After more than 20 years off the air, Survivor UK is back.
The globally-renowned reality show sees ordinary people from all walks of life compete in the ultimate battle of physical determination, psychological nouse and social strategy with the goal to outwit, outplay and outlast all of the others and scoop a £100,000 top prize.
Eighteen contestants will be dropped on a tropical island and split into two tribes, who will compete for not only luxuries and rewards but more importantly, immunity from the tribal councils.
Each episode the losing tribe must make their way to the tribal council and cast their votes in secret, one by one, to determine who among them is sent home.
Scroll on to meet the contestants taking part!
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Ashleigh
Age: 34
From: London
Occupation: Brand Strategist
Why Survivor?: "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!"
What was your strategy?: "I wanted to take my time to get to know the other players a bit better before making any moves. Sometimes having a big game plan from the beginning can be a sure-fire way to get yourself voted off early! So I wanted to try and steer the game subtly, leading from below rather than trying to place myself in a leadership (and therefore more risky!) position."
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Christopher
Age: 36
From: Bridgend
Occupation: Singer/Songwriter
Why Survivor?: "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. 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. I am at the stage in my life where I am more confident and determined to do something which I feel I can do well with the determination and competitive spirit to outwit, outplay, and outlast."
What was your strategy?: "I didn't have a big master plan but I did have the strategy to keep my eyes and ears open and to do my best. That way I can just adapt and make moves when needed, take it day by day and never give up even when things turn really tough."
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Doug
Age: 32
From: Isle of Mull
Occupation: Flood Risk Consultant
Why Survivor?: "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."
What was your strategy?: "My strategy coming into the game comprised of 2 key elements; firstly establish myself as an indispensable member of the tribe during the early phase of the game by performing well at Challenges and working hard around the camp. Then secondly was to find myself a 'Shield' player, or failing that, to create one. Someone ideally who would take a real leadership role within the tribe and more importantly, is regarded as a bigger target than myself. I'll sit right behind them as long as I can!"
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Hannah
Age: 30
From: London
Occupation: Semi-professional Footballer
Why Survivor?: "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!'"
What was your strategy?: "My strategy was all about using my communication skills, authenticity and social charm to build strong alliances. 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."
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Jess
Age: 38
From: London
Occupation: Fitting Model
Why Survivor?: "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!"
What was your strategy?: "I never really had a game plan I just always said I would be true to myself and follow my heart and my gut instinct."
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Laurence
Age: 29
From: London (born in Vienna, grew up in Costa Rica)
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Why Survivor?: "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. 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. I wanted to see whether my character would remain the same when put to the test, or whether I would crack under pressure like most other fellow soft millennials. I also celebrate absurdity - and instead of doing the rational thing and working in some dull accountancy firm towards buying an overpriced house and a boring retirement, I would much rather do something absurd like this. I crave new experiences. As George Mallory said, on why he wanted to climb Everest: 'Because it is there.' And finally, I thought I could at least make a big enough fool of myself on national television to amuse myself for the next few years."
What was your strategy?: "My aim was to play the role of harmless buffoon or village idiot (comes naturally!), and get along with my fellow tribemates, building strong relationships all while having a laugh. I aimed to avoid politics and would play a neutral Switzerland. The goal was to avoid coming across as a threat, and thereby placing a target on my back. Consistency and integrity – before bringing out the dagger when necessary!"
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Lee
Age: 28
From: Belfast, originally Limerick
Occupation: Professional Boxer
Why Survivor?: "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."
What was your strategy?: "My plan was to just to be myself and perform well in challenges, I felt like that's where my strengths would lie. In terms of a proper strategy, I came in blind as I haven't seen the show before – I'm an idiot!"
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Leilani
Age: 45
From: Hertford
Occupation: Barista/Cleaner
Why Survivor?: "A friend saw the application and said I should apply, I was at a crossroads in my life and looking for a new direction so it came along at the perfect time."
What was your strategy?: "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!"
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Matthew
Age: 21
From: Cumbria
Occupation: Hospitality
Why Survivor?: "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!"
What was your strategy?: "I love being around people, so my strategy was to play the social game. As the youngest player I knew people would underestimate me but I used that to my advantage. I needed my strategy to be adaptable because I never knew what was going to be thrown at me next. I was there to play and wanted to play with no regrets by being true to myself."
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Nathan
Age: 35
From: Manchester, originally London
Occupation: Fitness Instructor
Why Survivor?: "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."
What was your strategy?: "My strategy for the show was simple, to be an asset to the tribe and build strong relationships. I didn't want to be the strongest player, but equally didn't want to be the weakest, as both scenarios would put me at risk."
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Pegleg
Age: 54
From: St Agnes
Occupation: Surf School Owner
How did you prepare for Survivor?: "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."
What was your strategy?: "To try and be Mr middle-of-the-road; I didn't want to be seen as a threat but also didn't want to be a weak link in the chain who wasn't worth keeping around. As an older one-legged guy I had to prove I could hold my own."
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Rachel
Age: 40
From: Whitstable
Occupation: Insurance Claims Handler
Why Survivor?: "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."
What was your strategy?: "No, I was only ever going to be open, honest and myself."
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Rach
Age: 23
From: Glasgow
Occupation: Personal Trainer
Why Survivor?: "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."
What was your strategy?: "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!"
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Ren
Age: 28
From: London
Occupation: Network Data Scientist
Why Survivor?: "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."
What was your strategy?: "My goal was to lie-low until the merge, and then show off my game in the later stages. I wanted to keep enough players that were more threatening than me around as shields in the early game. The most important thing to me was working out what other players wanted to see in a winner, and tailoring my game to fit that so I could get the votes at the end."
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Richard
Age: 36
From: Dalkeith in Scotland
Occupation: Pensions Manager
Why Survivor?: "I am always looking for a new challenge and this gave me the opportunity to challenge myself physically and mentally."
What was your strategy?: "I wanted to try to be in the middle of the pack and look for opportunities that I could use to my advantage. All the while enjoying the game and experience."
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Sabrina
Age: 45
From: Stroud
Occupation: Ultramarathon Runner
Why Survivor?: "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?!"
What was your strategy?: "My strategy was to try not to be a threat, to dull my personality and to not assume a lead role or be bossy. To be silent!"
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Shai
Age: 33
From: London
Occupation: Finance Risk Manager
Why Survivor?: "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!"
What was your strategy?: "My strategy before going into the game was to lay low at the beginning, not drawing any attention to myself and then try and seize control in the mid-game. Which it turns out is much easier said than done!"
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Tinuke
Age: 30
From: London
Occupation: Professional Roller-Skater
Why Survivor?: "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. I am ready to leave behind the troubles and grief of my past and prove that anyone can turn around any dark experience. You always have more in the tank than you think you do, and I am ready to show that! I want to be a massive inspiration for anyone who has also experienced deep loss and sadness."
What was your strategy?: "Find my ride or die and take them to the end with me. I have also noticed that people react well when I share my life experiences and spiritual wisdom with them. I also know that people like it when I feed into their egos! So I hoped that a little sweet talking would get me a long way."
Survivor UK begins on Saturday, October 28 at 8.25pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Neil Wilkes
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