CBS unveiled the Survivor 47 cast on September 4, 2024, introducing 18 new players from a wide range of professions and backgrounds. The cast included a former presidential speechwriter, an emergency-room doctor, an esports commentator, a flight-school owner and a longtime podcast host.
The season premiered on September 18, 2024, in Fiji, with the cast divided among three tribes: Gata, Lavo and Tuku. Jeff Probst returned to host, and the winning player competed for the show’s standard $1 million prize. The season is now complete, but the cast list remains a useful guide for anyone catching up or revisiting the season.
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The Survivor 47 cast at a glance
The 18 contestants were split evenly into three tribes of six. Their ages and occupations reflect the information released with CBS’s promotional cast portraits.
| Castaway | Age | Hometown | Current residence | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Rueda | 31 | Buffalo, New York | Brooklyn, New York | AI research assistant |
| Anika Dhar | 26 | Santa Rosa, California | Los Angeles, California | Marketing manager |
| Aysha Welch | 32 | DeSoto, Texas | Houston, Texas | IT consultant |
| Caroline Vidmar | 27 | Palos Verdes, California | Chicago, Illinois | Strategy consultant |
| Gabe Ortis | 26 | Baltimore, Maryland | Baltimore, Maryland | Radio show host |
| Genevieve Mushaluk | 33 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Corporate lawyer |
| Jon Lovett | 42 | Long Island, New York | Los Angeles, California | Podcast host |
| Kishan Patel | 28 | Fullerton, California | San Francisco, California | ER doctor |
| Kyle Ostwald | 31 | Cheboygan, Michigan | Cheboygan, Michigan | Construction worker |
| Rachel LaMont | 34 | Dexter, Michigan | Southfield, Michigan | Graphic designer |
| Rome Cooney | 30 | Corvallis, Oregon | Phoenix, Arizona | Esports commentator |
| Sam Phalen | 24 | Schaumburg, Illinois | Nashville, Tennessee | Sports reporter |
| Sierra Wright | 27 | Wilmington, Delaware | Phoenixville, Pennsylvania | Nurse |
| Solomon “Sol” Yi | 43 | Del City, Oklahoma | Norwalk, Connecticut | Medical device sales |
| Sue Smey | 59 | Kirkwood, New York | Putnam Valley, New York | Flight school owner |
| Teeny Chirichillo | 24 | Manahawkin, New Jersey | Manahawkin, New Jersey | Freelance writer |
| Terran “TK” Foster | 31 | Prince George’s County, Maryland | Upper Marlboro, Maryland | Athlete marketing manager |
| Tiyana Hallums | 27 | Aiea, Hawaii | Aiea, Hawaii | Flight attendant |
Promotional cast photographs were credited to Robert Voets/CBS.
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Meet the 18 castaways
Andy Rueda
Andy Rueda entered the game as a 31-year-old AI research assistant from Buffalo, New York, now living in Brooklyn. His work in artificial-intelligence research gave him an analytical profile, but Survivor also demands social judgment when plans change quickly.
Anika Dhar
Anika Dhar, 26, was a marketing manager from Santa Rosa, California, based in Los Angeles. Marketing experience can help with persuasion and coalition-building, two skills that matter as much around camp as they do at Tribal Council.
Aysha Welch
Aysha Welch was a 32-year-old IT consultant from DeSoto, Texas, living in Houston. She had also worked with Rob Has a Podcast, giving her an unusual connection to the strategy-focused side of the Survivor community before entering the game.
Caroline Vidmar
Caroline Vidmar, 27, worked as a strategy consultant. She was from Palos Verdes, California, and lived in Chicago. Her professional background suggested a player comfortable assessing risks, organizing information and making decisions with incomplete data.
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Gabe Ortis was a 26-year-old radio show host from Baltimore, where he also lived. Radio work places a premium on conversation and reading an audience—useful qualities in a game built around managing relationships.
Genevieve Mushaluk
Genevieve Mushaluk, 33, was a corporate lawyer from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She also lived in Winnipeg. Her career brought negotiation and argument skills to a cast that included several other players accustomed to high-pressure professional environments.
Jon Lovett
Jon Lovett was the most recognizable name in the lineup for many viewers. The 42-year-old Long Island native, now living in Los Angeles, was a podcast host and a former Obama speechwriter. He was known for Pod Save America and Lovett or Leave It, but his public profile also made the central Survivor question especially difficult: could he avoid becoming an obvious early target?
Rank #2
Kishan Patel
Kishan Patel, 28, was an emergency-room doctor from Fullerton, California, living in San Francisco. Emergency medicine requires composure, triage and quick decisions, although the social unpredictability of Survivor presents a very different kind of pressure.
