Tens of thousands of radical use to beryllium connected the show, and ultimately, the casting producers volition premix a clump of Survivor aficionados with people, who usually extremity up being models oregon actors, they recruit. Still, those recruited players indispensable spell done the afloat casting process.

"Believe it oregon not we person galore applications from the aforesaid radical twelvemonth aft year," erstwhile casting manager Lynne Spillman, who had been with the amusement from the opening until 2018, told Reality Wanted.

Now, big Jeff Probst is handling casting. 

"Typically, it goes similar this," helium outlined to Entertainment Weekly. "We hop connected Zoom, and they commencement to archer america astir their lives. I often walk the archetypal fewer minutes reasoning the aforesaid thing… 'How person they already done truthful overmuch astatine specified a young age, and what was I doing erstwhile I was 24!??'"

There are respective rounds aft that, including a gathering with the show's pyschologists. "Our lone volition is to get to cognize who they truly are," explained Probst. "It's 1 of the things I effort to accent to radical who are applying to beryllium connected Survivor. You don't person to beryllium thing different than who you are. It sounds truthful elemental but it's the implicit truth. You bash not request an affectional underdog story, you bash not request to beryllium the funniest idiosyncratic successful the room, you don't request to person a assemblage degree, you don't request to beryllium thing different than you."

Even if you get sent location first, you marque wealth by going on Survivor (though your ego whitethorn beryllium everlastingly wounded).

Here's a speedy rundown of what competitors make:

For castaways who are voted retired pre-jury, they fundamentally get an all-expenses paid travel to Fiji arsenic they are required to enactment for the entirety of accumulation to debar spoilers. Plus, each contestant reportedly gets $10,000 for the unrecorded finale and reunion taping astatine the extremity of the season.

But successful an interrogation with TMZ, Jonny Fairplay spilled the beans connected however overmuch castaways allegedly make: the archetypal idiosyncratic eliminated tin marque $12,500, according to the infamous villain, who noted assemblage members get $40,000. "I'm not definite I was  allowed to accidental that," helium noted after. "I might've breached an NDA." 

While the victor of Survivor gets $1 million, the runner-up pockets $100,000 and the 3rd spot finisher earns $85,000. Though they nary longer bash the fan-favorite award, the victor of that nationalist ballot would person $100,000 oregon a car, if it was sponsored.

The lone play of Survivor to tally longer than 39 days? Season 2 (The Australian Outback), astir apt due to the fact that of the breakout occurrence and monster ratings for the archetypal season.

Aside from that, each occurrence is astir 3 days of the competition, truthful editors person the amusive task of trimming 300-500 hours of footage down to a choky 44-minute episode. (Contestants are filmed 24/7.)

As for the tribal councils, those tin instrumentality anyplace from 1-2 hours to film, arsenic Probst really has each castaway reply the aforesaid question. As for however and wherever helium tallies the votes, Probst consults with his chap producers (who are watching the contestants formed their votes via a live-feed), and they determine successful which bid the big volition work the votes. 

So what tin the castaways bring with them? Per Survivor Wiki, they are not allowed to bring their luggage during filming "except for 1 hand-held item."

And arsenic for the apparel they deterioration (and tear) during the 39 days, they person to beryllium pre-approved by production. 

"I would person fixed thing to bring my parka overgarment with maine into the game, but alas, what we deterioration is not wholly up to america arsenic contestants. Our apparel are expected to beryllium a bully practice of who we are and what we would usually deterioration successful our day-to-day lives, " David vs. Goliath's Angelina Keeley told EW aft she infamously tried to get a just-voted-out Natalie Cole to springiness her her overgarment (she didn't get it). "We commencement with 1 brace of clothing, and what you commencement the crippled with is what you extremity your crippled with, unless you get creative."

In a Reddit AMA, erstwhile rival Max Dawson revealed, "They tin beryllium precise specific, to the constituent of sending you to a circumstantial store with photos of the items they privation you to bring." John Cochran's iconic sweater vests? Picked for him!

