Survivor
News (Page 3)

Let's hope there aren't any challenges on Survivor: Gabon that involve foot speed. It just wouldn't be fair.

After all, contestant Crystal Cox actually won a Gold Medal at the 2004 Olympics. She was a member of the 4X400-meter relay team.

While impressive, this might also prove to be a detriment for Cox; anyone with a sniff of fame or success hasn't fared well in the past on Survivor. Other competitors figure: why should you get more money and fame?

''I think Crystal's big dilemma is going to be 'What does she say that she does? Who does she say she is?' Because it's obvious she's an athlete," Jeff Probst said to Entertainment Weekly. Crystal has a mouth on her. She does not edit. That makes her great at tribal council but a liability in the game.''

Perhaps Crystal Cox should say she's a porn star instead of a world class athlete. Just an idea. She has the name for it.

We're not entirely sure what a videographer actually does.

But we are sure that Randy Bailey, who enjoys that occupation when he's not stranded on a deserted island as part of a reality show, is intent on doing whatever it takes to win Survivor: Gabon. He has said he'll step on everyone's toes on the show.

And Jeff Probst appears to beack him up:

''Randy is crotchety and clever," the Survivor host told Entertainment Weekly. "He's the guy who will come to Tribal Council and try to challenge me, which is a huge mistake, because I'm not playing for a million dollars. But I don't think he's as evil as he wants you to think he is.''

Kelly Czarnecki is hot!

And we don't just mean this 22-year old's look; though, as you can see below, the retail saleswoman from Illinois is absolutely gorgeous.

But Kelly describes herself as a "burst of sunshine," based on her optimistic, friendly demeanor. Jeff Probst sort of agrees, but the show's host focuses on another aspect of this Survivor: Gabon contestan't personality.

''The way I would describe Kelly is that she is part of the Text Message Generation," Probst told Entertainment Weekly. "And she speaks that way, she'll say, 'OMG!' for 'Oh, my God!' That's Kelly. And just as a grown man looking at her I could say, 'That's charming, she's young and has her whole life ahead of her.' But as a tribemate I'd probably say, 'If she says OMG, I'll probably say GTFOH.''

Survivor host has gone on record saying that Ken Hoang is one of his favorite contestants of all-time.

''Ken the gamer is one of my favorite people who has been on the show in a long time," Probst told Entertainment Weekly. "He is convinced his gaming expertise is absolutely in line with what it takes to win, that he knows this game backward and forward simply because he's a gamer. But Ken is a true nerd. I think when the show began he weighed less than [China's] Courtney did.''

Indeed, the 22-year old Hoang is a professional video game player. How will that play out on Survivor: Gabon? We'll have to tune in and find out!

Corinne Kaplan is a pharmaceutical sales rep from Los Angeles.

The Survivor: Gabon contestant takes an interviewing view of the show, recently saying "there are no losers in Survivor: We all come home skinny, detoxed, and tan. We're all winners.''

What does host Jeff Probst have to say about Kaplan? Nothing nearly as positive as her take above.

''Corinne is a self-proclaimed über-bitch, and she owns it," Probst told Entertainment Weekly. "I think the meanest thing you could say to Corinne would be to say, 'You're very pleasant.' She would take that as an insult of the highest order.''

Ace Gordon sounds more like the name of a superhero than a reality TV star.

But this fashion photographer from Naples, Florida is a member of the Survivor: Gabon cast. The man refers to himself as a "manipulative bastard.

Jeff Probst, meanwhile, has said about Gordon:

''You would expect him to be like a villain in a Bond movie who dies a horrible death at the end. It's almost like a blind arrogance, and he's really fun to watch. And I think his accent could work for him or against him, but there is something about the accent that makes everything he says seem smarter.''

With Survivor: Gabon set to premiere next month, it's time to meet the contestants!

First up? Jessica Kiper.

This Brooklyn native is an aspiring actress. She's appeared on the shows Gilmore Girls and Angel.

Jeff Probst told Entertainment Weekly it doesn't take much to bring Kiper to tears, adding: ''She makes every decision from her heart and not her head. She's very emotional."

The 18th season of Survivor, taking place in Gabon, isn't going swimmingly at the moment.

Host Jeff Probst recently said a crane has fallen over and a cargo hold containing about $100,000 worth of food had gone missing. Oops!

Probst said the Survivor: Gabon crew was also having an issue with something that was already present: wildlife.

"We have a danger problem with animals that we're trying to figure out how to handle," he said. "There's so much truly wild life out there, we're not sure what to do. We don't want the animals around for a safety reasons, but we'd love to have a hippo sneak in every so often. I just got a call from our executive producer that we've got hippo tracks at base camp."

Survivor: Gabon will be filmed in high-definition and is slated to premiere in the fall.

As The Hollywood Reporter puts it, Fox is "gunning to finally take down Survivor."

The network has lined up its second and third-highest rated reality shows to air head-to-head against CBS' veteran hit.

In the fall, Fox will air The Moment of the Truth against Survivor; the spring will see Hell's Kitchen inserted into that time slot.

Launched in 2000, Survivor has absolutely owned its Thursdays at 8 p.m. time period over the last few years. Even as this recent cycle dropped in the ratings (like just about every program on broadcast television), Jeff Probst and company continue to provide a strong lead-in for CSI.

So, what do you think? Is this finally the plan that will take down Survivor? Or will it, well, survive?

Parvati Shallow won Survivor: Micronesia last night. Explaining her strategy after being crowned victor, Parvati said:

"I wasn't going to start playing in the beginning. I was going to fly under the radar and play the flirt and let everyone underestimate m. "[But Jonathan Penner] outed me and said, 'This girl's a threat! We've got to get rid of her!' I was like, 'Okay. I've got to start playing.' I got my head in the game and started making moves."

Shallow defeated former Survivor: China castaway Amanda Kimmel by a 5-3 margin during the final Tribal Council jury vote.

Here's a look at other Parvati Shallow photos. Click on them now for larger versions....