{"id":632451,"date":"2026-09-22T13:06:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T13:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/632451\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T13:06:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T13:06:21","slug":"survivor-51-full-cast-meet-the-21-new-castaways-battling-for-1-million","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/632451\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Survivor 51’ full cast: Meet the 21 new castaways battling for $1 million"},"content":{"rendered":"

Survivor<\/a> is entering a new era after its milestone 50th season, with 21 new castaways ready to compete for the $1 million prize.<\/p>\n

Season 51<\/a> brings together players ages 24 to 49, with a cast that includes a Grey’s Anatomy actor, a wrestler, a chef and a federal prosecutor.<\/p>\n

They’ll be the first to navigate Survivor’s “Open Era,” where the rules of the past are back in play. As host Jeff Probst explained during the Season 50 finale, “Anything that’s ever happened on Survivor can happen again \u2014 at any time, in any order, without warning.”<\/p>\n

Survivor 51 premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. The new season will once again consist of 90-minute episodes and stream on Paramount+.<\/p>\n

Here’s who is heading to the island \u2014 and what the 21 castaways have said about why they wanted to play.<\/p>\n

Aaliyah Puglia\"Aaliyah<\/p>\n

Aaliyah Puglia.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Hometown: Gloucester City, N.J.<\/p>\n

Current residence: Providence, R.I.<\/p>\n

For Puglia, part of Survivor’s appeal is its unpredictability. She called it “a show where the impossible happens” and a “twisted, chaotic and thrilling game of strategy.” Her ultimate ambition is straightforward: “It’s a huge accomplishment to win, and I want the title.”<\/p>\n

Alexis Levine\"Alexis<\/p>\n

Alexis Levine.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: Atlanta<\/p>\n

Occupation: Criminal defense attorney<\/p>\n

For Levine, Survivor tests much more than physical ability. “Survivor represents the best of the human spirit,” she said, adding that it requires “endurance, mental toughness and social awareness.”<\/p>\n

Ana Sani\"Ana<\/p>\n

Ana Sani.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada<\/p>\n

Current residence: Toronto<\/p>\n

Sani is ready to embrace both the competition and deception that come with the show. “Survivor is the perfect opportunity to lock into my competitive side,” she said. “I love games, and who doesn’t want to lie and deceive in a setting where it’s totally acceptable to do so?”<\/p>\n

An “Thien An” Nguyen\"An<\/p>\n

An “Thien An” Nguyen.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas<\/p>\n

Current residence: Fort Worth, Texas<\/p>\n

Occupation: Medical student<\/p>\n

Nguyen sees the show as a rare opportunity to experience something different from everyday life. “Very few opportunities in life let you connect to life in such a raw and authentic way,” she said. “It’s everything I love! New friends and the outdoors.”<\/p>\n

Angelica “Jelly” Loblack\"Angelica<\/p>\n

Angelica “Jelly” Loblack.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Hometown: Garland, Texas, and Midwest City, Okla.<\/p>\n

Current residence: Bloomington, Ind.<\/p>\n

Occupation: Sociology professor<\/p>\n

Loblack said Survivor has been part of her life “for as long as I can remember.” She added, “I want to play and win Survivor and experience it with the loved ones who introduced it to me while they’re still here.”<\/p>\n

Brady Booker\"Brady<\/p>\n

Brady Booker.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: Knoxville, Tenn.<\/p>\n

Booker grew up watching the show with his family and is looking forward to testing himself in a different kind of competition. “I love adventure in the outdoors. I love competition,” he said. “I love being pushed to my limit to show what I am truly capable of doing.”<\/p>\n

Carter Krull\"Carter<\/p>\n

Carter Krull.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Hometown: Rock Rapids, Iowa<\/p>\n

Current residence: Sioux Falls, S.D.<\/p>\n

Occupation: Livestock farmer<\/p>\n

Playing Survivor has long been on Krull’s bucket list. “You never know when your last day will be,” he said, “so better get rollin’ on the list!”<\/p>\n

Cristian Chavez\"Cristian<\/p>\n

Cristian Chavez.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: Salt Lake City<\/p>\n

Competition is the big draw for Chavez. “I love competition!” he said. “I also want to test my limits in this game and be pushed past my breaking point just to experience it.”<\/p>\n

Danny “Kilby” Kilby\"Danny<\/p>\n

Danny “Kilby” Kilby<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Hometown: Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada<\/p>\n

Current residence: London, Ontario, Canada<\/p>\n

Occupation: Game designer<\/p>\n

Kilby said appearing on the show is the “biggest dream of my whole life.” “Survivor has given me so much already,” Kilby said, explaining that he met his girlfriend while playing a fan-made Survivor game.<\/p>\n

Devin Way\"Devin<\/p>\n

Devin Way.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: Los Angeles<\/p>\n

