By Camila Pedrosa
The Sacramento Bee
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Just one year after his debut on the Fijian Mamanuca Islands, Joe Hunter is returning to play in the 50th season of “Survivor”.
The city of Sacramento fire captain played a formidable game in the reality show’s season 48, and he is set to return to the program, which will kick off this week.
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To celebrate the long-running reality show’s milestone season, “Survivor” is running a special “In the Hands of the Fans” season. Fans were able to vote on various aspects of the game. According to Entertainment Weekly, the contestants were not informed of the fan vote’s results until they were actively playing the game.
“It made for a pretty enjoyable ride,” Hunter said.
Additionally, all 24 castaways this season are return players, having competed on one to five prior “Survivor” seasons.
“Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” premieres on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. Pacific Time with a special three-hour episode. The series airs weekly on CBS, with episodes able to stream on Paramount+ the following day.
Hunter made a name for himself in the “Survivor” universe
During his first season on “Survivor”, Hunter finished in third place, reaching the final tribal council night after winning 11 of the season’s 19 challenges and upholding his personal alliances.
Hunter formed a bond with fellow player Eva Erickson, who opened up to the firefighter about having autism. When a high-stakes challenge that left Erickson overwhelmed and in tears, Hunter set aside their opposing teams’ rivalry to support his friend.
In a deeply emotional moment on the show, Hunter memorialized his late sister, Joanna Lewis, who died in Vacaville in 2011. Though the Solano County Sheriff’s Office ruled Joanna Hunter’s death a suicide, Hunter and his family said they believe she was killed by her husband.
Hunter said continuing to share his sister’s voice and advocating for domestic violence justice was one of his top priorities on “Survivor 50.” His advocacy was critical in getting California Senate Bill 989, known as Joanna’s Law, passed.
“(The show is) just such a platform to be able to discuss things, opening up about my sister and domestic violence, and opening up about some of my vulnerabilities and being a captain here in the City of Sacramento,” he said.
Representing the California capital region on “Survivor”
Hunter said he hopes he does his Sacramento community proud in his second season.
“I’m so honored to be a part of this community,” he said. “This is such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have me be able to return, and specifically on the flagship season for the entire entity of ‘Survivor.’”
The Sacramento firefighter is not the only capital region representative on “Survivor 50.” One of the show’s first-ever contestants in its inaugural season, Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, was a college student in New Hampshire at the time of filming in 2000, but she now lives in Woodland.
The upcoming season will be Lewis-Dougherty’s third time playing the game. In her first season, Lewis-Dougherty finished in eighth place, while she was second runner-up in season eight, “Survivor: All-Stars,” in 2004.
Hunter encouraged Sacramento -area “Survivor“ fans to band together at area watch parties, which he said he would promote on his social media pages.
“That’s just about community and getting all of us together and just trying to be a beacon of hope and peace and also support and love,” Hunter said. “What’s going on in our world right now can be pretty negative. So hopefully this brings some family fun that everybody can watch as a family and really bring people together in a positive light.”
One of the major aspects of this season fans were able to vote on was the finale’s format. According to Hunter, rather than the season winner being announced during filming, the “Survivor 50” winner will be revealed in a live event — and even the contestants are still in the dark.
“Everyone will find out who wins together as a community,” Hunter said. “That’s going to be something that’s pretty epic for those that make it to the final.”
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