{"id":692054,"date":"2026-05-24T19:38:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T19:38:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/692054\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T19:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T19:38:21","slug":"5-couples-who-found-lasting-love-on-survivor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/692054\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Couples Who Found Lasting Love on \u201cSurvivor\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Between the extreme heat and gnarly wildlife encounters, Survivor<\/a> isn’t exactly the most romantic setting for falling in love \u2014 still, a few showmances have withstood the test of time.<\/p>\n

Survivor sweethearts \u201cBoston\u201d Rob Mariano<\/a> and Amber Mariano<\/a> (n\u00e9e Brkich) have competed on a combined eight seasons. Their love story began on All-Stars, which was filmed in 2003 and culminated in a 2004 proposal<\/a> during the live finale in front of their families and a studio audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegardless of what happens here tonight with the vote, I feel like I already won. I have the most special girl in the entire world sitting here right next to me,\u201d Rob told host Jeff Probst<\/a> before the votes were read (and Amber was ultimately crowned the winner).<\/p>\n

The Survivor power couple recently celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary<\/a>, with Rob calling their decades-long relationship \u201c#TheUltimateAlliance\u201d in a heartfelt Instagram<\/a> tribute.<\/p>\n

But they aren’t the only castaways to fall in love after meeting on the island. Survivor veterans Joe Anglim and Sierra Dawn Anglim (n\u00e9e Thomas) struck up a romance after competing in rival alliances on season 30 (Worlds Apart). More recently, Matthew Blankinship and Frannie Marin developed a showmance<\/a> on season 44.<\/p>\n

There are even couples who got together after competing on different seasons of the show. Alex Bell from Survivor: The Amazon and Kim Powers from Survivor: Africa fell in love and got married in 2006; meanwhile, Teeny Chirichillo<\/a> of Survivor 47 and Stephanie Berger of Survivor 48 have been together since August 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it happens on Survivor, romance is kind of interesting. Because they’re not out here looking for it, and they know they’re risking their game to have it,\u201d Probst told Entertainment Weekly<\/a> in May 2024. \u201cSo it tells you how big that connection is that it can override their sensibility of playing this dangerous game because they might be falling in love with someone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s everything to know about the castaways who found love after meeting on the same season of Survivor.<\/p>\n

01 of 05<\/p>\n

Matthew Blankinship and Frannie Marin\"Matthew<\/p>\n

Matthew Blankinship and Frannie Marin
Credit: Frannie Marin\/Instagram; Robert Voets\/CBS via Getty<\/p>\n

Blankinship and Marin have been dating since June 2022<\/a>. They teamed up in a self-described \u201cnerd\u201d alliance in season 44.<\/p>\n

A surprise twist in the game led to Marin and Blankinship getting separated, with Blankinship becoming the first jury member. Their relationship didn\u2019t turn romantic until after Marin reunited with Blankinship at Ponderosa.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finally admitted our feelings for each other and went on a beautiful first date picnic<\/a>. Shortly after, we started dating and sealed it with a kiss,\u201d the couple told PEOPLE in May 2024.<\/p>\n

As for whether they\u2019d ever play Survivor together again, Marin jokingly said no, because \u201c[Blankinship] is distracting, and I want to win!\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple currently live together in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

02 of 05<\/p>\n

Joe Anglim and Sierra Dawn Anglim\"Joe<\/p>\n

Joe Anglim and Sierra Dawn Thomas
Credit: Tasia Wells\/Getty; Sierra Dawn Anglim\/Instagram<\/p>\n

Joe and Sierra have been together since 2017.<\/p>\n

They met on Survivor: Worlds Apart (2015) while competing in opposing alliances. In fact, Sierra had a hand in voting Joe out of the game.<\/p>\n

However, they formed a close friendship in the real world and eventually began dating. \u201cWhen people say to fall in love with your best friend, they aren\u2019t lying. It was the best thing going into dating, having a solid foundation and knowing each other so well,\u201d the couple told PEOPLE in May 2024.<\/p>\n

After getting engaged in April 2019<\/a>, Joe and Sierra married on Nov. 23, 2019<\/a>. They welcomed their first child, a daughter named Della Dawn<\/a>, in May 2021. Their son, Vander Joseph<\/a>, was born in August 2022.<\/p>\n

03 of 05<\/p>\n

“Boston” Rob Mariano and Amber Mariano\"Rob<\/p>\n

Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich ; the couple and their four daughters
Credit: Monty Brinton\/CBS Photo Archive via Getty; Rob Mariano\/Instagram<\/p>\n

On season 8, All-Stars<\/a>, Amber not only walked away with the title of \u201cSole Survivor\u201d and the $1 million prize<\/a>, but a fianc\u00e9 as well. Rob proposed during the live reunion at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in May 2004.<\/p>\n

Their 2005 wedding in the Bahamas was televised in the CBS special Rob and Amber Get Married. Rob and Amber competed together in two seasons of The Amazing Race and returned for Survivor: Winners at War in 2020.<\/p>\n

They share four daughters<\/a> \u2014 Lucia, Carina, Isabetta and Adelina \u2014 who surprised their parents during a family visit<\/a> on season 40.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a full-circle moment. The show that gave us each other and our four girls, all together on the island, just felt perfect,\u201d Mariano recalled during a February 2026 interview for PEOPLE’s Love Week.<\/p>\n

04 of 05<\/p>\n

Keith Tollefson and Whitney Duncan\"Whitney<\/p>\n

Whitney Duncan and Keith Tollefson
Credit: Monty Brinton\/CBS via Getty; Whitney Duncan\/Instagram<\/p>\n

Keith Tollefson and Whitney Duncan, who competed on Survivor: South Pacific in Samoa, had an immediate connection.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe fell in love while filming in June 2011. He held my hand on night three of the game and the rest is history. I knew deep down he was my soulmate,\u201d Duncan told PEOPLE in May 2024.<\/p>\n

However, Duncan was still married at the time<\/a>. “I had to go home and end a relationship so that we could move forward,” she said.<\/p>\n

Tollefson and Duncan dated for two years before getting engaged on Valentine\u2019s Day 2013. They married on July 27, 2014<\/a> \u2014 right after they competed on The Amazing Race season 25. They have since welcomed two kids: son Duncan and daughter Vada Von.<\/p>\n

Looking back on their journey, Duncan told PEOPLE that their showmance was “completely unexpected,\u201d but now, \u201cwe have the coolest story ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

05 of 05<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Beisel and Jack Nichting\"Elizabeth<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Bleisel and Jack Nichting
Credit: Frame and Anchor<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Beisel and Jack Nichting both competed on Survivor: Islands of the Idols. However, the pair didn\u2019t strike up a romance<\/a> until after the show aired in 2019\u00a0 \u2014 as they were never on the same tribe and Nichting was eliminated pre-merge.<\/p>\n

The couple got engaged in July 2022 on Cape Elizabeth in Maine. They tied the knot in a \u201cwhimsical\u201d barefoot beach wedding<\/a> in their home state of Rhode Island on Sept. 7, 2024.<\/p>\n

“Being married means no matter what, we always have someone we can lean on, count on, and trust in\u2026we both have a guaranteed cheerleader [in each other],\u201d Beisel told PEOPLE.<\/p>\n

Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n