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Yam Yam Arocho, a name synonymous with Survivor, has spoken out about being snubbed for the much-anticipated 50th season of the popular reality series. Just weeks before this milestone season is set to premiere, Arocho expressed disappointment over not receiving an invitation to return to the island for the all-star edition.
In an interview with DECIDER, Arocho candidly revealed, “I did not get invited. It was filmed at the same time as Traitors, but I was mad and that made me cry. I’m okay with it, though. I mean, maybe I’m not okay with it. I wanted to play. They should have cast 25 people and I should be there.” His frustration is palpable, as he reflects on the missed opportunity to participate in such a significant season.
The upcoming season boasts a lineup of 24 competitors, carefully selected from the first 49 seasons of the show. Among the notable contestants are The White Lotus creator Mike White, a veteran from Season 37, and the iconic four-time player Cirie Fields. However, fans have noted the conspicuous absence of Carolyn Wiger, a fellow alum from Survivor 44, who was widely expected to make the cut.
Arocho was particularly taken aback by Wiger’s omission, stating, “I think Carolyn should have been there, too. I was really surprised. I was more surprised that Carolyn wasn’t on 50 than me. I was really shocked.” His comments highlight the surprise and disappointment shared by many fans who anticipated seeing Wiger in the all-star lineup.
“I think Carolyn should have been there, too. I was really surprised. I was more surprised that Carolyn wasn’t on 50 than me. I was really shocked,” Arocho said of Carolyn’s absence.
Around the time that The Traitors Season 3 was airing last year, reports emerged that Wiger was cut from the cast as a means of “punishing” her for going on the Peacock series. A source told The U.S. Sun: “Carolyn was told she had a spot on Survivor 50 but now it’s not happening. It wasn’t signed yet but they verbally told her she would be on.”
Wiger never confirmed the news outright, but did seem to allude to getting dropped in on post on social media, writing at the time, “Schedule just cleared up for the Summer. Does anyone have a contact at Deal or No Deal Island or Survivor Australia?”
Rather than fill the spot with another fan-favorite player from Survivor 44, CBS opted to skip the season’s contestant pool entirely, pulling two contestants from 45 (Dee Valladares and Emily Flippen) and three from Season 46 (Q Burdette, Tiffany Nicole Ervin, and Charlie Davis).
As for who Arocho is pulling for among those who did make the final cut, the $1 million winner said that there are certainly a few close friends and icons of the game who he wants to see outwit, outplay, and outlast.
“In terms of who I’m rooting for, I mean, anybody from the new era, I think it’s really hard for a winner to win, but Dee [Vallardes] is obviously my girl and I’m a huge fan of Cirie [Fields],” he shared, adding that the latter player — who also won The Traitors US Season 1 — inspired his own strategy on Survivor.
“Even before I went on Survivor, I said, ‘I want to play like Cirie, I want to be strategic. I want to be an underdog. I want to be social. I want to be in control of the information. I want to be in control of the decisions. But the only thing I want to do differently than Cirie is to win,’” Arocoho joked.
Perhaps Survivor 50 will finally be the year that Fields — who has gotten as close as third place in her four previous times playing the game — finally brings home the win. All will be revealed when Survivor 50 airs on February 25 at 8 p.m. ET.
In the meantime, catch up on earlier seasons of Survivor of Paramount+. You can also see Arocho in The Traitors Season 4, now streaming on Peacock.
Paramount+ offers two subscription plans, Essential and Premium. The ad-supported Essential plan costs $8.99/month, while the ad-free Premium plan (which comes with Showtime titles and live CBS) costs $13.99/month.