Survivor Contestants Who Got A Second Chance With Fans

In the beginning, CBS' hit reality show "Survivor" was billed as an endurance test, where contestants would be freed from the shackles of modern convenience to measure their wits and physical skills in the wild. And while that aspect of the series remains intact, the social relationships, alliances, betrayals, and other conflicts that arise amid the game's backdrop and competitive progression have become its primary focus over the years.

As a result, heroes and villains emerge during each new season, with fans and contestants constantly evaluating what each player says and does in an effort to secure Sole Survivor status (and the cash prize that comes along with it). To that end, players like Dan Spilo of "Survivor: Island of the Idols", "Survivor: One World" and "Blood vs. Water's" Colton Cumbie, and others have made an art form of eliciting contempt from the "Survivor" masses. Others, meanwhile, earn scorn by failing to play the game on its own terms or by playing badly.

However, not every "Survivor" contestant who becomes disliked or even hated stays that way. Some of them are able to win over the crowd upon returning to the competition — or even rehabilitate their image across a particular season. With that in mind, here are some of the memorable "Survivor" contestants who got a second chance with fans.

John Cochran was first introduced to fans in 2011 during the 23rd season of the show, "Survivor: South Pacific," and right off the bat, he reinforced the over-eager super-fan stereotype. He proudly proclaimed himself to be "by far, the most 'Survivor' savvy player ever to play the game," and that mindset rubbed some fans the wrong way. The other contestants didn't love it either, as Cochran struggled with the social game and ran afoul of his Savaii tribe mates. In the end, he was eliminated in eighth place.

Redemption was his during Season 26, though, when he returned for the Fans vs. Favorites fare of "Survivor: Caramoan," which aired in 2013. This time, Cochran was crowned the Sole Survivor after switching up his playstyle, building a majority alliance early, and earning the praise of host Jeff Probst and fans for gutting out individual challenges despite his middling reputation and diminutive stature.

"I think what makes Cochran a legend is the transformation he underwent between his two seasons," opined one Redditor in 2025. "He went from playing a weak, emotionally driven game with poor jury management to returning for an 'All-Star' season with a completely revamped approach — something even some of the 'Survivor' greats have failed to do." Added another commenter: "I think he's very funny. His self-deprecation is right up my alley. Good player. Overhated by Reddit because Jeff likes him, as if that's his fault."

Jerri Manthey was one of "Survivor's" original antagonists, ruffling major feathers as a contestant on the series' second season, "Survivor: Outback," which aired in 2001. Manthey took speaking her mind to a new level, mixing it up with just about everybody and being unafraid to challenge and even accuse other players, while approaching every move she or anyone else made as strategic. Alas, her methods didn't win her the prize, but she would ultimately receive additional opportunities to vie for the title and change fans' perception of her.

She returned three years later for Season 8, a.k.a. "Survivor: All-Stars," and fulfilled her mission to get revenge on her frenemy, Colby Donaldson, who had gotten her ousted in "Outback." However, she followed up an eighth-place finish on that show with a 10th-place finish on "All-Stars" and was booed off the stage at the reunion show.

Manthey — who famously worked at Hooters decades ago — returned for a third time for 2010's "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" and flipped the script. Although she finished in fourth place, she earned some goodwill from fans and fellow contestants throughout the season. Following her elimination, she told TV Guide, "This was like starting with a clean slate. ... I enjoyed the fact that I was about to get to know a whole new group of people," adding, "Just the extreme difference in my first time playing, where I was extremely disliked ... this time I was too well-liked to keep around."

Ben "Coach" Wade became infamous for exploits across several editions of "Survivor" over the years. The self-described "dragon slayer" — who first appeared on Season 18, a.k.a. "Survivor: Tocantins," in 2009 — exhibited a level of pomposity, self-importance, and intensity that put him in rarefied air as a disliked contestant among the "Survivor" fandom. More recently, as a contestant on "Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans," he managed to irk some viewers. 

That said, Coach has managed to win some fans over amid his multiple returns to the show, with some finding his idiosyncratic behavior endearing. "Someone said he's like a real-life Michael Scott who's really into feudal Japan and that's what made him click for me," opined one commenter on the Survivor Subreddit in 2026. It would seem that Coach came to some realizations about himself, too, which has helped soften some of his rougher edges.

"The first season, it was a great chance to look in a mirror, which 'Survivor' does if you let it, and say, 'Oh man, am I really that arrogant ass? I mean, I can't be that pompous, am I?' And to say, 'Let me temper that down a little bit and not take myself so seriously,'" he told Entertainment Weekly ahead of "Survivor 50." "Third season, that was the softening of everybody's perception of me. So, I'm grateful for that."

Sophie Clarke finished as the Sole Survivor of the "South Pacific" season, outlasting the likes of Coach Wade, Albert Destrade, John Cochran, Ozzy Lusth, and Brandon Hantz. However, she wasn't exactly a hit with viewers along the way. Some would even go so far as to say that she's one of the worst winners in the "annals of Survivor." That season's edit may have a lot to do with that reputation; so, too, might the fact that her victory came during the series' so-called "dark ages."

With the passage of time, though, and a return for Season 40's "Survivor: Winners at War," which she finished in 10th place, many fans had developed a greater appreciation for her both as a competitor with a knack for winning challenges when she needed to, and also as a personality in general. "Sophie is the 'Survivor' patron saint of introverts and misanthropes," mused one commenter on the "Survivor" Subreddit. "Many of us here are introverts and/or misanthropes so she is very popular here."

