Cedrek McFadden may have been voted out of Survivor 48 just as the merge was starting, but rest assured, he was still leaving his mark at the jury house.
After being voted out in the second half of the split tribal council, Cedrek became the first member of the jury of Survivor 48, a role that fans have unofficially titled the ‘Mayor of Ponderosa’. It may not be the elected position a Survivor player is hoping for while on the island, but Cedrek proved that after 48 seasons, there are still ways to add your personal touch to the role.
A few days after the Survivor 48 finale, Cedrek shared on a post on X and Bluesky about what he did to make each of the new Survivor 48 players recently voted out feel a little bit more comfortable in their first interactions outside of the game. Basically, he would wait for each player to arrive at Ponderosa. It started with Chrissy Sarnowsky, and it continued through the three finalists arriving at Ponderosa, as well.
McFadden also shared photos from the final Ponderosa arrival, finalists Eva Erickson, Joe Hunter, and winner Kyle Fraser. As new jury members were added, they would join Cedrek on the steps to greet the newest additions to their group.
Cedrek would go on to call this a “simple act to show that, beyond the game, life continues- and so do the connections we make along the way.”
It seems that his fellow 48 castmates agree with his sentiments. Players like Chrissy, Star Toomey, and Mary Zheng have all mentioned in their exit interviews that the welcoming environment in Ponderosa was one of the highlights of their time on the show. Other Survivor alumni, such as Survivor: Worlds Apart winner Mike Holloway and two-time player Eliza Orlins, showed their support in the comments of Cedrek’s post as well.
As the first juror, the ‘Mayor of Ponderosa’ role is often credited with setting the tone for the jury house with how they plan to confront one another and the eventual finalists. With Survivor 48 being filled with tense situations throughout the season, it is refreshing to learn about how one player made the effort to turn Ponderosa into a place of comfort. This is one new era addition I’d love to see continue for future seasons!
Survivor returns this fall with Survivor 49 on CBS and Paramount+!