WHO WILL SURVIVE? Survivor cast: Who is taking part in the reboot on BBC?
HIT reality TV series Survivor is making its big comeback – over twenty years after it came off air.
The show, which ran for two series from 2001, saw a group of people stranded on a remote island where they had to fight for survival in a bid to win a huge cash prize.
Who the cast of BBC's Survivor?
Hosted by Joel Dommett, Survivor is the ultimate physical and psychological game.
It promises viewers a compelling test of brains, brawn and betrayal as players compete to outwit, outplay and outlast their rivals to be crowned the Sole Survivor and win £100K.
18 people, selected from across the UK, are marooned in a tropical location where they are divided into two tribes.
They must compete against each other in a range of physical and mental challenges for reward or immunity.
Ashleigh is making a big change from being a brand strategist to a Survivor contestant.
The Londoner told the BBC: "I love every opportunity to live life to the fullest and to challenge and push myself.
"Whether it’s in work e.g. starting my own business, in fitness with my boxing or in life and taking on skydiving,
"I have always wanted to test my limits. I suffer from imposter syndrome and struggle to believe in myself, so this is why I push myself, to try and find my limits.
"What better test to understand what I’m really capable of than the ultimate challenge - Survivor!"
Christopher, 36
Singer and songwriter Christopher hails from Bridgend.
He said: "I wanted to be a contestant on Survivor because I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone and face my fears.
"I wanted to undertake the hardest challenges, on land, in the air or in the sea. I want to prove to myself that I have got what it takes, that I can achieve anything.
"The idea of having nothing but the clothes on my back seemed a million miles away from what I do in real life."
He added: "Having all luxuries taken away and food restricted whilst having to undertake the toughest game show on earth just excited me.
"I thought it’s the best way to push myself, to learn how to survive and do challenges as I’m extremely competitive."
Doug, 32
Hailing from Isle of Mull, Doug is a flood risk consultant.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: "When I was younger I vividly remember watching the original UK Survivor back in 2002.
"As a family we loved the show, even going as far as re-enacting some of the original challenges.
"When I saw that it was returning to TV in the UK I wasted no time in putting my application in. Next thing I know – I’m on a desert island building a shelter from bamboo!
"I came on Survivor to make my family back home on Mull proud, and have the adventure of a lifetime."
Londoner Hannah is swapping the footy pitch for the ultimate physical challenge.
She said: "Survivor really became my go-to TV show to watch during lockdown.
"I got totally hooked, binge-watching season after season and the more I watched, the more I thought, 'I'd absolutely love to be on that show!'"
Jess, 38
Jess is a 38-year-old fitting model from London.
She told the BBC: "It’s the ultimate challenge of a lifetime and I fancied doing something wild as I approach 40.
"I also thought the 100K might come in handy!"
Speaking about how she prepared for the show, Jess said: "I increased my gym sessions and did more weightlifting to get physically stronger. Mentally, I just dug deep!"
Born in Vienna, but raised in Costa Rica, Laurence now hails from London.
The 29-year-old is an entrepreneur, who is doing a Master of Philosophy degree in Artificial Intelligence Ethics at Cambridge.
Laurence told the BBC: "Coming across Survivor and getting chosen to be one of the contestants was an enormous coincidence as I run a health-tech start-up selling anti-hangover capsules with the same name as the show!
"The show hit the spot as I felt I’d become too comfortable in life and I’ve come to depend on all sorts of unnecessary creature comforts."
He added: "It was time to shake things up a bit and prove to myself that I could live on bare necessities, in order to appreciate the luxuries of life."
Lee, 28
Boxer Lee thinks he has got what it takes for Survivor.
The 28-year-old from Belfast told the BBC: "I thought it was a great opportunity to test myself and let the world see me for who I really am.
"Survivor shows people at their most vulnerable selves and I was excited for the Irish and British public to see me as my true authentic self."
Leilani, 45
Hailing from Hertford, Leilani is a barista and cleaner at a yoga studio.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I haven’t watched Survivor so I didn’t realise there was a psychological aspect to the game.
"I thought it was just about living right on the beach and competing in physical challenges, so I had no game plan whatsoever."
Matthew, 21
Matthew comes from Cumbria and works in hospitality, which is a far cry from being a contestant on Survivor.
He told the BBC: "I wanted to be a contestant on Survivor because I knew this was the ultimate challenge!
"An amazing chance to really get stuck in and see what I’m made of. I turned 21 a few months ago and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my summer, I’m so thankful for the opportunity.
"I really wanted to push myself to the limits and I genuinely mean that – this is a dream.
"I was looking forward to playing the game of Survivor because there’s so much to think about, it tests you physically and mentally and I was ready for both challenges!"
Nathan, 35
Fitness Instructor Nathan hails from Manchester and thinks he's got what it takes to win Survivor.
The 35-year-old said: "I very much believe in the concept of Kaizen (a Japanese term for continuous improvement) and I try to apply this concept to every part of my life.
"When I reflect on when I’ve grown the most, it has always been on the back of significantly challenging times, adversity, or hardship.
"So, when the opportunity to be a part of one of the most challenging experiences someone can face, I needed no convincing."
Pegleg
At 54 years old, Pegleg is the oldest in the Survivor 2023 line-up.
He is a surf school owner who hails from St Agnes, and changed his name after having his foot amputated.
Speaking about why he wanted to be on Survivor, he told the BBC: "Life experience as a 54yr old; a Gen X attitude for just getting on with it and not whining and moaning about the hardship of it all."
Talking about how he prepared for the show, Pegleg added: "I built a couple of challenges in the garden and doubled my normal training schedule.
"Mentally I knew I had what it takes as a lifetime of overcoming preconceived ideas of disability has prepared me well."
Rachel, 40
Hailing from the seaside town of Whitstable, Rachel is an insurance claims handler.
She told the BBC: "I have always been an adventurous, strong, outdoorsy, sporty person who loves a challenge and my mum knew I had wanted to take part in a show like this for years so when she saw an advert for contestants online she tagged me in it.
"My motivation was that I wanted my children to know that not having a dad around does not mean that one parent isn’t enough and to show them that anything can be achieved if you put your mind to it."
Rach, 23
Glasgow personal trainer Rach, is bringing the muscle to Survivor - but she admitted she had never heard of the show before.
The 23-year-old said: "I had actually never heard of Survivor until the start of this year when I watched the Australian series and immediately knew that this would be something that I would enjoy.
"My boyfriend and I binge-watched every single series and I fell in love with the show. I love challenges and adrenaline rushes so taking part in Survivor was a perfect match for me."
Ren, 28
Ren is a 28-year-old network data scientist.
The Londoner said: "Survivor has been my all-time favourite show since I found it when I was 14, ‘obsessed’ is an understatement.
"It combines so many things I love into this intense and awesome package where you get to do stuff you don’t get to regularly as an adult.
"I also just love the mental and social aspects of the game – it's not about playing the game you want to play, it’s about playing the game the jury wants to see you play."
Richard, 36
Hailing from Scotland, Richard is a pensions manager and RAF Reservist.
He told the BBC: "I am always looking for a new challenge and this gave me the opportunity to challenge myself physically and mentally."
Speaking about how he prepared for Survivor, Richard said: "I am generally a resilient person so life set me up mentally.
"I continued to walk the Scottish Munros, run, gym and swim."
Sabrina, 45
As an ultramarathon runner, Sabrina knows how to take on a challenge.
The Stroud-native is also a charity founder, author, mum-of-four and grandmother-of-three.
Speaking about signing up to Survivor, Sabrina said: "It hit me at the right time!
"If you were told on a cold UK winters night about a show that was highly likely to be filmed on a tropical island, involved physical and mental challenges, and meant you couldn’t be contacted for the whole time you were there - wouldn’t you be interested?!"
Shai, 33
Shai is swapping the world of finance for the challenge of Survivor.
The Londoner said: "Being a super fan, I remember watching the show as an 11-year-old in Sri Lanka where I grew up 'till the age of 17 and have watched most previous seasons across the 23-year period.
"When the opportunity arose, I jumped at it! Who wouldn’t want to be stranded on a random island with nothing but basic rations against a bunch of random strangers, competing in the best game ever!"
Tinuke, 30
Tinuke is a professional roller skater and adventurer from London.
Speaking about going on Survivor, she said: "I have always loved the show alongside all other survival shows since I was a kid. I was so excited when I saw it was coming to the UK.
"I want to go on the show for my late parents and to prove to myself that I am so much stronger than I thought I was.
"This is a complete game-changer for me, I am ready to change my life and fill it with adventure and challenge and this is the first stepping stone to get me there."
When is Survivor on TV?
Survivor launches on Satur
October 28, 2023, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 8.25pm.
The second episode will air on Sunday, October 29, 2023, after the Strictly Come Dancing results show.
The series will then continue on Saturday and Sunday nights each week.
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