One of the factors that made Survivor one of the best shows in human history is its casting. From heroes, villains, anti-heroes, and everyone in between, the people who have played Survivor are the ones who have built up, and sometimes even borderline destroyed, the program we all know and love.
After almost 50 seasons, and over 600 people who have played the US version, some have fallen through the cracks, as there are too many to recall at a moment's notice. However, there is a group of Survivors that have withstood the test of time, for good or for bad... and one of those people is none other than Shane Powers.
Shane Powers played Survivor only once in Survivor: Panama - Exile Island back in 2006. Survivor was on its twelfth season, and while it wasn't what we're used to seeing nowadays in terms of strategy and social dynamics, the show had certainly already grown into its own during those first six years.
Survivor Panama had the unique, and questionable, twist of dividing people by gender and age during its first few days, meaning the sixteen people cast on that season were divided into the following tribes: young women in Bayoneta, older women in Casaya, young men in Viveros, and older men in La Mina. At only 35 years, Shane was placed in the La Mina tribe, where his dark sense of humor, notorious outbursts due to nicotine withdrawals, and jesting rants placed him on everyone's radar from day one.
As the game went by, Shane somewhat adapted, and he played a crucial role in forming the post-switch Casaya tribes, which turned out to be one of Survivor's most infamous, dysfunctional, and yet dominating groups ever. Alongside Shane, there were other dominant personalities, including Cirie Fields, Terry Dietz, Danielle DiLorenzo, and Aras Baskauskas, who were ultimately the final five.
Shane's social game was tricky at times, as he was close to Cirie and Terry, which propelled him further into the game, but his constant frictions with Danielle and Courtney Marit made people wary of working with him long-term. Ultimately, his close bond with Terry, who was the most significant physical threat in the game, made Shane a liability to everyone else, and they blindsided him on day 33.
As previously mentioned, Shane suffered severe nicotine withdrawals while on the island, as he had been accustomed to smoking three packs a day before playing, which caused his demeanor to be tumultuous at all times. Periodically, Shane was hilarious, like the time he used a rock as his Blackberry, and he used it to pass the time and give amusing confessionals. Other times, Shane was downright rude to several people, particularly Courtney, who, to be fair, got on everyone's nerves. Still, Shane and Courtney couldn't talk to each other for more than five minutes before getting personal, which caused friction with others.
Despite Shane's attitude, people were eager to see him play again, and Shane almost did in 2010 for Survivor Heroes vs Villains. However, Shane was cut last minute in favor of nefarious Survivor Samoa villain, Russell Hantz. Later, during an interview for RHAP, Shane revealed he declined to participate in Survivor Micronesia and Survivor South Pacific, which both seasons would have benefited significantly from having such a controversial player like Shane.
Shane's biggest opportunity in playing Survivor again came in 2015 for Survivor: Cambodia - Second Chances, where Shane was one of 32 eligible former one-time players who were given the shot to come back if they received enough fan votes. Ultimately, Shane didn't make the final cut, shocking fans and players, as everyone assumed Shane was a guarantee.
Since Cambodia, Shane has been notoriously vocal on social media about his Survivor opinions, which have gone from criticizing the show, casting decisions, twists, and even the show's host and executive producer, Jeff Probst. Now, almost twenty years after playing, Shane regrets some of his decisions and actions throughout the years, as he considers that these are the reasons why he won't never come back to Survivor.
In an interview with Dalton Ross for Entertainment Weekly, Shane confesses that one of his most egregious actions was being drunk during a psych evaluation. After being asked if he would've come back for the upcoming milestone of Survivor 50, Shane responded, "I would not have been called. And most of that is my fault."
Shane also said, "I have lost the right to be considered for that show because I have been mean and grumpy and nasty with the guy who created… or didn't create the show, but that's his baby." This is obviously about Shane's repeated remarks against Jeff Probst throughout the years, and adds that he now thinks Probst is a wonderful host, executive producer, and commends him for his job as it has allowed Survivor to thrive for 25 years.
As for his thoughts regarding season 50, Shane comments that not everyone is going to be happy at the end of the day, no matter the cast, but admits he's excited nonetheless. Lastly, Shane revealed he had been offered to go on other shows such as The Traitors and Deal or No Deal Island, but didn't accept as the offers had been too vague for him to consider them seriously. Still, the only show Shane would agree to go on would be The Amazing Race, alongside his Survivor Panama bestie, the legendary Cirie Fields, as he quipped, "That might be a fun thing to do."
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