Wrote another Redditor: "She gets to be the stand-in for the fans who hated the constant returnee seasons, screen hogs, advantages, and twists that were suffocating the show at the time." At the absolute least, she earns points for taking Coach down a peg during final tribal council.

As a "Survivor" contestant, Parvati Shallow was almost like a character out of a movie at times — a veritable villainess who formed her own super group of other villainesses in service of their villainous ends. In many ways, though, she's the blueprint for what a successful "Survivor" player should be, someone who's just as talented physically as she is at reading her opponents, playing the social game, and manipulating others to her ends.

After finishing in sixth place on Season 13 in the Cook Islands, Shallow returned to win 2008's "Survivor: Micronesia." It was during this season that she formed the Black Widow Brigade, which manipulated and exploited male cast members en route to all-out domination. Shallow and the brigade were responsible for one of the most infamous moments in "Survivor" history, when they convinced Erik Reichenbach to give up immunity, only to unanimously vote him out. Between those seasons and subsequent appearances, during which she logged multiple FTCs and another win on "Survivor: Australia V The World," Shallow's tactics have earned the respect of fans who understand the way the game is played.

"I feel like Parvati has always felt like she has the men wrapped around her finger and that it makes her unstoppable. I find her personality to be annoying and a little on the cocky side. I think it's just how she comes across," wrote a self-professed Parvati hater (via Reddit). "She has made some AMAZING moves in the game."

Erik Reichenbach's ill-fated decision to give up an immunity necklace to the Black Widow Brigade's Natalie Bolton during Season 16 in Micronesia wasn't just a bad move — it was arguably the worst move ever made by a "Survivor" contestant. In casting her vote to eliminate him, Parvati Shallow declared him to be "the dumbest survivor ever, in the history of 'Survivor,' ever," and that sentiment was shared by other competitors and fans alike. The blunder resulted in a fifth-place finish and years of brutal discourse about the moment.

However, Reichenbach didn't shy away from the criticism; he owned it, and learned from his mistake. So, when he returned to the fray for Season 26, the addition was welcomed by many longtime "Survivor" viewers. This time, he wouldn't be blindsided by his opponents' shady dealings, but he finished fifth again nonetheless when he was evacuated from the competition for medical reasons. Despite two unfortunate ends, he continues to enjoy his redemptive popularity. 

"My proudest 'Survivor' moment is every day when I talk to fans and with other 'Survivor' contestants online and in person," Reichenbach told Entertainment Weekly in 2021. "I am proud of myself, in how I played 'Survivor,' and am very humbled by how much the community has embraced me despite my massive blunder on 'Survivor: Micronesia' in 2008."

Among the group of "Survivor" alums discussed here, Emily Flippen is unique in that her redemption arc played out over the course of a single season (although she did return for "Survivor 50"). Flippen was introduced to fans in 2023 via "Survivor 45," and while there's a feeling-out process for many contestants, Flippen began isolating herself with her blunt, aggressive style and criticism of her Lulu tribe mates from the outset.

As the season progressed, though, Flippen endeared herself to fans and the other contestants, with the help of Kaleb Gebrewold, whom she largely remained loyal to despite efforts to oust him. Although she ultimately finished seventh, that shift from social pariah to the unlikely ally of one of the season's most affable and talented players transformed her reputation. By the time "Survivor 50" rolled around, she had established her own cheering section within the fandom.

"I guess part of the reason why I came out there and was willing to be so aggressive initially was because I didn't realize the scale of what I was doing," Flippen explained to Parade following her "Survivor 45" elimination. "That change in reaction ... I appreciate the support. I don't want to take it for granted. Because I think everybody kind of deserves it. And obviously, with my airtime, in my edit, my little growth arc, I got way more of it than some people did."

Like Emily Flippen, Kass McQuillen brought chaos to her first "Survivor" season. Debuting on the show's 28th season, "Survivor: Cagayan," in 2014, McQuillen made a habit of turning on her allies during tribal councils, earning the nickname "Chaos Kass" in the process. How she conducted herself in the game irked some fans and contestants, but it helped her reach the final three before she was eliminated.

With time and reflection, however, some of her critics grew to appreciate her blunt style and scorched-earth approach to keeping herself in the game. "I disliked her for having some poor/antagonist social skills. But on this watch, I am so entertained and appreciative of her because she really understands the game and wants to play it well," wrote one of the converted appreciators (via Reddit) in 2021. "As a 'Survivor' fan, what more can you ask for in the cast?"

McQuillen returned for "Survivor: Cambodia" in 2015, and while she was less successful overall, she played a more socially conscious game than during her previous run, managing to stave off elimination for a while despite having a target on her back.

We end with Tyson Apostol, another player who competed across several iterations of the show. He first entered the "Survivor" universe during "Survivor: Tocantins." Ultimately, he aligned himself with one of the series' most polarizing figures, Coach Wade (earning an "assistant coach" moniker in the process). In the meantime, he schemed, blindsided other contestants, and raised eyebrows with his sharp tongue.

After finishing eighth in that series and 15th in "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" in 2010, Apostol was the Sole Survivor of Season 27, "Survivor: Blood vs. Water," which aired in 2013. He also competed in "Winners at War" (finishing 11th) and, through it all, maintained his signature maniacal presence in the game. Nevertheless, fans eventually grew to love him for his wild personality and strategic play style.

"He's just an ass in 'Tocantins,' he's a likeable ass in his seasons after that," mused one Redditor about Apostol in 2023. Added another fan: "I like players with an edge. He's smart, he's willing to talk s**t, he plays a good game, he is fun to watch. And his podcast is hands down the best survivor media there is."