Press Release: SURVIVOR announced today the 18 new castaways who will compete against each other when the veteran reality/competition series returns for its 43rd edition with a two-hour premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 21 (8:00-10:00 PM ET) on CBS. The series is also available to stream live and on demand on the CBS app and Paramount+*. The show is hosted by Emmy Award winner Jeff Probst.
After 22 years on television, 646 castaways and 639 torch snuffs, the premiere of season 43 will be the CBS Original series’ 621st episode, launching a new chapter of the groundbreaking reality competition. SURVIVOR continues to evolve when these 18 new players are stranded on the beautiful islands of Fiji and must form a society and adapt to their physical and social surroundings, forcing players to choose between personal risk and reward, while navigating the complex social game and attempting to forge alliances to last another day.
These determined castaways require strong social skills, strategic acumen and physical endurance. They will be divided into three tribes of six and face a faster, more extreme season from the moment they step on the beach. The moral dilemmas and unpredictable situations will test even the strongest competitor, as food is scarce, rewards and supplies are minimal, and the mental and physical challenges require players to make impossible decisions and adjust their strategies every day.
The individuals competing on season 43 are from diverse backgrounds and bring a fresh perspective to this new era of the game, with the same ultimate goal: to outwit, outplay and outlast. And in the end, only one will remain to claim the title of Sole Survivor and win the $1 million prize.
The following are the 18 new castaways competing this fall:
Name: Cassidy Clark
Age: 26
Hometown: Plano, Texas
Current Residence: Austin, Texas
Occupation: Designer
Name: Cody Assenmacher
Age: 35
Hometown: Preston, Iowa
Current Residence: Honolulu, Hawaii
Occupation: Elevator sales
Name: Dwight Moore
Age: 22
Hometown: Palo Alto, Calif.
Current Residence: Collierville, Tenn.
Occupation: Graduate student
Name: Elisabeth “Elie” Scott
Age: 31
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
Current Residence: Salt Lake City, Utah
Occupation: Clinical psychologist
Name: Geo Bustamante
Age: 36
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
Current Residence: Honolulu, Hawaii
Occupation: Project manager
Name: James Jones
Age: 37
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Current Residence: Philadelphia, Pa.
Occupation: Event planner
Name: Jeanine Zheng
Age: 24
Hometown: South Hamilton, Mass.
Current Residence: San Francisco, Calif.
Occupation: UX designer
Name: Jesse Lopez
Age: 30
Hometown: Venice, Calif.
Current Residence: Durham, N.C.
Occupation: Political science PhD
Name: Justine Brennan
Age: 29
Hometown: Sunnyvale, Calif.
Current Residence: Marina Del Rey, Calif.
Occupation: Cyber security sales
Name: Karla Cruz Godoy
Age: 28
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Current Residence: Newark, Del.
Occupation: Educational project manager
Name: Lindsay Carmine
Age: 42
Hometown: Greensboro, N.C.
Current Residence: Downingtown, Pa.
Occupation: Pediatric nurse
Name: Mike ‘Gabler’ Gabler
Age: 52
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Current Residence: Meridian, Idaho
Occupation: Heart valve specialist
Name: Morriah Young
Age: 28
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Current Residence: Philadelphia, Pa.
Occupation: Teacher
Name: Nneka Ejere
Age: 43
Hometown: Weatherford, Texas
Current Residence: Weatherford, Texas
Occupation: Pharmacist
Name: Noelle Lambert
Age: 25
Hometown: Londonderry, N.H.
Current Residence: Manchester, N.H.
Occupation: U.S. Paralympian
Name: Owen Knight
Age: 30
Hometown: Bethesda, Md.
Current Residence: New Orleans, La.
Occupation: College admissions director
Name: Ryan Medrano
Age: 25
Hometown: Savannah, Ga.
Current Residence: El Paso, Texas
Occupation: Warehouse associate
Name: Sami Layadi
Age: 19
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
Current Residence: Las Vegas, Nev.
Occupation: Pet cremator
SURVIVOR is hosted by Emmy Award-winning host Jeff Probst and produced by S.E.G. Holdco., LLC. Mark Burnett, Jeff Probst, Matt VanWagenen, Kahaia Pearson and Jesse Jensen are executive producers.
For more detailed information on SURVIVOR and the castaways, log on to www.cbs.com/survivor.