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Survivor winner will take on The Challenge before Survivor 50

Dee Valladares is pulling double duty this summer, filming Survivor 50 while making her debut on the new season of The Challenge.
ByJacqueline Thomas|
Dee Valladares, pictured here during season 45 will return to compete on the milestone Season 50 of SURVIVOR, premiering Spring 2026 on CBS and Paramount+. Dee is previously the winner of Season 45. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Dee Valladares, pictured here during season 45 will return to compete on the milestone Season 50 of SURVIVOR, premiering Spring 2026 on CBS and Paramount+. Dee is previously the winner of Season 45. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | CB

Before we see her take on Survivor for a second time early next year, Survivor 45 winner Dee Valladares will make her rookie debut in The Challenge season 41.

The upcoming season, themed "Vets and New Threats," will premiere on July 30 and feature two other Survivor alums: two-time veteran Michaela Bradshaw (Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X; Survivor: Game Changers) and rookie Sydney Segal (Survivor 41).

There's no doubt that Dee is a new threat who has what it takes to win—she's already considered one of the best Survivor winners of the new era—and is definitely a challenge beast with 3 immunity wins under her belt. And let's not forget how she secured her win: a tight day 1 alliance. If Dee transfers everything she learned as she outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted on Survivor 45 to her time on The Challenge, I could see her going pretty far.

Establishing relationships will be key at the beginning, and Dee has a solid track record of finding a core group that will remain loyal to her. She's also proven she can take on and win any type of challenge as the last player standing in "Get a Grip" (holding onto the pole) that requires both physical and mental stamina as well as "On Shaky Ground" (stacking items while standing on a wobbly beam) which takes immense dexterity and concentration.

She has all the tools to beat even the most accomplished veterans, as long as she uses them wisely.

We Can Do Hard Things
“We Can Do Hard Things” – Eighteen new castaways are abandoned in the islands of Fiji where they must learn to adapt, or they will be voted out. Tribes must be the first to finish the first challenge of the season to secure crucial camp supplies. The other two tribes must be savvy and get sweaty in hopes of earning their camp essentials. Then, tribes will climb their way to victory earning immunity, while the last tribe to finish will head to tribal council where they must send someone home, on | CBS

But I won't say it wasn't a little surprising to see her name on the cast announcement for the MTV reality show, considering she is out in Fiji filming Survivor 50 as this article is being written.

Of course, there are other Survivor 50 contestants who have competed in (and won) reality competitions other than Survivor, like Stephanie LaGrossa Kendrick, who appeared on The Traitors and Snake in the Grass, and Mike White, who competed on The Amazing Race. Plus, Cirie Fields has won The Traitors and Snake in the Grass on top of appearing on Big Brother and the upcoming season of Australian Survivor.

But with some former Survivor players seemingly not invited back for the anniversary season because of their involvement with other shows, it's curious to see Dee included in both the Survivor milestone and the exciting new season of The Challenge.

Regardless, we can't wait to see her take on the competition on both platforms!

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