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The cast of the milestone 50th season of Survivor has called out one player they were surprised to see made the cut.
In May 2025, the show’s host and executive producer, Jeff Probst, announced the full cast of the reality show’s upcoming season on CBS Mornings. The season, titled “In the Hands of the Fans,” will feature a lineup filled with fan favorites.
With the new season set to premiere February 25, the cast recently opened up to People about their fellow competitors. When asked who cast members were surprised to see return, one name consistently emerged: Kyle Fraser.
Fraser recently won season 48 of the reality show in a final jury vote of 5-2-1, which awarded him the $1 million prize.
“Kyle, why? You just won yesterday!” four-time Survivor player, Cirie Fields said. “The ink ain’t even dry on your check yet. What are you trying to prove, Kyle? That makes you public enemy No. 1 for me.”
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Kyle Fraser won season 48 of the CBS reality show (CBS)
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Many members of the upcoming 50th season of ‘Survivor’ expressed disappointment that Fraser was asked to return having won so recently (Robert Voets/CBS)
Two of Fraser’s fellow season 48 cast members also agreed that they were not thrilled to see him as part of the cast.
“I am upset that Jeff did not disclose [that Kyle was returning] when he asked me, ‘Do you want to come play 50?’” Kamilla Karthigesu, who finished fourth on season 48, said.
Joe Hunter agreed, telling People, “It’s like I was on national television, and Kyle gave me a wedgie, and then Kamilla came up and pulled it over my head…I won’t come after them, but how could I trust them?”
Survivor follows a group of contestants divided into “tribes” based on the season’s theme, who are stranded on an island and tasked with surviving by building shelters and foraging for food. Alongside these survival efforts, they compete in a series of mental and physical challenges. Each week, contestants are eliminated through a tribal vote until only one remains. The last contestant standing is crowned the Sole Survivor and awarded the $1 million prize.
Another notable season 50 contestant is Mike White, the creator of The White Lotus. White previously competed on Survivor’s 37th season, which was titled “David vs. Goliath.” The season’s premise saw the David tribe, made up of some of life’s underdogs, face off against a group of overachieving “Goliaths.”
He finished the season in second place with three jury votes, while Nick Wilson secured the title of Sole Survivor with seven votes.
“Mike, after he finished playing, said, ‘I want to play again,’” Probst previously recalled. “When White Lotus hit, and I thought, ‘Well, he’ll never play again.’ But he kept texting and saying, ‘Look, I’m serious. If you ever do anything where you have returning players, I want to play again.’ So we’re happy to have Mike.”
Survivor’s milestone season premieres February 25 on CBS.