Since reality TV first took the world by storm, there have been endless shows from within the genre that have been produced. As a result, it can be hard for reality show stars to stand out from the rest. However, Jonny Fairplay has long been such an iconic reality show star that he is unforgettable for the kinds of fans who want to see him compete on shows like The Traitors.
When Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans premieres, that season could have given Jonny the chance to return to the reality show that made him incredibly famous. As a result, it makes sense that many fans would have loved to see him compete during the season and it turns out that Jonny wanted to be part of Survivor 50.
Now, Gabe Ortis has spoken about why he is disappointed by Jonny's absence since the icon being part of Survivor 50 could have created a great "TV moment."
Why Gabe Ortis thinks Jonny Fairplay should have been part of Survivor 50's cast
During an interview with Surviving Tribal, Gabe discussed who they thought was missing from the cast of Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans that should have been included. After Jonny Fairplay was suggested, Gabe agreed and stated that he believed the reality show villain would feel the same way.
"I know Jonny pretty well at this point and I think he would agree with you. I'll say that he would agree with you. And if you wanna get some sound bites, you should interview him next and just ask, 'Why weren't you on 50?' And you'll get about 30 minutes of content.
After Gabe made that fantastic remark, he was asked which player he would suggest should have been part of Survivor 50.
Without missing a beat, Gabe began explaining why he also thought that Jonny Fairplay should have been part of the landmark season. As Gabe began explaining, he believed that Jonny would have been entertaining because of how much he would have played up his Survivor return.
"I think that Jonny is a good shout just because of the moment that it would have been. You know, even if he was the first one out again, just like he would have played into it like so hard and so campy and so over the top that it doesn't matter if you hate his guts, which many people do, or if you're a big fan or if you don't care, you would have tuned in for it. It would have been a no-brainer to tune in for."
While continuing to describe why he believed Jonny would have made Survivor 50 better, Gabe juxtaposed the reaction he would have received with how people will feel about Cirie Fields' Survivor comeback. While Gabe was sure to express his respect for Cirie and clarified that he meant no disrespect to her, he argued that Jonny's return would have been a better "TV moment."
"I don't know if people are gonna feel the same way about Cirie, you know? And no disrespect to Cirie, an all-time legend, you know, she's so great. And I've met her in person and she's fantastic. She's wonderful. But like, it's just not as much of like a TV moment as like a Fairplay coming out doing it, you know? So, I think that was a pretty considerable miss."
Survivor 50 premieres in February 2026!