You know how they say “when one door closes, another one opens”? Well, it turns out that sentiment rings particularly true for one Survivor 49 contestant, who traded one CBS show for another.
In an exclusive interview with Parade, upcoming player Sage Ahrens-Nichols admitted to having made it far in the Big Brother casting process, only to be cut in its final stages.
A Survivor superfan at heart, Ahrens-Nichols confessed that while she had always been a fan of our favorite island show, she only started watching Big Brother in 2019 after being deployed to Afghanistan, where the aforementioned show was airing regularly.
“[I] started applying for Big Brother in 2019. Applied, nothing, every year. I was like, “Alright, just adapt. What do I need to do differently?” Eventually got a callback, made it all the way to where they’re making their final cuts, and got cut. But that ended up working out really well, because I don’t think that Big Brother is where my heart is. No offense to the show.”
By Sage’s estimate, this happened about two years ago, which would’ve coincided with Big Brother 25, the season that Survivor legend Cirie Fields competed in with her son Jared. Jared would finish the season in 11th place, while Cirie would finish in 5th place, just short of finale week. Jag Bains would inevitably win the season in a 5-2 jury vote.
It may be clear that fate had other plans for Sage, her interest in Big Brother faded after her final attempt at being cast for the summer show. But her determination to be on TV did not wane completely from this experience.
She told Mike Bloom in her interview, “I stopped watching it after they didn’t choose me. And then casting was like, “Hey, we also cast for Survivor.” And my first thought was, “I already did the military. I’m not doing the rough and toughing it. And the second thought was like, “Damn it, now I have to do it.” Because anytime I doubt myself, instantly, we’re doing the thing.”
It’s safe to say that given her perspective on the whole experience, Sage is exactly where she should be in the reality TV universe. Here is hoping that her superfan knowledge helps lead to a strong showing on season 49.
The US version of Big Brother is currently airing its 27th season, which featured fan favorite veteran of the show Rachel Reilly making her third appearance as a contestant. Reilly was eliminated from the game recently in the much-maligned “White Locust” twist, which saw her exit the game without a chance to save herself.
The season finale will air on Sunday, September 28, 2025 on CBS. Survivor 49 is set to premiere a few days prior on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, also on CBS.