The wait is finally over! After more than 100 days of the Survivor off-season, Survivor 49 has officially premiered.
On Wednesday, Sept. 24, the new season kicked off in the season premiere with 18 players eager to join the ranks of Survivor players, all competing for the title of sole Survivor. However, as we know, only one person can win, and sadly, one contestant will be voted out first.
For Survivor 49, it was Kele tribe member Nicole Mazullo, a 26-year-old financial crime consultant from Long Island. From the beginning, it was noticeable how Nicole was on the outside of the tribe, as there was a core alliance of four in which she wasn't a part.
Though Nicole had a good relationship with Alex Moore, Alex was part of the majority alongside Sophi Balerdi, Jeremiah Ing, and Jake Latimer, leaving Nicole and Annie Davies on the outs. When Kele lost their shot at immunity, the vote was between Nicole and Annie, with the tribe ultimately deciding to vote out Nicole unanimously, ending Nicole's dream of winning the game prematurely.
During her exit press interviews, Nicole was asked how she felt about her early departure from the show. When speaking with TV Line, Nicole said she didn't take it personally being the first boot. On the contrary, Nicole's excellent sportsmanship is displayed when she responds that she knows this is how the game works and that she is honored to be part of this season.
As she was also asked who she felt most betrayed by, Nicole replied, "No, no, I don't, because I just met these people three days in. I know everyone in Survivor's like, "We're a family," but I met them three days ago. So no, I don't feel betrayed. I don't feel hurt."
Nicole continued, "It's a game. Someone had to go out. There's a viable reason to vote out any player, and the first person that speaks up and points to someone, they're gonna go with that vote. No one wants to be the first one voted out, so it was an easy pick, an easy target, so no, I don't feel betrayed, not at all."
It's definitely a different take than most contestants take when being voted out of Survivor, or any show for that matter, as most people tend to take their eliminations personally. However, Nicole has had time to process everything that transpired in Fiji over the summer, and is now mostly excited to see how the season unfolds with her friends and family, even if "she's the butt of the joke".
As Nicole says in the same interview, "Thanksgiving is gonna be hysterical already. I know there's gonna be a lot of little one-liner jabs, but they are just so proud that I got on the show. "
Lastly, when asked if she had any regrets, Nicole quipped that she should've played her Shot in the Dark (SITD), which is a twist where players can exchange their vote for a one-in-six chance at immunity and potentially being safe at the next vote.
Additionally, Nicole acknowledges that she should've worked to establish a better relationship with Annie, Kele's other outsider, which could've made a difference alongside the SITD.
Nicole was the first player voted out of Survivor 49, but she will not be the last! Who will be the second player voted out of Survivor 49? We'll find out in episode 2, which airs on Wednesday, Oct. 1.