Survivor 25: Facts of Life Alum, Former Baseball MVP Among Philippines Cast

By Michael Slezak

You take the good, you take the bad, you take ‘em all and then you have…the cast for Survivor‘s 25th season?

Yes indeed, while that tweak on the memorable ’80s sitcom theme song could probably be used to to sum up the contestants on any season of CBS’ reality granddaddy, it has particular relevance for Survivor: Philippines, which counts Facts of Life star Lisa Whelchel (aka Blair Warner) among its 18 castaways.

Also competing for the title of Sole Survivor and a $1 million prize? Former National League MVP Jeff Kent of the San Francisco Giants (see photo, far right), plus a trio of former players who were medically evacuated from the game in prior seasons and are returning for a second chance to outwit, outplay, and outlast. (Gulp. Does this mean the return of Survivor: One World‘s wretched Colton Cumbie? Probably.)

For the the first time in eight years, Survivor: Philippines will split the contestants into three tribes, which will be named after animals in the region: Kalabaw (“Water Buffalo”), Tandang (“Rooster”) and Matsing (“Monkey”), according to a CBS release. Immunity challenges will include plenty of water-based battles, in which the three tribes will battle for first and second place in order to be granted immunity, with the third-place tribe heading to Tribal Council to eliminate a team member.

Survivor: Phillipines‘ 90-minute premiere is set for Sept. 19 (8/7c on CBS).

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I watched the 3 minute promo for the new season yesterday. That's 3 minutes of my life I'm never getting back.

This show is still a favorite of mine, moreso for the nostalgia. We used to go over to my mom's for dinner and Survivor night, so it was a bonding experience.

That said, during the 3 minute clip, I must've said, "I already hate this person" for pretty much all of these idiots, including "Blair" and Jeff Kent.

Also, there were a couple of interesting malaprops. I don't remember them, but they were obvious. Dumbasses trying to use words they normally don't use and doing so incorrectly. Always makes me laugh.

As usual I will give the new season a chance but this one is on a much shorter leash than ever before.
I refuse to force myself to watch this just for the sake of watching it anymore.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Blair looks like she could use the Survivor diet and drop 20 or so. Bet they recognize her but no one recognizes Jeff Kent.

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2 of the girls are really hot(the ones one the left) and all the other girls are homely. The one on the far right I actually thought was a man the first time I saw an enlarged picture of her. Yikes.

I give it a shot this year but probably won't stay with it if it's going to be as boring and annoying as last years cast/season was.

Any updates if Colton is dead yet?

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Survivor: Philippines’: Michael Skupin, Jonathan Penner and Russell Swan return, and talk about it here —EXCLUSIVE By Dalton Ross

The 15 new players —including Facts of Life star Lisa Whelcheln and former National League baseball MVP Jeff Kent —competing this fall on Survivor: Philippines were announced on Monday. And now we can reveal the three previously medically evacuated players that are returning to play alongside them: Michael Skupin, Jonathan Penner, and Russell Swan —each of whom was evacuated in episode 6 of his season.

Skupin was the star of one of the grisliest scenes in reality TV history when he fell into his tribe’s fire on Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001. The image of Skupin’s skin melting off his hands is about as gnarly as it gets, yet it took 11 years for him to be invited back onto the show. “For 22 seasons, I’ve thought about playing this game again,” the 50-year-old Skupin told EW.com while on location in the Caramoan Islands the day before filming commenced, but he is not looking at this outing as a shot at redemption. “I’m not here because I fell in the fire or to prove to the world anything,” he says. “I’m here to play the game again, from start to finish. This will be a whole new adventure for me.”

Jonathan Penner, also 50, did play the game without being evacuated back in Survivor: Cook Islands,but then in his second outing (Survivor: Micronesia —Fans vs Favorites), he was forced out by an infected knee. As for his approach this time around, it involved lots of bulking up. “I’ve been eating like a horse intentionally for this show,” Penner told EW.com before the game began. “Some of these guys come out and they want to look all buffed out for the beginning of the show. I’m going to come out looking like a fat slob, because 39 days is a lot of weight to lose. If I lose a pound a day I’m going to be my fighting weight. I’ll be 170 pounds. Right now I’m coming in at a chart-topping 210 —chubby.”

For many —including host Jeff Probst —Russell Swan’s exit from Survivor: Samoa was the scariest Survivor moment ever, as dehydration caused Swan’s eyes to roll back in his head as he lost consciousness. “That situation broke me,” the 45-year-old Swan told EW.com while on location. “I’ve had challenges in my life before, but nothing like that. It challenged the very core of who I was. I always thought, if nothing else, I can always depend on my physical prowess. And after eight applications, waiting 10 years, I finally get on the show only to get carried out on my back. Worst thing I could have ever imagined.”

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Funny that they didnt bring back the gay guy who took the idol with him,

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I will be watching.

Glad they are giving the dude who fell in the fire another shot.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

The producers for this show don't seem to understand that they need to double or triple their existing hottie quota to guard against early explusions.

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The brunette on the far left looks like Kelly Kapowski. Nice.

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That's the same thing my wife said..Hey wait a fucking minute.

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The girl on the far right is the only one I would pass on.

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But the blonde with the tattoo on her left arm would pass on you. No offense, though. She plays for the other team, per the promo video.

Why is Fred Durst part of this cast?

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Wayne Stylie didn't tell us he was going to be in it.

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Why can't they ever get hot lesbians on the show?? This show gets depressing without sufficient eye candy!

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If Jeff Kent is as popular on the show as he was in a MLB clubhouse I don't expect him to last too long.


Really a shame Colton didn't get invited back, they must be saving him for something else. Glad Michael is back, don't care about the other two.

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Jeff Kent doesn't seem long for the game.

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I guess he forgot to load up on steroids before showing up.

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Forgot how much I disliked Russell the last time he was on, he is still an idiot. He should have went home tonight.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

He'll be fine as long as he boards rafts very carefully.

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Well, not the most dynamic group ever but it was good enough to keep me tuned in for next week.
That Zane guy made a pretty stupid move but I doubt he would have lasted long anyhow. A couple
of decent chicks with nice bodies on the Yellow team. The sex therapist chick seems pretty crafty.
The returning survivor that fell in the fire seems pretty strong and with it. Otherwise no one really
stood out to me that much.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Hopefully having three teams leads to more exciting play as there won't be huge alliances that run through the whole season.

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Agreed, it was an interesting change. Hopefully one squad doesn't get decimated but I suppose if that
happens when it gets to just two in a tribe they will split them up and merge into two tribes.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

This season is quite slow out of the gates with one tribe going to tribal the first 3 episdoes.
They had to get rid of the hot chick as she was slightly more pathetic than Russell. The only
hope I have is that the other tribes are more interesting since they haven't showed them
very much thus far.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

She was dumb as a box of rocks, but she was mighty fine to look at.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

this three tribe thing doesn't look like its working out as planned.

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The interesting problem to me is what they do now... you can't split up a three person tribe among two other tribes (I wouldn't think), and you don't want to sit out half the players from the other tribes... do they have a challenge that they can make this tribe do double work on? I'm assuming that if they lose and go to two, they'll split them up into the other two tribes.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I have to assume they will sit half the other tribes out and if the loser tribe goes to two they dissolve them into the
other 2 tribes. I almost hope it happens and from end of show previews it sounds like there is a good chance it may
happen that way.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami