SURVIVOR, the reality hit fronted by Joel Dommett, is back.
It started out in 2001 with two series on ITV and featured a group stranded on a remote island, battling to survive and win a £1million prize.
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Now, the BBC reboot is here and the official contestant line-up can finally be revealed.
The ultimate physical and psychological contest has invited 18 people, carefully selected from across the UK, to be marooned in a tropical location.
Meet the contestants that will be battling it out head to head…
Ashleigh, 34, Brand Strategist
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The London-based business-woman is embarking on the show in a bid to live life to the fullest and to continue to “challenge” and “push” herself.
Describing herself as an upbeat and positive person, Ashleigh has Coeliac disease and revealed that she suffered a “gluten flare-up” three weeks before the show, which “massively impacted” her training.
Despite this, the brand strategist admitted to being highly self-motivated, stating: “A little healthy competition never hurt anyone! I have always had a strong drive to succeed and a willingness to work hard to achieve my goals.
“I’m highly self-motivated, resilient, determined and am always looking for ways to improve and outperform others.”
Christopher, 36, Singer and Songwriter
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Christopher is a fitness fanatic and loves the outdoors.
He is highly competitive and exclaimed when chatting about the show: “I am one not to be messed with, I play to win!”
The singer and songwriter told the BBC: “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.”
Doug, 32, Flood Risk Consultant
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Doug reminisced about watching the show back in 2002, and how his love for Survivor has transcended the years and spurred him on to apply.
He explained: “When I was younger I vividly remember watching the original UK Survivor back in 2002. When I saw that it was returning to TV in the UK I wasted no time in putting my application in.”
The 6ft4 rugby player and pilates lover also detailed his preparation for the show’s strict survival diet, stating: “To prepare I went on a strict “see-food” diet where I’d try and eat as much food as possible (my final weight before entering the game was 107kg – the heaviest I’ve ever been.)”
Hannah, 30, Semi-Professional Footballer
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Hannah, who admitted that the battle with hunger was one of the hardest part of the show, is a gym-loving Semi-pro footballer from London.
Her survival strategy whilst on the show was based on using her communication skills, authenticity and social charm to
build strong alliances.
She explained: “I wanted people to trust me and feel comfortable working with me.
“At the same time I didn’t want to be underestimated physically so I aimed to showcase my strength when necessary.”
Jess, 36, Fitting Model
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Jess, who claims to bring “fun, laughter and positivity” to the show admitted to embarking on the “ultimate challenge of a lifetime” as she “fancied doing something wild” as she approaches her 40th birthday.
To prepare for the intense series she increased her gym sessions and incorporated weightlifting to get physically stronger.
Talking about her preparation mentally, she said: “Mentally, I
just dug deep!
Laurence, 29, Entrepreneur
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The Vienna born, London-based entrepreneur was originally raised in Costa Rica and is currently doing an MPhil in Artificial Intelligence Ethics at Cambridge University.
Explaining his reasoning behind embarking on the survivor journey, they stated: “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.”
Lee, 28, Professional boxer
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Lee is headed on the survival challenge to “test” himself and “let the world see him for who he really is”.
Chatting about the high-pressure contest, Lee said: “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.”
Hoping to bring teamwork, a positive mental attitude and good energy to the game, Lee is sure that is boxing training has prepared him for the challenges.
Leilani, 45, Barista and Yoga Studio Cleaner
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Leilani has revealed she was encouraged by a friend to apply for the show.
She also explained how she was at a crossroads in her life, so the show came at the perfect timing.
The Barista stated: “I was at a crossroads in my life and
looking for a new direction so it came along at the perfect time.”
Chatting about what she will bring to the game, she said: “Tongue in cheek humour, general immaturity and ignorant bliss mixed with lots of love, cuddles and unity.”
Matthew, 21, Hospitality
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The hospitality worker has a glass half-full perspective and is hoping to bring his fair share of positivity to the challenge.
He is also hopeful that he can keep the rest of the contestants entertained.
Matthew explained: “I’ve got some cool party tricks up my sleeve… I can juggle knives and can balance anything on my head so I thought hopefully I can keep the tribe entertained. I love to laugh and am very determined.”
Nathan, 35, Fitness Instructor & Operations Manager
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Sporting determination, resilience, positivity and optimism as his tool-kit to survive the challenge, Nathan manages to keep himself motivated with daily positive affirmations and by building strong relationships.
Explaining why he chose to face the survival challenge, he 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.”
He also thoroughly prepared for the game with an intense training programme.
Pegleg, 54, Surf School Owner
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Bringing “life experience as a 54yr old” and a “Gen X attitude” to the table, Pegleg states he will “just get on with it” with no whining and
moaning about the “hardship of it all”.
The surf pro is totally committed to the challenge and spoke about his mental and physical dedication when it comes to surfing.
He told the BBC: “Going into the show I was World Champion in my surf division and I gave up the opportunity of retaining the title to be on Survivor as I had to miss 3 competitions whilst we were filming.”
Rachel, 40, Insurance Claims Handler
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Looking to survive on the show with strength, being a team player, honesty and encouragement, Rachel described herself as “sporty” and highly competitive.
Chatting about what she learnt from the show, she said: “That I am capable of anything and my gut instinct is always right.”
Rach, 23, Personal Trainer
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Describing her physical strength as her strongest attribute, Rach took on the survivor challenge after falling in love with the Australian version of the show.
When asked about her survival strategy, Rach teased: “The most important thing to me going into the game was to be myself and to know my strategy – you’ll have to tune in to find out more!”
Ren, 28, Network Data Scientist
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The survivor fanatic is eager to face the mental and physical challenges of the show.
Describing their love for the programme as an obsession, Ren loves the outdoors – so wanted to help people feel at ease whilst living with next-to-nothing.
Richard, 36, Pensions Manager and RAF Reservist
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Looking to ace the show with great communication, good team playing and empathy, Richard is looking forward to being tested in a multitude of different ways.
Chatting about the show, he added: “I am generally a resilient person so life set me up mentally. I continued to walk the Scottish Munro’s, run, gym and swim.”
Sabrina, 45, Ultramarathon Runner, Charity Founder, Author
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The multi-skilled Mum-of-four and Grandmother of three said she believed her social skills would help her “immensely” in the game.
She also added: “My nurturing maternal side and my fearless ability to rough it with the best of them!”
Sabrina prepared herself for the show by running two multi-stage 300K off-road trail ultramarathons.
One of them being in the remote Scottish highlands where she camped out and ate rations.
Shai, 33, Finance Risk Manager
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Super fan Shai stated he prepared for the show by sharpening his mental and physical skills with puzzles.
Chatting about his love for the show, they explained: “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, Professional Roller Skater and Adventurer
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Tinuke detailed here intense psychological preparation for the show, explaining: “To prepare I have watched every season of Survivor and I read FBI interrogation persuasion techniques and body language books to give me the upper-hand.”
Whilst being an expert in balance due to Roller skating and adventuring, Tinuke is also up for a good time.
They said: “I’m a disco dynamite London babe, always up for a good laugh and can brighten up a group with vibes, singing, twerking, a cartwheel and laughter!”
The Sun revealed in April that the BBC was rebooting the Survivor format, with a big-budget makeover. It is the latest show to be revived, with Gladiators, Deal Or No Deal and Big Brother all in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, the comic Joel will be heading to the Dominican Republic for the show.
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