Per Today, contestants person "access to a instrumentality with indispensable supplies, specified arsenic feminine products, commencement control, captious medications, interaction lens solution, sunscreen, and insect repellent."

Though there's not needfully an endless proviso of necessities similar tampons. Season 39 alum Lauren-Ashley Beck claimed that she got her play doubly during her month-long enactment and the 2nd clip astir she had to hold astir a afloat time to person a tampon arsenic the unit had to task into a adjacent colony to restock. 

Not provided? Toothbrushes oregon razors, which is wherefore immoderate competitors get laser hairsbreadth removal and/or teeth whitening treatments earlier filming begins.

So...where are Probst and the unit members staying portion the competitors are roughing it? 

"The unit sleeps successful immoderate accommodations are available," Probst revealed during his 2014 Reddit AMA. "In the Philippines we were situated successful the mediate of the ocean. On this 1 land determination conscionable happened to beryllium a monolithic (usually empty) casino and a ample edifice (usually empty). No thought what goes connected determination erstwhile we're not astir but it made for an awesome basal campy for america arsenic we each had our ain rooms with showers and aerial conditioning!"

In different seasons, they've utilized tents, helium continued: "I retrieve truthful vividly being successful these azygous idiosyncratic tents successful Kenya. It was incredible. Every clip you'd propulsion your cot retired to look astatine the stars and past each greeting erstwhile you unzipped your structure you did it arsenic softly arsenic imaginable due to the fact that you knew determination was a bully accidental you'd person a herd of Zebra oregon a fewer giraffe extracurricular your tent. A once-in-a-lifetime accidental for sure."

As for what a "normal" time looks similar for Probst, he answered, "No time is alike, they're longer than you would ideate and overmuch much amusive than you would believe. The amusement runs 24/7 and arsenic Exec Producer that means you are ever 'on'—but we person 1 of the astir footwear ass accumulation teams successful the world."

Did you cognize Survivor has its ain "Dream Team"? They are the radical of unit members who tally done and trial each of the challenges the castaways volition vie in, usually moving done them astatine slightest twice—first, to spot however it works and to marque definite it does enactment (along with figuring retired the champion camera angles), and the 2nd clip is truthful they tin beryllium filmed arsenic if they are the contestants portion Probst is explaining the situation during the episode. 

And if you ever find the rules arsenic explained by Probst confusing astatine times, you are decidedly not alone, arsenic the contestants are usually fixed a much in-depth mentation by situation producer John Kirhoffer. He leads the squad liable for each of the show's games, answering immoderate questions the contestants mightiness (and apt will) have. Also contiguous is idiosyncratic from CBS' ineligible squad to guarantee the contention remains fair. 

Even if you are the archetypal idiosyncratic eliminated from the competition, you inactive walk the afloat 39 days wherever your play is filming. (Spoiler prevention tin person its perks!) "Ponderosa" is wherever eliminated contestants who past agelong capable to go members of the assemblage are sent to live, wherever they person entree to food, entertainment, moving water, etc., and it's usually successful a edifice oregon hotel.  And they are allowed to socialize with their chap assemblage members. 

During Micronesia, CBS introduced Life astatine Ponderosa, disposable to ticker online, which gave fans the accidental to spot what goes down erstwhile the torches are snuffed out. 

If you are eliminated earlier on, not making the chopped for the jury, you unrecorded successful a neighboring country erstwhile the assemblage starts to assemble. 

Believe it oregon not, the archetypal clip the amusement had to evacuate the formed owed to a earthy catastrophe wasn't until a cyclone deed Fiji during Millennials vs. Gen X (season 33 successful 2016). And erstwhile the crippled has to beryllium stopped, it really stops. 

"We made the determination to bring them to basal campy truthful that we would each beryllium together. We enactment each people successful a abstracted country with perfectly thing successful it," Probst told EW of the shutdown. "No food, nary blankets, nary pillows, nothing. They were monitored by producers the full night. And, to their credit, they did not speech oregon effort to signifier alliances. They honored the bully religion statement we had made. The adjacent morning, we returned them to the beaches and the crippled resumed."

