convinced Reynold to give him the idol as it was likely his night to go. This is despite Malcolm already having two Hidden Immunity Idols of his own!
The Most Important Vote of the Season
While alliances are usually based on strategy, friendship does come into it, as well. After all, contestants are spending 24 hours in each other’s space — bonds are likely to form. Yet, we’re fairly certain that when Wendell Holland formed a friendship with Laurel Johnson, it would end up being one of the most important relationships of his life.
Wendell, Laurel, and Domenick Abbate had all made it to the Final Three of Survivor: Ghost Island, where the final vote was tied between Domenick and Wendell. Laurel was tasked with deciding who would win the $1 million and based her decision on her friendship with Wendell.
An Outing that Led to an Outing
Secrets and lies are as numerous as the grains of sand on the island, and while some have the potential to screw over players in the game, others are just irrelevant. Jeff Varner appeared to mix up the two on Survivor: Game Changers and paid the price for his error.
Assuming that Zeke Smith and Ozzy Lusth had an alliance between themselves, a desperate Jeff outed Zeke as transgender during Tribal Council, claiming that his keeping it a secret was proof that Zeke is deceptive. The remaining tribemates and Jeff Probst were disgusted by Jeff’s actions, prompting them to vote him out without a formal vote needing to take place.
At the Mercy of Idols
With his buff physique and history of working as a special agent, Phillip Sheppard was a threat in both the physical and strategic aspects of the game. It was Malcolm Freberg (and his half a dozen Hidden Immunity Idols) that took him down on Survivor: Caramoan.
Phillip and his could-have-chosen-a-cooler-name alliance, Stealth R Us, definitely had an advantage numbers-wise, but when all three of their targets had Immunity (in part thanks to Malcolm whipping out a second Hidden Immunity Idol to save Eddie Fox), it resulted in Stealth R Us having to choose amongst their own and Phillip’s torch being snuffed out.