You would never expect the worlds of pop star Billie Eilish and reality series Survivor to cross over, but here we are for a very special 50th season of the show.
The newest instalment is dubbed Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans to commemorate 25 years of the show and will feature game mechanics and production designs chosen by an online public vote.
All 24 castaways are returning players and viewers will see some very familiar faces among them, including White Lotus creator Mike White, when the series premieres February 26 on Stan.
Survivor 50 features 24 returning players looking for another shot at US$1m. (Stan)
Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans premieres February 26, only on Stan.
Other players include fan favourite Cirie Fields, who most recently competed on Australian Survivor and original castaway Jenna Lewis from season one.
As always, Survivor 50 will be hosted by Jeff Probst and have a $1 million USD (AU$1.4m) prize for a Sole Survivor.
Celebrities will also be part of the mix with big names like MrBeast, Billie Eilish and Jimmy Fallon contributing to the season’s twists.
Billie Eilish will play a role in Survivor 50. (Getty)
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Probst has teased that Eilish’s involvement becomes clear in the series’ historic three-hour premiere episode and will revolve around an Immunity Idol.
”It was really fun to communicate with [Billie] about how she could be involved, and she wanted to be involved with an idol,” he told audiences at SCAD TVfest in February 2026.
Mike White’s return to Survivor
Fans were surprised and delighted when White Lotus creator Mike White was announced as one of Survivor 50’s returning faces.
He is seeking redemption after finishing runner-up of the series’ 37th season David vs. Goliath.
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The writer, producer, director and actor has long been a superfan of reality TV competitions. He appeared on The Amazing Race with his dad, Mel, in 2009 and again in 2011, but has spoken many times about Survivor being his ultimate obsession.
After hounding producers for years, White scored himself a spot in the 2018 cast.
Mike White has won three Emmys for The White Lotus. (Getty)
“The truth is I was a Survivor fanatic from the beginning,” he told IndieWire in 2018.
“After watching around 35 seasons, my philosophy is, don’t just be a spectator – be a participant. It took a while for me to convince them. But I was down to do it for years.”
Besides The White Lotus, White has more than 50 other writing, producing and acting credits to his name.
White’s is now best known as the creator of The White Lotus. (HBO)
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Most notably, he wrote beloved Jack Black film School of Rock and also starred as Ned Schneebly, the roommate of Black’s character Dewey Finn.
He also wrote the film The Good Girl, which stars Hollywood heavyweights Jennifer Aniston, Zooey Deschanel and Jake Gyllenhaal, and has writing credits on films including Pitch Perfect 3, Despicable Me 4 and The Emoji Movie.
Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans premieres February 26, only on Stan. New episodes weekly.
Nine Entertainment Co (the publisher of this website) owns and operates the streaming service Stan
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