8. Kelley Wentworth
Second season: Cambodia
There could be a strong argument that Kelley Wentworth should be number one on these rankings, but I have her eighth because at the end of the day, she didn’t win. What Wentworth did do, however, is go from a forgettable pre-merge boot in San Juan Del Sur to a Survivor legend.
Yes, for those of you who forgot, Wentworth was a pre-merge boot in her original season! She was voted out fifth and typically, those players are forgotten about and never heard from again. Fortunately for Wentworth, she was memorable enough for production to include her on the ballot for Cambodia. She campaigned hard and was rewarded with a second chance.
Wentworth didn’t take her second chance for granted either. She found two Hidden Immunity Idols, including one during a challenge, and used both of them correctly (“Wentworth, will not count”). As a result, she made it to the Final Four and was one immunity challenge win away from likely winning the game. I’m not sure if she beats Jeremy or not, but one would have to think she’d have had a good case to win the season.
Wentworth’s second chance turned her into a Survivor favorite. So much so that she was given a third chance to play in Edge of Extinction where she was blindsided post-merge with an idol in her pocket. Still, her second go of the game completely changed her legacy and that’s why she appears at number eight.