If you’re a Survivor super fan, you might be wondering who went home on Survivor 2023?
The reality TV show stems from the Swedish television series, Expedition Robinson, which Charlie Parsons created in 1997. However, the American version of Survivor aired for the first time on May 31, 2000. Jeff Probst has hosted every season of Survivor and is also an executive producer alongside Mark Burnett and Parsons. The rest of the television franchise includes Australian Survivor, Survivor South Africa, and Survivor New Zealand.
The long-standing reality TV series follows tribes of contestants that live on remote islands, compete in challenges, and vote each other off of the show. Their ultimate goal is to outwit, outplay, and outlast each other so that they can be the last person standing. The winner receives a check for $1,000,000 and the title of “Sole Survivor.”
Between living on a desert island, forming alliances, breaking alliances, doing physical and mental challenges, dealing with harsh weather, and enduring a full 26 days (previously 39 days) of complete isolation, you won’t want to miss all of the action. This is especially true since this season features 17 new contestants and one returning player from Survivor 44. So who went home on Survivor 2023 Tonight? Read more to find out.
Eliminated: Drew Basile
The move against Drew came from multiple angles. “Ah man, I got totally blindsided,” he remarked in his exit interview. “It’s a tragic, time-old story of a young guy who goes into Survivor with a lot of brain power and a little too much confidence.”
Eliminated: Emily Flippen
In a shocking play, Emily Flippen was eliminated from week 11 on Survivor 45. As the rest of the group was planning to vote for her, Julie put her immunity idol into play. Emily Flippen lost by one vote.
“This has been the most amazing experience of my life,” Emily told Gold Derby. “I learned that when I come on really strong and aggressive that it’s probably not the best way to make friends or alliances in this game, but I’m so pleased that I was given so many extra days here to really change myself, pivot my strategy, and learn a lot along the way.”
Eliminated: Bruce Perrault
After receiving a second life on Survivor 45 after appearing in the previous season, Bruce Perrault was eliminated from the island. Bruce received an immunity idol but did not choose to play it after Emily convinced him that they would overtake the Reba alliance. Little did he know that he would be blindsided and eventually voted off the island.
Eliminated: Kendra McQuiarre
Kendra McQuiarre got eliminated during Week 8 of Survivor 45. After her BFF Kellie was eliminated the week prior, Team Belo went down as well.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kendra clarified her choices “Just to clear things up, it definitely was not a blindside, and I had this wrenching gut feeling, and I think you can kind of see it in my confessionals — “Don’t be paranoid. I got to trust that they’re going to take Jake out instead of me.” And I was really hoping it was Jake. Not in a personal way, but obviously I want to stay in the game. But it was pretty heavily weighing on me that it was going to be me and I didn’t listen to my gut to play my Shot in the Dark. I literally had my hand on my bag ready to reach in for it.”
Eliminated: Kellie Nalbandian
Kellie was voted off the Survivor 45 island in week 8. Kellie was completely blindsided when Drew Basile and the Reba foursome decided not to vote for Jake O’Kane and instead take out their biggest threat from the Belo side in Kellie.
“Pure shock and devastation. That’s exactly how I felt. And for me, if I watch people play Survivor, and they leave, and they’re like, “Oh, good job,” that’s never gonna be me. I’m very competitive,” she told Parade in a post-elimination interview. “Honestly, I really blacked out a lot. I actually did not remember saying, “What the hell, guys?” Kaleb had to tell me that several days later. [Laughs.] I was like, “Wait, what? That’s what I said?” But that’s now my iconic line. Obviously, I was shocked. You can see I kind of go through all the stages of grief within a minute.”
Eliminated: Nicholas “Sifu” Alsup & Kaleb Gebrewold
At the first Tribal Council, all things led down to Sifu being vulnerable and pitching himself as “meat shield” to anyone who needs it after coming to the realization that he was the biggest target. Unfortunately, it led to a unanimous vote to kick him off and he missed out on jury.
Freshly using his Shot In The Dark in the last episode, Kaleb was the next target for the Second Tribe Council. Despite his charming personality and And as a result in vote of 4-2, Kaleb was eliminated from the island and became the first member of the jury.
Eliminated: Janani “J. Maya” Krishnan-Jha
In a nail-biting episode, J. Maya was eliminated on Week 6 of Survivor 45. Calling herself “collateral damage” during her exit interview, she was voted off after Kaleb played a Shot In The Dark when he was unanimously voted to leave. However, J. Maya was scrambling to get last-minute votes but eventually got the boot.
Eliminated: Brandon “Brando” Meyer
Brando Meyer was eliminated on Survivor 45 week 5. After trying to make a “nerd alliance” withDrew Basile and Emily Flippen. Drew saw right through Brando when he was trying to take out Kendra, making him an easy target to eliminate on the show.
“As someone who wasn’t the most social kid growing up,” he began. “Being out here with a bunch of strangers, learning about them, and just being vulnerable is something that I wouldn’t trade for anything.” He added that “playing ‘Survivor’ is absolutely unbelievable and I got to meet all these amazing people and learned so much about myself. I can push myself to limits that I never thought that I could.”
Eliminated: Sean Edwards
Sean Edwards was eliminated on Survivor 45 week 4. After a tribe swap, everything looked pretty solid for Sean. However, after much consideration, Sean decided that he achieved his goal on Survivor and wanted to go home to be with his husband. He asked to be voted off during tribal council and everyone obliged.
Eliminated: Sabiyah Broderick
Sabiyah Broderick was the third person eliminated from Survivor 45. She initially trusted fellow Lulu tribe member Emily Flippen but she went and told Kaleb Gebrewold about eliminating him and so the two conspired to take out Sabiyah. She won the immunity doll but went and melted it, and sacrificed her option to be protected, and eventually got eliminated.
She told Entertainment Tonight about watching her decision back when it aired, “Honestly, watching it, it looks like it was kind of a rash decision. But again, I was up there for way too long. I should have anticipated it being a multi-step idol. I didn’t, because there had been so many steps before [where] I’m thinking I’m opening the paper, “Hey girl, you got an idol!” And I’m going back to the bench. So I didn’t anticipate having to… I mean, I didn’t vote the entire season! I don’t know if that’s an unprecedented thing or whatever, but I didn’t vote the entire season.”
Eliminated: Brandon Donlon
Brandon Donlon was eliminated on Survivor 45 Week 2. Brandon failed the two challenges and did not get the immunity idol. He opened up about his panic attack during the first challenge. “I felt my body shut down,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “And the panic attacks that I’ve had, my hands freeze up. So Sean comes down, and we do the really beautiful handholding shot. He gets me up there and then I get to the mat and I black out. I have no memory beyond kind of getting up past the thing there.
Eliminated: Hannah Rose
Hannah Rose went home on Survivor 45 Week 1. She entered with the Lulu tribe and complained about the resources and was booted from the island by her own tribe. In a post-interview with Entertainment Weekly, she confessed about the upcoming backlash and her desire to leave the show, “I think caffeine, nicotine, sleep, and food withdrawal together, it was like, you know what? I know people are going to rip me apart. I know people are going to hate me. [But] I would be inauthentic and I would be lying to myself if I stayed in that game.
