Survivor 49 is right around the corner and I already have a pretty good guess of how things might go for our 18 latest castaways. But you can't predict the future without knowing the past, so before we dive into how this season's players might perform, let's see who our past yellow winners are that paved the road.
In 48 seasons, 11 winners have originated on yellow/gold tribes:
- Ethan Zohn (Survivor: Africa)
- Vecepia Towery (Survivor: Marquesas)
- Jenna Morasca (Survivor: The Amazon)
- Danni Boatwright (Survivor: Guatemala)
- Bob Crowley (Survivor: Gabon)
- Natalie White (Survivor: Samoa)
- Jud "Fabio" Birza (Survivor: Nicaragua)
- Tyson Apostol (Survivor: Blood vs. Water)
- Michele Fitzgerald (Survivor: Kaoh Rong)
- Mike Gabler (Survivor 43)
- Rachel LaMont (Survivor 48)
It's fair to say there are definitely a handful of yellow winners who trend towards being crowned Sole Survivor less so for playing the game the best and more so because the jury didn't want someone else in the finale to win. Will that continue in season 49?
Check out this Survivor 49 first look to learn more about our players and read on to check out my predictions for the Hina tribe.
Jason Treul
"Humble I try to be, but there's evidence that I may be smart."
Age: 32
Hometown: Anaheim, Calif.
Current Residence: Santa Ana, Calif.
Occupation: Law clerk
My Prediction: I think Jason has the tools he needs to get to the end and possibly win this season, but he's going to spend the first few days of the game figuring out how to use them. If he can really adapt and discover his place amongst his tribe and the other castaways, he could go far. If not, he might be an early vote.
Kristina Mills
"I can deal with literally any type of person."
Age: 36
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Current Residence: Edmond, Okla.
Occupation: MBA career coach
My Prediction: I would love to see Kristina at Final Tribal Council! I predict she's going to have an incredible social game and be able to hold the loyalty of a lot of players at once, maneuvering the merge in a way that doesn't burn any bridges, but still keeps her in the majority. This is a scary person to be sitting next to at the Final Three, though, and the closer she gets to the end, the bigger a threat she becomes in her own alliance—more likely to get targeted over someone outside the majority alliance. If she can keep those relationships right where she needs them, she might be able to hold more power in the game than people realize and pull off a blindside or two on her way to the end.
Matt Williams
"I'm a bit of a Trojan horse, they're not going to see me coming."
Age: 52
Hometown: Farmington, Utah
Current Residence: St. George, Utah
Occupation: Airport ramp agent
My Prediction: While I think Matt will contribute better to physical challenges than his team initially expects him too, I don't think that's where the friction between him and his tribemates will come into play. Unfortunately, all the other players on his tribe are very close in age—29, 31, 32, 35, 36—so even though he has a very young-at-heart vibe, there will just be a natural disconnect in play from day 1. He has the potential to use this to his advantage and pitch himself as an extra vote for someone, willing to go along with whatever the plan is to secure a day 1 stealth alliance, but in truth I don't expect Matt to be at the merge feast.
Michelle "MC" Chukwujekwu
"I thrive off my own energy...fake it 'til I make it!"
Age: 29
Hometown: Sachse, Texas
Current Residence: San Diego, Calif.
Occupation: Fitness trainer
My Prediction: Prior to coming on the show, MC only watched season 47 of Survivor, which means there are a lot of gameplay tactics she's yet to be introduced to. This could be a plus and act as a shield from the paranoia that often sets in to those who over-analyze all the possibilities of a situation not only based on the current game, but based on previous games. Her youthful energy is going to keep her in good graces with her starting tribe, but as the game progresses, if she's not fading when everyone else is, attitude alone could be a reason she becomes a target. I predict she'll make it to the merge, but not too much farther, unfortunately, though I can't help but root for her!
Sophie Segreti
"We do a family Survivor competition every Christmas, and I am not allowed to participate anymore cuz now I've gone pro."
Age: 31
Hometown: Darnestown, Md.
Current Residence: New York City, N.Y.
Occupation: Strategy associate
My Prediction: Sophie seems like she's going to lean into her single status to build relationships. Whether being flirtatious to gain allies or bonding over the woes of dating to secure deeper connections, we've seen this work time and again for the right people. But don't forget that she's been working in corporate strategy for almost a decade, so while her social game might be what seems prevalent, her mind is going to be analyzing every situation on overtime, just by her nature. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sophie at the end, if she can maintain the proper balance of social and stealth strategy. But she'll need a super loyal ally from day 1 to get there.
Steven Ramm
"Every time Jeff is there like, 'just apply,' I'd be like, I could win this game..."
Age: 35
Hometown: Littleton, Colo.
Current Residence: Denver, Colo.
Occupation: Rocket scientist
My Prediction: There's no doubt that Steven is going to be the puzzle master of the season. He's going to be a great asset in challenges, especially if they don't win the marooning challenge and need to do some sort of math-situation to earn supplies. He'll be a good player to keep around for the tribe portion of the game and for the first part of the individual game, but his brilliance will be more concerning than celebrated by his fellow castaways in the end, and they will eliminate him before Final Five.
Survivor 49 premieres on CBS and Paramount+ on Wednesday, Sept. 24.