The Survivor Contestant That Also Appeared On Naked And Afraid
The reality show "Naked and Afraid" debuted in 2013 on Discovery with a rather challenging premise. Two contestants — often one man and one woman — tried to survive in the wilderness for three weeks while they were, as the title hints, naked (via IMDb). The idea was a hit and inspired several spinoffs, like "Naked and Afraid of Love" and "Naked and Afraid XL." The show can trace its roots back to "Survivor," the OG reality show about a group of strangers competing, enduring, and scheming their way to the $1 million grand prize.
The two shows have similar premises, as contestants are dropped in a remote location and forced to live off the land with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Although, on "Naked and Afraid," the only thing contestants wear are their birthday suits. Plus, contestants only take home a few thousand dollars for appearing on the show.
Outlasting the elements proved to be life-changing for some contestants, like Laura Zerra. "It's a free adventure and totally weird," she told Hook & Barrel. The Massachusetts native added, "The woods were where I felt most at home and most fulfilled," which makes sense as she later went on to host the CarbonTV series, "Decivilized," and wrote a book about knife-making, per Instagram. Another "Naked and Afraid" contestant also must have felt at home in the wild, as they already appeared as a competitor on "Survivor" before becoming a reality TV survivalist.
Michael Jefferson 'survived' for his mother
For Season 24 of "Survivor" in 2012, "Survivor: One World," contestants were divided into two teams based on gender and for the first time, everyone lived together in one camp, Entertainment Weekly recapped. One hopeful contestant on the men's tribe was Michael Jefferson, a 30-year-old banker from Seattle, Washington. "I am a very driven person and can usually get what I want. I am a natural leader but will gladly step aside to take the spotlight off of me," Jefferson explained in his CBS bio about why he felt he could win the season. As for why he signed up for the show, "It's my mom's dream (Survivor is her favorite show) for me to be on and win. Also, I see it as my chance to travel to a new part of the world."
While the show fulfilled his travel needs, Jefferson couldn't outlast his opponents when a women's alliance blindsided him out of the competition. "It was a complete shocker," he told People. He predicted the women could stay together to the end and, sure enough, fellow contestant Kim Spradlin went on to be that season's winner, per Entertainment Weekly.
Two years later, Jefferson was introducing himself on a Season 3 episode of "Naked and Afraid," titled "Botswana Breakdown." The banker called himself an "adventurist," adding, "I can build a shelter anywhere and I have skills in building fire" — perhaps because of his "Survivor" experience. Jefferson said he was playing for his late brother.
Michael Jefferson got naked out of 'boredom'
As a fan of "Naked and Afraid," Michael Jefferson applied because, "Honestly, it was kind of boredom. I needed another adventure," he told "Lights and Decor for All Occasions." After arriving in Botswana, the reality set in that he would have to survive in a barren environment. According to Jefferson, one of the toughest parts was dealing with the prickly bushes. "Every single thing you have to work with was covered in thorns. So, you just can't get away from them. It was brutal," he remembered.
As for being naked, Jefferson admitted that he was not someone who enjoyed being without clothes prior to filming. "I got over that real quick because as we were walking to meet, there were animals out there. So seeing someone naked is the least of my concern," he told King5 about going bare in front of his female co-star. For example, Jefferson had to focus on keeping his body safe from all the thorns. "Day one, my feet were thrashed," he remembered. Fortunately, Jefferson made it all the way to the final, Day 21. Looking back on his impressive survival skills, Jefferson summarized of his time on the show: "It was a true test of capabilities I have, and it was tough but it's an amazing adventure." On Twitter, he shared an impressive before and after photo of his time on "Naked and Afraid," having grown a full beard underneath many layers of dirt (as seen above).