Celebrities

Who Is Not Appearing on ‘Survivor’ 50? Stars Who Have Already Been Cut or Turned Down Playing

By Beth Shilliday InTouch Weekly

The list keeps growing of Survivor alums who were approached for being cast in Survivor 50, only to find out they had been cut from competing in the show's milestone 50th season.

Ahead of the official Survivor 50 casting reveal on May 28, 2025, Several legends from the show have sadly said they have either "retired" from game play or didn't want to participate in Survivor 50. Others said they were contacted to participate, only to get cut as the list was whittled down.

In Touch has the castaways who were already cut or turned down a chance to participate in Survivor 50.



Jerri Manthey One of Survivor's OG villains hinted she didn't make the Survivor 50 cut and was heartbroken about it in a May 26, 2025, Instagram post, two days prior to the milestone season's casting reveal. Jerri Manthey - who competed on Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001, as well as Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains - shared a video sitting in the desert alone looking frustrated and forlorn. "SURVIVOR SEASON 50 #nuffsaid," she wrote in the caption. Fellow Survivor alums shared their shock. "We love you, Jerri!!!!! Their mistake and our loss," Survivor: San Juan del Sur, Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance and Survivor: Edge of Extinction contestant Kelley Wentworth wrote in the comments. Survivor 44 finalist Carolyn Wiger agreed, adding, "You deserved to be there. And yeah, I don't care. I am saying deserved. Because you did." Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Jerri Manthey One of Survivor's OG villains hinted she didn't make the Survivor 50 cut and was heartbroken about it in a May 26, 2025, Instagram post, two days prior to the milestone season's casting reveal. Jerri Manthey - who competed on Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001, as well as Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains - shared a video sitting in the desert alone looking frustrated and forlorn. "SURVIVOR SEASON 50 #nuffsaid," she wrote in the caption. Fellow Survivor alums shared their shock. "We love you, Jerri!!!!! Their mistake and our loss," Survivor: San Juan del Sur, Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chance and Survivor: Edge of Extinction contestant Kelley Wentworth wrote in the comments. Survivor 44 finalist Carolyn Wiger agreed, adding, "You deserved to be there. And yeah, I don't care. I am saying deserved. Because you did." Mike Coppola/Getty Images Mike Coppola Getty Images
Benjamin "Coach" Wade Benjamin "Coach" Wade was fan-favorite after his legendary antics on Survivor: Tocantins, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and Survivor: South Pacific, but he initially said he wouldn't be back for Survivor 50. Coach apparently got flooded with questions from fans about his participation and decided to shut down speculation. In an Instagram video he shared on March 29, 2025, the words, "Stop asking I'm retired," flashed across the screen, along with "#Survivor50," while some of his most epic Survivor moments appeared. However, it appeared that the Dragon Slayer had second thoughts. On May 26, 2025, two days before the Survivor 50 cast announcement, Coach shared a curious Instagram Story. It read, "A few weeks ago ... I had a change of heart and made that phone call ... and I said yes." The music playing over the message was Whitesnake's song, "Here I Go Again," leading many fans to believe Coach decided to compete in Survivor 50 after all. The following day, the official Survivor Instagram page teased, "A castaway has been selected from Tocantins." Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
Benjamin "Coach" Wade Benjamin "Coach" Wade was fan-favorite after his legendary antics on Survivor: Tocantins, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and Survivor: South Pacific, but he initially said he wouldn't be back for Survivor 50. Coach apparently got flooded with questions from fans about his participation and decided to shut down speculation. In an Instagram video he shared on March 29, 2025, the words, "Stop asking I'm retired," flashed across the screen, along with "#Survivor50," while some of his most epic Survivor moments appeared. However, it appeared that the Dragon Slayer had second thoughts. On May 26, 2025, two days before the Survivor 50 cast announcement, Coach shared a curious Instagram Story. It read, "A few weeks ago ... I had a change of heart and made that phone call ... and I said yes." The music playing over the message was Whitesnake's song, "Here I Go Again," leading many fans to believe Coach decided to compete in Survivor 50 after all. The following day, the official Survivor Instagram page teased, "A castaway has been selected from Tocantins." Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic Gregg DeGuire FilmMagic
Natalie Tenerelli "Last September, at four months pregnant, I got the call for Survivor Season 50. My fourth (or fifth?) time being asked back. I was torn on making the decision, but the thought of possibly being part of such a historic season had me buzzing with excitement," Survivor: Redemption Island star Natalie Tenerelli began in the caption of a March 29, 2025, Instagram post while holding her baby son. "I felt so honored to even be considered. Survivor has been the single biggest catalyst for my self-growth, so the opportunity meant the world to me." "With a 5-month-old baby by filming, I had no clue how I'd feel leaving him, but I moved forward with casting anyway, excited and empowered to make that call for myself and my baby. And then, yesterday, I got another call - turns out, the choice wasn't mine after all. Life had other plans (plot twist!)," she added about getting cut. "Balancing dreams and motherhood is my new adventure … and honestly, the greatest one yet." Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Natalie Tenerelli "Last September, at four months pregnant, I got the call for Survivor Season 50. My fourth (or fifth?) time being asked back. I was torn on making the decision, but the thought of possibly being part of such a historic season had me buzzing with excitement," Survivor: Redemption Island star Natalie Tenerelli began in the caption of a March 29, 2025, Instagram post while holding her baby son. "I felt so honored to even be considered. Survivor has been the single biggest catalyst for my self-growth, so the opportunity meant the world to me." "With a 5-month-old baby by filming, I had no clue how I'd feel leaving him, but I moved forward with casting anyway, excited and empowered to make that call for myself and my baby. And then, yesterday, I got another call - turns out, the choice wasn't mine after all. Life had other plans (plot twist!)," she added about getting cut. "Balancing dreams and motherhood is my new adventure … and honestly, the greatest one yet." Amanda Edwards/Getty Images Amanda Edwards Getty Images
