“Survivor” Season 48 will debut Wednesday, February 26 with a bold new group of competitors who have come to play.
Ages range from youngest castaway, 24-year-old PhD candidate Eva Erickson to oldest, 55-year-old fire lieutenant Chrissy Sarnowsky. Occupations run the gamut from attorney to stunt coordinator to flight attendant to surgeon.
All will be competing to be the sole survivor who takes home the $1 million prize.
Get out your scorecards. Here’s your introduction to your season 48 lineup:
Stephanie Berger, Tech Product Lead
38-year-old Stephanie Berger says she likes to be in charge! The Big Apple native made competing on “Survivor” a condition of employment at her new job, even before she got cast! Berger says the night before she flew to Fiji, she was pitching “multiple $100 million dollar projects.” The tech whiz says “Survivor” will force her to “get comfortable with not being in charge, even though I love being in charge!”
Shauhin Davari, Debate Professor
38-year-old Shauhin Davari is a California native who currently calls Costa Mesa home. The debate professor says he’ll tap into his Persian heritage for game strategy, saying “I want people to feel like ‘this guy has my back’ but I’m also gonna have to stab them in the back.”
Eva Erickson, PhD Candidate
24-year-old Eva Erickson is not only the youngest castaway this season, she’s also making history. The PhD candidate and talented hockey player (she captains the men’s team at Brown University) is the first openly autistic player to compete on the reality survival show. Erickson says her inability to pick up on social cues will be a handicap, saying, “Everybody’s lying all the time and I’m not gonna know it. But I’m always looking for new challenges. I know I have the brains. I know I have the brawn.” She continues, “I want people to say ‘she was the whole package.'” But while her autism may be a handicap in some ways, Erickson warns that it’s also her “superpower,” giving her unwavering focus.
Kyle Fraser, Attorney
31-year-old Kyle Fraser is an attorney in New York City. Fraser calls himself “the best average guy you’ll ever meet.” The Virginia native feels like his diverse background and legal training give him an edge. “I’ve never been the person who looks at a problem and solves it one way. Like, I come at it from different angles all the time.”
Mitch Guerra, PE Coach
34-year-old Mitch Guerra is a PE coach from Waco, Texas. Guerra, who stutters, says he’ll use that to his advantage. “Growing up stuttering was incredibly challenging. Kids were pretty mean.. so it really forced me to be resilient,” says Guerra. But he also wants his stuttering to inspire. “If Mitch, who stutters, can go and play ‘Survivor,’ then so can you,” he says. But he also wants to inspire himself. “The goal is to come out here and prove to myself that I’m more than capable of doing anything.”
Saiounia “Sai” Hughley, Marketing Professional
30-year-old Saiounia “Sai” Hughley is a Marketing Professional in Simi Valley, California. The Philadelphia native is going to rely on her upbringing to compete in “Survivor,” saying she was raised by “strong women.” “You’re not gonna tell me I can’t or will not do something,” says Hughley. “It’s gonna make me want to do it more.” Hughley also warns she “holds grudges.”
Joe Hunter, Fire Captain
45-year-old Joe Hunter is a fire captain in Sacramento, California. Hunter went to UCLA on a full scholarship for football and track and field. The California native , who has two kids, says he wants to be a “monster” in Survivor challenges. “Like, I’m in the closet, I’m under the bed, I’m nasty, you don’t want to mess with me but like, you can’t see me all the time.”
Kamilla Karthigesu, Software Engineer
31-year-old Kamilla Karthigesu is a software engineer working in California. Karthigesu is also the only competitor from Canada. The techie, who grew up in Toronto, says working in a male-dominated industry has made her a strong competitor. “I don’t need praise, I don’t need my ego stroked by people. And I think that’s very good in the game of ‘Survivor'” she says. But she’s less confident about her physical ability. “I’ve never had like, an ab, my entire life. Not even a single ab,” says Karthigesu. “Your core is very important in these challenges, so it’s gonna be very rough for me.”
David Kinne, Stunt Performer
39-year-old David Kinne is a stunt performer working in the movie industry in LA. He says his “Survivor bucket list” is “winning more challenges than any other person before.” Kinne touts himself as the total package, saying, “I don’t really have an Achilles Heel. I have a personal motto. It’s not ego, it’s history. Everything I’ve done, I come out ahead.”
