Now that CBS is opening up reality competition to celebrities, we look at a realistic cast of Celebrity Survivor, considering who would actually compete.
When it was first announced that Celebrity Big Brother was going to be a thing, I shook my head in disbelief. The instant reactions of fans that were thinking we would see the caliber of people such as Jenna Fischer from The Office would be sorely mistaken once the official cast was revealed, showing 10 former reality stars and a former Miss Universe runner-up compiling the scrap heap of “celebrities” ready to expect the unexpected. If Celebrity Survivor was ever going to be a thing, that’s the level of casting you should expect.
It got us thinking, though, about who would be the right people to compete in Celebrity Survivor. Even though Jimmy Fallon recently stated he would go on the show, getting someone of his caliber away from his nightly talk show to play in competitions on a competing network would be nothing short of a miracle. The level of celebrity the show has already seen is good enough, including Lisa Whelchel from The Facts of Life and Jimmy Johnson.
That’s why we’ve gathered a list of 16 players (eight men and eight women) who would, and could, realistically compete on Celebrity Survivor, if CBS wanted to do so. Some may be reaches, but I will provide arguments why each could make the show. Primarily, their connection to the show’s history as well as personal connection to host Jeff Probst himself makes certain higher-tier celebrities more possible gets than you would see on other celebrity competitions.
Neil Patrick Harris
I know what you’re thinking; “Didn’t he just say that Big Brother fans were getting their hopes up for major celebrities getting involved in the celebrity edition of their show?” The difference here is that Neil Patrick Harris and Survivor host Jeff Probst are good friends, and Neil is rumored to be both a linchpin for the format and a draw to bring in celebrities of note into the show as an example of the higher echelon of play.
Neil has stepped away from the limelight after a decade appearing on How I Met Your Mother and starring on Broadway shoes. That has both given him time off from the limelight necessary to make himself available for filming the season and the opportunity to hide the level of fame he has on the show, which would make him a threat overall.
His social game may be the key to getting him to the merge, although his likeability would likely be his downfall in the game’s second half.