Rome Coomey Survivor 47 contestant Rome Cooney gave a not-so-subtle hint that he'd been cut from the cast of Survivor 50. "Welp Woulda Been Fun," he wrote in an Instagram Story around the same time other former cast members were revealing they'd been eliminated from casting. Courtesy of Rome Coomey/Instagram
Rome Coomey Survivor 47 contestant Rome Cooney gave a not-so-subtle hint that he'd been cut from the cast of Survivor 50. "Welp Woulda Been Fun," he wrote in an Instagram Story around the same time other former cast members were revealing they'd been eliminated from casting. Courtesy of Rome Coomey/Instagram a360
Jessica Figueroa Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X contestant Jessica "Figgy" Figueroa told fans she had been "cut from season 50," in a March 28, 2025, video she shared to X, where she mourned alongside her dog, Cookie. "More breaking news on Survivor 50 casting ...," she captioned the video along with a broken-hearted emoji. Courtesy of Jessica Figueroa/Instagram
Jessica Figueroa Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X contestant Jessica "Figgy" Figueroa told fans she had been "cut from season 50," in a March 28, 2025, video she shared to X, where she mourned alongside her dog, Cookie. "More breaking news on Survivor 50 casting ...," she captioned the video along with a broken-hearted emoji. Courtesy of Jessica Figueroa/Instagram a360
Spencer Bledsoe Survivor: Cagayan and Survivor: Cambodia alum Spencer Bledsoe was one of the first show alums to reveal he was in the running for Survivor 50, only to get eliminated. "Who else just got cut from season 50?" asked in a March 27, 2025, post on X. He went on to shout out the show's host and executive producer, Jeff Probst, writing, "After being misled into feeling like a lock and then kept on ice since August, I get everyone voicing their rejection. We have lives, @JeffProbst." Spencer added, "I will be producing an episode of my docureality series - to be titled Healing from Survivor - focused on contestants' journeys moving on with their lives after playing Survivor, not just with each other on the island, but with casting and production off the island," adding, "If you're interested in being featured, please get in touch." Michael Tran/FilmMagic
Spencer Bledsoe Survivor: Cagayan and Survivor: Cambodia alum Spencer Bledsoe was one of the first show alums to reveal he was in the running for Survivor 50, only to get eliminated. "Who else just got cut from season 50?" asked in a March 27, 2025, post on X. He went on to shout out the show's host and executive producer, Jeff Probst, writing, "After being misled into feeling like a lock and then kept on ice since August, I get everyone voicing their rejection. We have lives, @JeffProbst." Spencer added, "I will be producing an episode of my docureality series - to be titled Healing from Survivor - focused on contestants' journeys moving on with their lives after playing Survivor, not just with each other on the island, but with casting and production off the island," adding, "If you're interested in being featured, please get in touch." Michael Tran/FilmMagic Michael Tran FilmMagic
Jesse Lopez Survivor 43's Jesse Lopez gave the overt hint that he wasn't chosen to be part of Survivor 50. On March 27, 2025, the day the cast of Avengers: Doomsday was announced, the reality star posted his Survivor profile photo to X next to the blockbuster film's logo, but he used the title of Survivor 50 in his caption. "Jesse will not return as Jesse in Avengers: In the Hands of the Fans," he wrote in the caption. One fan remarked, "Man, I thought you were a lock!" for Survivor 50.
Jesse Lopez Survivor 43's Jesse Lopez gave the overt hint that he wasn't chosen to be part of Survivor 50. On March 27, 2025, the day the cast of Avengers: Doomsday was announced, the reality star posted his Survivor profile photo to X next to the blockbuster film's logo, but he used the title of Survivor 50 in his caption. "Jesse will not return as Jesse in Avengers: In the Hands of the Fans," he wrote in the caption. One fan remarked, "Man, I thought you were a lock!" for Survivor 50. a360
Parvati Shallow Despite winning Survivor season 16 in Micronesia and competing on Survivor: Cook Islands, Heroes vs. Villains and Survivor 40, Parvati Shallow took a pass on returning to compete on the show's 50th season. "No, you're not gonna see me out there," Parvati told TV Insider on March 21, 2025, saying she was looking toward a career in "creative development." However, she couldn't get away from the game. Parvati signed on to the Australian version of Survivor, agreeing to compete on Survivor: Australia vs. the World, which was announced on April 13, 2025. Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
Parvati Shallow Despite winning Survivor season 16 in Micronesia and competing on Survivor: Cook Islands, Heroes vs. Villains and Survivor 40, Parvati Shallow took a pass on returning to compete on the show's 50th season. "No, you're not gonna see me out there," Parvati told TV Insider on March 21, 2025, saying she was looking toward a career in "creative development." However, she couldn't get away from the game. Parvati signed on to the Australian version of Survivor, agreeing to compete on Survivor: Australia vs. the World, which was announced on April 13, 2025. Paul Archuleta/Getty Images Paul Archuleta Getty Images

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This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 4:58 PM.

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