Warning: This story contains major spoilers for Survivor‘s May 13 episode. Please proceed with caution!
After 26 days and a record number of tribal councils, the winner of Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans will finally be revealed next Wednesday, May 20. The three-hour event begins at 8 p.m. PT/ET on CBS and Paramount+, and will conclude with the first live reunion since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the 40th season finale in May 2020.
Before Jeff Probst hands over the $2 million check, there are several burning questions that still need to be dealt with. Specifically, what do the Gold Derby predictions say about who’s out front to earn the title of “Sole Survivor”? How can fans vote on Sia’s special $100,000 prize? And how many advantages are still in play? Read on for everything to know about the Survivor 50 finale.
THE FINAL 5
Following the eliminations of Rick Devens and Cirie Fields in the May 13 episode, only five people remain on the island: Aubry Bracco, Joe Hunter, Jonathan Young, Rizo Velovic, and Tiffany Ervin.
Notably, Aubry is the only “old school” player left, having previously competed in Kaôh Rōng, Game Changers, and Edge of Extinction. The rest are all one-time players from the “new era”: Season 42’s Jonathan, Season 46’s Tiffany, Season 48’s Joe, and Season 49’s Rizo.
WINNER ODDS
Survivor 50 Predictions: Finale
All year long, Gold Derby readers have been making their predictions for who they think will win Survivor 50. Cirie held the No. 1 position for the entire season, but with her gone, Aubry has now taken the lead with a 25% chance of winning, per the finale odds. Jonathan is now in the runner-up position at 8%, followed by Rizo at 5%, Tiffany at 2%, and Joe at 0%. These odds will continue to be updated throughout the week as more users make their picks.
THE JURY
The jury is a group of voted-out castaways who have the power to crown the next multi-millionaire. It currently consists of nine players, but will grow to 11 after two more eliminations occur in the finale. After the Final 3 give their last pitches, the jurors will step up to the voting booth and write down the name of the person they want to join the iconic Survivor winners list.
How might they vote? In recent weeks, all of the ousted jury members went on a press tour, and here is how some of them responded when asked a version of the question, “Who do you think will win Survivor 50?”
- Dee Valladares (Survivor 45): Tiffany or Cirie
- Chrissy Hofbeck (Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers): Jonathan or Cirie
- Coach Wade (Tocantins, Heroes vs. Villains, South Pacific): Jonathan or Rizo
- Christian Hubicki (David vs. Goliath): Rick
- Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick (Palau, Guatemala, Heroes vs. Villains): Jonathan
- Emily Flippen (Survivor 45): Cirie
- Ozzy Lusth (Cook Islands, Micronesia, South Pacific, Game Changers): Cirie or Tiffany
- Rick Devens (Edge of Extinction): TBD
- Cirie Fields (Panama, Micronesia, Heroes vs. Villains, Game Changers): TBD
SIA FAN VOTE
Viewers have until May 20 at 12 p.m. PT to cast their votes for the $100,000 Sia Fan Favorite prize. Since 2016, the global pop star (and Survivor superfan) has personally awarded over $1 million to the castaways who have moved her the most. In the spirit of this year’s In the Hands of the Fans theme, Sia is turning that honor over to viewers, empowering them to choose who will receive the money. Fans can cast their votes for any of the 24 contestants at Survivor50CBS.votenow.tv.
ADVANTAGE COUNT
In a season full of powerful advantages, there is only one left as the finale begins: Rizo’s much-talked-about Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol that he received in Episode 4 from Genevieve Mushaluk. This idol officially expires at the Final 5, so the time has come for RizGod to either play it or take it home as a souvenir. It’s also possible that producers have one last advantage up their sleeve that will help someone in the next immunity challenge. Time will tell on that one.
JEFF’S FINAL MESSAGE
At the end of the penultimate episode, Jeff warned the remaining five castaways: “You have three days left in this game. There are still three big decisions in the hands of the fans. What is the Final 4 challenge? Will there be a fire-making showdown? And will we read the votes here in Fiji, or will you have to wait for a live finale back in Los Angeles? All will be revealed over the next 72 hours.”
Viewers at home already know the answer to that last question. Yes, the reading of the final votes will take place in Los Angeles — specifically, on the Paramount Lot — followed by a live reunion featuring all of the Survivor 50 contestants. There has not been a live finale yet in the “new era” (which kicked off with Survivor 41) due to a mix of COVID-19 restrictions and cost-cutting measures. But since the fans voted for the 50th finale to be live, CBS is opening its pocketbook one more time.
SURVIVOR 51 IS COMING
CBS has renewed the long-running reality TV show for a 51st season, which is expected to feature a cast of all-new players. Be on the lookout for a trailer to drop at the end of the Survivor 50 finale.
