Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSurvivor 48 had 18 new castaways, divided into three starting tribes of six: Vula, Lagi, and Civa. Here is the complete cast list, with each contestant’s age, hometown, residence, occupation, and original tribe, plus premiere and viewing details.
Survivor 48 featured 18 first-time castaways divided among three starting tribes: Vula, Lagi, and Civa. The cast was announced by CBS and Paramount on January 29, 2025, before the season premiered in Fiji on February 26, 2025. The lineup included a surgeon, two firefighters, an attorney, a stunt performer, a debate professor, a software engineer, a pizzeria manager, and more.
Survivor 48 cast at a glance
| Tribe | Castaway | Age | Hometown | Current residence | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vula | Stephanie Berger | 38 | New York City, New York | Brooklyn, New York | Tech product lead |
| Vula | Saiounia “Sai” Hughley | 30 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Simi Valley, California | Marketing professional |
| Vula | Kevin Leung | 34 | Fremont, California | Livermore, California | Finance manager |
| Vula | Cedrek McFadden | 46 | Columbia, South Carolina | Greenville, South Carolina | Surgeon |
| Vula | Justin Pioppi | 29 | Winthrop, Massachusetts | Winthrop, Massachusetts | Pizzeria manager |
| Vula | Mary Zheng | 31 | Montgomery Village, Maryland | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Substance abuse counselor |
| Lagi | Shauhin Davari | 38 | East Bay, California | Costa Mesa, California | Debate professor |
| Lagi | Eva Erickson | 24 | Eagan, Minnesota | Providence, Rhode Island | PhD candidate |
| Lagi | Joe Hunter | 45 | Vacaville, California | West Sacramento, California | Fire captain |
| Lagi | Thomas Krottinger | 34 | The Woodlands, Texas | Los Angeles, California | Music executive |
| Lagi | Bianca Roses | 33 | West Orange, New Jersey | Arlington, Virginia | PR consultant |
| Lagi | Star Toomey | 28 | Monrovia, Liberia | Augusta, Georgia | Sales expert |
| Civa | Kyle Fraser | 31 | Roanoke, Virginia | Brooklyn, New York | Attorney |
| Civa | Mitch Guerra | 34 | Waco, Texas | Waco, Texas | P.E. coach |
| Civa | Kamilla Karthigesu | 31 | Toronto, Canada | Foster City, California | Software engineer |
| Civa | David Kinne | 39 | Long Beach, California | Buena Park, California | Stunt performer |
| Civa | Charity Nelms | 34 | Monroe, Michigan | St. Petersburg, Florida | Flight attendant |
| Civa | Chrissy Sarnowsky | 55 | Chicago, Illinois | Chicago, Illinois | Fire lieutenant |
The ages, hometowns, residences, occupations, and original tribe assignments above reflect the cast information released before the season. Occupations are biographical details, not evidence that a contestant would perform better in challenges, strategy, or social play.
Vula tribe
Vula began with six castaways: Stephanie Berger, Saiounia “Sai” Hughley, Kevin Leung, Cedrek McFadden, Justin Pioppi, and Mary Zheng.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- 720p resolution - View your favorite movies, shows and games in high definition.
- Alexa voice control - The Alexa Voice Remote lets you easily control your entertainment, search across apps, switch inputs, and more using just your voice. Press and hold the voice button and ask Alexa to easily find, launch, and control content, and even switch to cable.
- Access thousands of shows with Fire TV - Watch over 1.5 million streaming movies and TV episodes with access to thousands of channels, apps and Alexa skills, including Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, YouTube, Apple TV+, Disney+, ESPN+, Sling TV, Paramount+, and other services right from this TV.*
- DTS Virtual-X Sound - An immersive sound format creates a three-dimensional sound experience with your TV’s speakers.
- Supports HDMI ARC - Sends audio directly from the HDMI jack to a compatible soundbar or AV receiver, removing the need for an extra cable.
- Stephanie Berger, 38, was identified as a tech product lead from New York City, living in Brooklyn.
- Saiounia “Sai” Hughley, 30, was a marketing professional from Philadelphia, living in Simi Valley, California.
- Kevin Leung, 34, was a finance manager from Fremont, California, living in Livermore.
- Cedrek McFadden, 46, was a surgeon from Columbia, South Carolina, living in Greenville, South Carolina.
- Justin Pioppi, 29, was a pizzeria manager from and living in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
- Mary Zheng, 31, was a substance abuse counselor from Montgomery Village, Maryland, living in Philadelphia.