Thomas Krottinger, Music Executive
34-year-old Thomas Krottinger is a music executive in Los Angeles. The Texas native describes himself as “a hoot and a half.” And he says his job has been a training ground for competing on “Survivor.” “All of the espionage, like, the craziness of the music business, it’s just like ‘Survivor’ but with like, food and cocktails,” Krottinger says. He also calls himself “the biggest threat of the entire cast.”
Kevin Leung, Finance Manager
34-year-old Kevin Leung is a finance manager in California. Leung plans to make grooming products from sea water and coconut shavings and use that to do his hair every morning. Leung says, “I have to look somewhat hot. I’m not gonna look ugly!” And if that makes his competitors laugh at him, all the better. “I want to look as ditzy and clueless as possible, because that’s what’s going to help me go so far in this game,” he says.
Cedrek McFadden, Surgeon
46-year-old Cedrek McFadden is a surgeon in Greenville, South Carolina. Dr. McFadden is a colorectal surgeon who says watching “Survivor” was a way to de-stress during medical school. He’s relying on his ability to create a “safe space” for his patients to translate into survival skills in the game. “I want to be helpful so they in turn can help me advance in this game,” he says.
Charity Nelms, Flight Attendant
34-year-old Charity Nelms is a flight attendant based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Michigan native grew up in a very strict, religious family. After ministry school, she walked away from a job at a mega-church to become a flight attendant. Nelms says competing on ‘Survivor’ is “making up for lost time, of all the experiences I’ve held myself back from. I am going all out on this.”
Justin Pioppi, Pizzeria Manager
29-year-old Justin Pioppi manages his family’s pizzeria in his hometown of Winthrop, Massachusetts. Pioppi plans to position himself in the competition as “the goofy, happy-go-lucky fun-loving kid who has a lot of hair.” Pioppi, who studied political science at Yale, had his law school plans derailed when his mother got sick with leukemia. “I’m going to play this game for her,” he says. “Just give her a big check and say like ‘Ma, for the first time in your life, you don’t have to go to work tomorrow. You’re all set.”
Bianca Roses, PR Consultant
33-year-old Bianca Roses is a public relations consultant in Arlington, Virginia just outside Washington, D.C. The New Jersey native started her own PR firm and says her professional skills translate well to the competition. “I make a living persuading people to do things. And you need to be able to genuinely connect with people on a human level. And so many of those skills translate to being out here. I know I’m gonna crush it.”
Chrissy Sarnowsky, Fire Lieutenant
55-year-old fire lieutenant Chrissy Sarnowsky is the oldest contestant on season 48. The Chicago native is also a nurse and paramedic. She grew up very poor, on welfare, raised by a single mother. “I know what it takes to work hard to get what you want,” she says. “I think that’s gonna help me a lot here.” Sarnowsky is a little worried about one aspect of the competition though. “I’m really good at putting out fires,” she says. “I’m not sure if I can start one.”
Star Toomey, Sales Expert
28-year-old Star Toomey is a sales expert who lives in Augusta, Georgia. Toomey is originally from Liberia. She played semi-pro basketball before pivoting into sales. “Chase your dreams! That’s the name of the game,” she says. As for her big goal in the competition, “for sure for Jeff to have my number on speed dial” she says. “I will keep it! I will never change it.”
Mary Zheng, Substance Abuse Counselor
31-year-old Mary Zheng is a substance abuse counselor in Philadelphia. The Maryland native plans to set herself up as a spy on the island. “I cannot wait to do espionage on the show,” she says. Zheng spent almost a year hitchhiking and backpacking before becoming a therapist. “I’m fearless, I’m bold. I’m someone who just really doesn’t care what people think about me. I do my own thing. And so I think when I’m out here on the island, I’m gonna do what I want when I want to. I mean, that wins seasons, by being yourself,” she says.
How to Watch the Premiere of “Survivor” Season 48
You can catch the two-hour season premiere of “Survivor” Wednesday, February 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
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Survivor Season 48 : Meet the Castaways