“There is nothing else like this in the world,” said Way, who has acted in shows including Grey’s Anatomy and Queer As Folk. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play one of the best games in existence!”<\/p>\n

Eric Macksoud\"Eric<\/p>\n

Eric Macksoud.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: Windsor Locks, Conn.<\/p>\n

Occupation: Mental health counselor<\/p>\n

Macksoud’s interest in people is part of what attracts him to Survivor. “As someone who loves people and learning about what makes people tick, Survivor is the ultimate celebration of the human experience,” he said.<\/p>\n

Jenna Doore\"Jenna<\/p>\n

Jenna Doore.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Hometown: Perrysburg, Ohio<\/p>\n

Current residence: Toledo, Ohio<\/p>\n

Occupation: Wedding photographer<\/p>\n

Doore has watched the show with her family since she was 7 and remembers begging her parents to let her stay up for the finale. “Survivor is all about putting yourself outside your comfort zone and seeing who you become when you do,” she said. “That is why I want to play this game.”<\/p>\n

Kristin Flickinger\"Kristin<\/p>\n

Kristin Flickinger.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: Santa Barbara, Calif.<\/p>\n

Occupation: Crisis management<\/p>\n

Flickinger has been trying to get on Survivor almost since the beginning. “I have been applying for Survivor since the middle of Season 1,” she said. Over the years, the show “has become the lens through which I view and navigate the world \u2014 however, dysfunctional that may be.”<\/p>\n

Lewis Kelly\"Lewis<\/p>\n

Lewis Kelly.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: Puerto Rico<\/p>\n

Kelly said becoming a U.S. citizen helped turn his ambition to play into a reality. He described the opportunity as a chance “to really live and be an example of my American dream.” His philosophy going in? “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”<\/p>\n

Linnea Capobianco\"Linnea<\/p>\n

Linnea Capobianco.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: Jersey City, N.J.<\/p>\n

“This life, this limited time on earth, is all I am certain of,” Capobianco said. “Survivor provides all those things and more. It’s the ultimate challenge and opportunity of a lifetime that I am so ready for.”<\/p>\n

Maggie Nestor\"Maggie<\/p>\n

Maggie Nestor.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Hometown: Middleway, W.Va.<\/p>\n

Current residence: Charlestown, W.Va.<\/p>\n

Nestor said she has “loved” Survivor since she was 15. “I’ve been watching for 25 years and waiting for this opportunity of a lifetime,” she added.<\/p>\n

Mike Pinsky\"Mike<\/p>\n

Mike Pinsky.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: New York City<\/p>\n

Occupation: Baseball executive<\/p>\n

Pinsky said, “Getting to actually live this dream for real is a one-of-one life experience, and the thrill of this type of adventure sets my heart on fire!”<\/p>\n

Ori Jean-Charles\"Ori-Jean<\/p>\n

Ori-Jean Charles.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Hometown: Spring Valley, N.Y.<\/p>\n

Current residence: Spring Valley, N.Y.<\/p>\n

Occupation: Personal trainer<\/p>\n

Jean-Charles’s motivation centers on his family. “They sacrificed everything for me to be here today,” he said, calling Survivor an opportunity “to pay that back for all they have done.”<\/p>\n

Patt Cannaday\"Patt<\/p>\n

Patt Cannaday.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

Occupation: Federal prosecutor<\/p>\n

Cannaday’s reason for wanting to compete is simple. “I love challenge and new adventures,” he said. “This show is the challenge\/adventure of a lifetime.”<\/p>\n

Rob Antonson\"Rob<\/p>\n

Rob Antonson.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Current residence: Cumberland, R.I.<\/p>\n

Occupation: Airline gate agent<\/p>\n

Antonson admits island life will be a departure from what he’s used to. “I’m a total city boy, I have never been an outdoors type,” he said. He wants to prove to his children “that you can get out of your comfort zone, take chances and still succeed.”<\/p>\n

Sharonda Cox\"Sharonda<\/p>\n

Sharonda Cox.<\/p>\n

(Robert Voets\/CBS)<\/p>\n

Hometown: Pompano Beach, Fla.<\/p>\n

Current residence: Richmond, Ky.<\/p>\n

Occupation: Ob-gyn resident<\/p>\n

Cox hopes competing can also inspire “those little Black boys and girls” and people from low-income communities by showing “what we can do despite our disadvantaged beginnings.” She also has a personal goal: “I also want to stop going through the motions of life and meet the new, unapologetic Sharonda.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Survivor is entering a new era after its milestone 50th season, with 21 new castaways ready to compete…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":632452,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[47087,93,61,60,2094,10531,282],"class_list":["post-632451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-current-residence","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-occupation","tag-survivor","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632451\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}