Lagi tribe
Lagi’s starting six were Shauhin Davari, Eva Erickson, Joe Hunter, Thomas Krottinger, Bianca Roses, and Star Toomey.
- Shauhin Davari, 38, was a debate professor from California’s East Bay, living in Costa Mesa.
- Eva Erickson, 24, was a PhD candidate from Eagan, Minnesota, living in Providence, Rhode Island.
- Joe Hunter, 45, was a fire captain from Vacaville, California, living in West Sacramento.
- Thomas Krottinger, 34, was a music executive from The Woodlands, Texas, living in Los Angeles.
- Bianca Roses, 33, was a PR consultant from West Orange, New Jersey, living in Arlington, Virginia.
- Star Toomey, 28, was a sales expert from Monrovia, Liberia, living in Augusta, Georgia.
Civa tribe
Civa consisted of Kyle Fraser, Mitch Guerra, Kamilla Karthigesu, David Kinne, Charity Nelms, and Chrissy Sarnowsky.
- Kyle Fraser, 31, was an attorney from Roanoke, Virginia, living in Brooklyn, New York.
- Mitch Guerra, 34, was a P.E. coach from and living in Waco, Texas.
- Kamilla Karthigesu, 31, was a software engineer from Toronto, living in Foster City, California.
- David Kinne, 39, was a stunt performer from Long Beach, California, living in Buena Park.
- Charity Nelms, 34, was a flight attendant from Monroe, Michigan, living in St. Petersburg, Florida.
- Chrissy Sarnowsky, 55, was a fire lieutenant from and living in Chicago.
The professions that stood out in the cast
The lineup offered a notably broad mix of professional backgrounds. The most immediately recognizable role pair was the presence of two firefighters: Joe Hunter, a fire captain, and Chrissy Sarnowsky, a fire lieutenant. The cast also included surgeon Cedrek McFadden, attorney Kyle Fraser, stunt performer David Kinne, debate professor Shauhin Davari, and pizzeria manager Justin Pioppi.
Rank #2
- 1080p Resolution - Watch movies and TV shows in high-definition picture quality.
- LED-backlit LCD screen - With reliable and long-lasting LED lighting, this LCD screen delivers a wide range of colors and contrast for a memorable viewing experience.
- Watch what you want - Stream over 1.5 million movies and TV episodes. Watch favorites with subscriptions to Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and more. Subscription fees may apply.
- All your entertainment in one place - Watch live and free TV, play video games, and stream music.
- Smart and always getting smarter - Fire TV adds new Alexa skills, features, smart home capabilities, and voice functionality all the time.
Other jobs represented the technology, business, communications, education, healthcare, travel, and entertainment fields. That variety made the cast easy to distinguish in preseason coverage, but it should not be confused with a gameplay forecast. Survivor tests stamina and problem-solving while also relying heavily on alliances, negotiation, trust, and timing.
Why is Cedrek McFadden listed as 46 in some places and 45 in others?
The official CBS/Paramount cast announcement listed Cedrek McFadden as 46. Some contemporaneous secondary coverage, including a February 26, 2025 Forbes cast guide, listed him as 45, while TVLine also used 46. For the canonical cast list, the official figure is 46. The discrepancy appears to reflect the timing of the published biographical information rather than two different contestants.
When did Survivor 48 premiere?
Survivor 48 premiered on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, with a two-hour episode on CBS. The season was filmed in Fiji and began with 18 castaways competing in three tribes of six. Starting March 5, 2025, the season moved to 90-minute weekly episodes, according to Paramount’s announcement.
Rank #3
- 4k Ultra HD (2160p resolution): Enjoy breathtaking HDR10 4K movies and TV shows at 4 times the resolution of Full HD, and upscale your current content to Ultra HD-level picture quality.
- High Dynamic Range: Provides a wide range of color details and sharper contrast, from the brightest whites to the deepest blacks.
- All-in-one: Get right to your good stuff. With Fire TV, you can enjoy a world of entertainment from apps like Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max. Plus, stream for free with Fire TV Channels, Pluto TV, Tubi, and more. Access over 1.8 million movies and TV episodes. Subscriptions may be required. Feature and content availability may vary.
- Smart Home: Your smart home hub. Pair Fire TV with compatible smart home devices to see live camera feeds, use AirPlay, control your lighting and thermostat, and more.
- Free Content: Stream for free. Access over 1 million free movies and TV episodes from popular ad-supported streaming apps like Fire TV Channels, Tubi, and Pluto TV. Subscriptions may be required. Feature and content availability may vary.
The competition’s stated objective was the familiar one: survive the physical and mental tests, maneuver socially and strategically, reach the end, and become Sole Survivor. The prize was $1 million.