And successful 2018's play 37, the castaways had to beryllium evacuated 2 times owed to cyclones. (Fiji, man!) Again, they were sequestered and monitored to forestall gameplay. But Probst commended the competitors for their "respect" for the crippled during the 2 breaks. 

"They appreciated we were looking retired for them," Probst told EW. "Equally important, they besides respected that the game, portion impermanent connected hold, was inactive live and truthful they did not situation america oregon effort to get distant with anything."

During a Survivor Panel for EW, Probst, who is also the showrunner, really revealed his favourite winner: Season 26's John Cochran. But helium besides shared his picks for the contestants that person played  the champion game, which were Parvati Shallow and Rob Mariano.

And during a Reddit AMA, helium revealed his slightest favourite Survivor twist ever: The Medallion of Power. 

"I ne'er liked it," helium said. "Didn't talk up loudly enough. We bash marque mistakes—we cognize that. But I anticipation you guys consciousness that mostly we marque bully decisions. Here's the information and immoderate amusement creator volition archer you this—you don't cognize what volition enactment until you effort it." 

His pick for the champion twist, however, was the famed hidden immunity idol, which was introduced successful play 11. 

Probst revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that the amusement has really utilized respective of Tyler Perry's ideas, including the thought of the "special powers" idol that allowed a contestant to usage it aft the votes were read. (It ended up helping Tony Vlachos unafraid his triumph successful Cayagan.) People weren't precisely thrilled with that idol though.

Aside from Perry, Jimmy Fallon has besides made suggestions, arsenic good arsenic a radical of TV showrunners and producers who tally a super-fan pool, with a $200 buy-in. The victor gets each the cash, the loser has to wage for a monolithic meal astatine season's end. (It erstwhile deed $8,000!)

Of course, each contestant is asked to motion a declaration earlier filming, entering an statement with the amusement and CBS to not "defame, disparage" the bid oregon its producers, on with acknowledging the risks and imaginable injuries that travel with doing Survivor.

But there's besides a monolithic warning—a $5 cardinal one—if you interruption the confidentiality statement a.k.a. spoil the damn happening oregon adjacent uncover you are a contestant earlier CBS announces it.  

In play 37, Alec Merlino faced a imaginable suit erstwhile helium posted a photograph of himself with chap rival Kara Kay connected Instagram earlier the play premiered. his caption? "F--k it." While producers didn't yet usage the NDA clause to slap him with a $5 cardinal penalty, they did disinvite him from the unrecorded finale taping.

"It's been the main bony of contention for my entire Survivor experience. The happening is, with societal media, I consciousness things tin beryllium misconstrued, but I person thing but the utmost respect for CBS, for Survivor, for Jeff. I went retired determination and I had the acquisition of a lifetime," Alec told EW of the controversy. "That picture, it was unfortunate. I instrumentality 100 percent ownership of it. It sucks. But I deliberation things tin beryllium misconstrued and that's each I truly person to remark astir that."

Way backmost successful 2001, Stacey Stillman, the 3rd contestant booted disconnected the land successful the original Survivor, sued CBS and the show's creator Mark Burnett, claiming helium arranged her exit and "orchestrated" the show's outcome. In her lawsuit, she alleged Burnett "improperly abused his relationships with the contestants," and convinced 2 castaways to alteration their votes.

At the time, CBS and Burnett telephone the suit "frivolous and groundless." The network counter-sued for $5 cardinal for violating the contract. (Remember that full regularisation astir not speaking retired against the show?) The lawsuit was yet settled retired of court. 

Many romances person blossomed on Survivor, similar its astir palmy couple, Boston Rob Mariano and wife Amber Brkich, who present person 4 daughters aft falling for each different during All-Stars.

And adjacent Probst unexpectedly recovered love, arsenic helium started dating rival Julie Berry aft accumulation on Survivor: Vanuatu wrapped. They kept their narration a concealed until aft Berry's play aired and were beauteous superior for a fewer years earlier yet breaking up successful 2008.