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Kyle Ostwald was a 31-year-old construction worker from Cheboygan, Michigan, where he also lived. His background pointed to practical experience and physical work, both potentially valuable in Fiji’s challenges and camp life.
Rachel LaMont
Rachel LaMont, 34, worked as a graphic designer. She was from Dexter, Michigan, and lived in Southfield. Her profession placed her among the cast’s creative and visual thinkers, alongside players from technology, media and business fields.
Rome Cooney
Rome Cooney was a 30-year-old esports commentator from Corvallis, Oregon, living in Phoenix, Arizona. Commentary and competitive gaming can sharpen observation and strategic thinking, while the island environment removes the technology and structure those skills normally rely on.
Sam Phalen
Sam Phalen, 24, was a sports reporter from Schaumburg, Illinois, now based in Nashville. Reporting requires asking questions and collecting information—advantages for a player trying to understand where alliances really stand.
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Sierra Wright was a 27-year-old nurse from Wilmington, Delaware, living in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Her medical training added another healthcare perspective to the cast, alongside emergency-room doctor Kishan Patel.
Solomon “Sol” Yi
Solomon “Sol” Yi, 43, worked in medical-device sales. He was from Del City, Oklahoma, and lived in Norwalk, Connecticut. His sales background meant communication and relationship management were central parts of his professional life before Fiji.
Rank #3
Sue Smey
At 59, Sue Smey was the oldest contestant in the Survivor 47 cast. She was a flight-school owner from Kirkwood, New York, living in Putnam Valley. Her age and leadership experience made her one of the season’s clearest examples of the show’s broad casting range.
Teeny Chirichillo
Teeny Chirichillo was a 24-year-old freelance writer from Manahawkin, New Jersey, where she also lived. Writing experience can help with observation and storytelling, but success in Survivor depends on controlling what each tribemate learns and when.
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Terran “TK” Foster
Terran “TK” Foster, known as TK, was a 31-year-old athlete marketing manager from Prince George’s County, Maryland, living in Upper Marlboro. His work connected him to sports, branding and negotiation, while his athletic environment suggested familiarity with competition.
Tiyana Hallums
Tiyana Hallums, 27, was a flight attendant from Aiea, Hawaii, where she also lived. Her profession involves adapting to unfamiliar situations and interacting with people from different backgrounds—skills that can translate naturally to a tribe made up of strangers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Tribes and season format
The 18 players began in three six-person tribes:
- Gata: yellow
- Lavo: orange
- Tuku: blue
The season premiered with a two-hour episode on September 18, 2024. Beginning September 25, episodes moved to the then-standard 90-minute format, giving the show more room for camp scenes, strategic conversations and the consequences of its twists.
As with the preceding seasons, filming took place in Fiji. The castaways competed for a $1 million prize under Jeff Probst’s direction, with the usual combination of shelter-building, endurance, puzzles, food scarcity, hidden advantages and voting decisions.
What made this cast distinctive?
The lineup stood out less because of one single celebrity participant than because of its professional variety. The cast combined media figures such as Lovett, Ortis, Phalen and Cooney with specialists including Patel, Yi, Mushaluk and Rueda. It also included two healthcare workers, a flight attendant, a flight-school owner and a construction worker.
Rank #4
That mix creates several different types of Survivor story. Some contestants arrived with obvious public-facing experience; others brought technical expertise or practical skills. The challenge for each was the same: turn a résumé into useful social capital without allowing it to become a reason for the tribe to vote them out.
Spoiler note: This guide covers the cast and the original season setup. It does not identify the season’s winner or describe the elimination order.
FAQ
When did Survivor 47 premiere?
Survivor 47 premiered on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, on CBS with a two-hour episode. Episodes moved to a 90-minute format beginning September 25.
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How many contestants were in the Survivor 47 cast?
There were 18 new castaways. They began the game in three tribes of six: Gata, Lavo and Tuku.
Who was the oldest contestant on Survivor 47?
Sue Smey was the oldest castaway at 59. She was a flight-school owner from Kirkwood, New York, living in Putnam Valley.
Was Jon Lovett on the Survivor 47 cast?
Yes. Jon Lovett was a 42-year-old podcast host, former Obama speechwriter and co-host of Pod Save America and Lovett or Leave It.
The Bottom Line
Survivor 47 brought 18 new castaways to Fiji, ranging from an AI research assistant and ER doctor to an esports commentator, nurse, flight attendant and podcast host Jon Lovett. The season premiered in September 2024 with Gata, Lavo and Tuku competing for the $1 million prize.
Quick Recap
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