How to watch Survivor 48
The premiere aired on CBS, and the season was made available through Paramount+, subject to the applicable subscription tier and regional availability. Because streaming plans and catalog access can change, check the current Paramount+ listing in your country before subscribing. Readers looking for a live broadcast should also verify their local CBS availability.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →For Survivor fans
A cast guide is also a useful starting point for planning a spoiler-free watch party. Survivor: The Tribe Has Spoken card game, a licensed game from Exploding Kittens, is designed around the franchise and can work as a light activity before or after an episode. It was listed in the Asmodee USA catalog with a February 28, 2025 release date.
For longtime viewers, Survivor: Forged by Fire by Jeff Probst is a broader franchise item rather than a Season 48-specific product. The official 50-season photographic book was scheduled for publication by Simon & Schuster on February 24, 2026, making it more appropriate for readers interested in the history of the entire series.
Paramount Shop also carries official Survivor merchandise, including apparel, drinkware, phone cases, journals, and beach towels. These are general franchise products; do not assume an item is Season 48-specific unless its individual listing says so.
Rank #4
- REGZA Engine ZR: REGZA Engine ZR is Toshiba's revolutionary Engine. With the power of precise analyzing technology, it drives the maximum potential of picture quality to reach the resolution of 4K for scenes, to deliver stunning picture quality for breath-tak-ing viewing experience.
- AI 4K Upscaler: Toshiba's unique Al upscaling technology provides the near-4K level picture quality for Full HD content. Instead of simply replicating every pixel, it intelligently detects the colors of neighboring pixels and decides the proper color of each pixel by considering the detailed texture of the real sight. No matter what the content is, you can enjoy every scene with the amazing clarity of near-4K quality.
- Dolby Vision*Atmos: Combine Dolby Vision HDR imaging with Dolby Atmos sound to get engaging audio-visual performance, transforming your TV into an entertainment powerhouse with detailed images and acoustics, so as to achieve amazing realism that you'll see, hear, and feel like never before. That is, your truly spectacular home entertainment.
- Ultimate Motion: Ultimate Motion reduces blur in fast moving scenes, offering crisp and clear images for fast action sequences. Its smooth viewing experience puts you into the scene.
- Game Mode: Game mode supports many gaming features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and eARC. With the combination of Ultimate Motion, breathtaking reality and excitement make your gaming experience unforgettable.
Frequently asked questions
How many castaways were in Survivor 48?
There were 18 new castaways, split into Vula, Lagi, and Civa at the start of the season.
Where was Survivor 48 filmed?
The season was filmed in Fiji.
Was the entire Survivor 48 cast new?
Yes. The season introduced an entirely new group of 18 castaways rather than bringing back former contestants.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many castaways were in Survivor 48?
There were 18 new castaways on Survivor 48. They started in three tribes of six: Vula, Lagi, and Civa.
Best Value
- EXPANDED CONTRAST FOR ENHANCED VISUAL DETAIL: Get expanded contrast between the lightest and darkest parts of a scene for a wide spectrum of colors, enhanced detail and depth.
- MOTION-BASED SOUND: Feel like you're in the middle of the action with sound that follows objects on screen. Featuring a virtual top channel, every sound is precisely placed in space, placing you in the heart of the scene.
- SECURES PERSONAL DATA** WITH TRIPLE-LAYER PROTECTION: Your TV experiences are secured. Samsung Knox Security defends against harmful apps and phishing sites while keeping sensitive data, such as PINs and passwords, secure. It also safeguards your IoT devices connected to your TV.
- YOUR TV SCREEN, TAILORED TO YOU: Stream your favorite movies and shows and access your favorite apps and games on an intuitive smart TV platform* , with personal data secured by Samsung Knox.** Plus get 7 years of automatic OS updates.***
- A WORLD OF CONTENT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. NO SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED: Watch 2,700+ free channels including 400+ Samsung TV Plus premium channels and on free streaming apps. Enjoy national and local news, sports, movies and more. Explore new content being added regularly.
Where was Survivor 48 filmed?
Survivor 48 was filmed in Fiji.
Was the Survivor 48 cast entirely new?
Yes. Survivor 48 introduced an entirely new cast of 18 contestants.
The Bottom Line
Survivor 48 began with 18 new castaways across Vula, Lagi, and Civa. The official lineup ranged from a 24-year-old PhD candidate to a 55-year-old fire lieutenant, with the final cast list anchored by the occupations and biographical details released by CBS and Paramount before the February 26, 2025 premiere.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
