RHAP: We Know Survivor - Colby, Coach, and Stephenie Reunite for Survivor Heroes Vs Villains Encore Episode

Episode Date: February 12, 2026

Colby, Coach, and Stephenie Reunite for Survivor Heroes Vs Villains Encore Episode Today, Rob Cesternino welcomes legends Colby Donaldson, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, and Coach Wade to talk about their time on Survivor Heroes vs Villains. The trio returns to break down their gameplay, epic challenges, and what it’s like stepping back onto the island after sixteen years. Right from the jump, Colby and Coach relive their iconic showdown, sparking nostalgia and fresh excitement for the latest Survivor adventure. The group dives deep into the Survivor 50 premiere, tackling vivid moments from camp and Tribal Council. Stephenie opens up about her struggles and redemption arc, sharing the thrill of being invited back after a tough Heroes vs. Villains run. Colby recounts the humbling first challenge against Coach, reflecting on rivalry, hero/villain dynamics, and how alliances shift when old-school players unite after so much time. Coach brings humor, describing his “Dragonslayer” mindset and reacting to being labeled a villain once more. All three touch on Survivor’s evolution how physical head-to-heads, wild entrances, and raw competition shape the game now versus back then. – Colby and Coach revisit their legendary mat challenge, starting the season with classic Survivor grit – Stephenie shares the emotional journey of a redemption season and forging alliances in a new era – The group analyzes how Survivor’s gameplay and casting have changed over sixteen years, from idol mechanics to tribe splits – Funny moments: Coach’s “hero inside” ringtone, helicopter entrance, and banter about Survivor’s shifting culture – Discussions around wildcards, unknown players, and the strategic challenge of facing unfamiliar faces in monumental seasons As the stage is set for Survivor 50, the question lingers: Will old-school bonds or new-school strategies triumph as the icons hunt for the title? Whose gameplay will adapt quicker, and how will the tribe dynamics shift when everyone has something to prove? Chapters: 0:00 Intros 3:33 Reminiscing Epic Mat Challenge Battle 6:00 Coach Reflects on Heroes Beach 9:01 Old School Loyalty and Connections 10:18 Survivor’s Shift: Physical Challenges Gone 13:07 Helicopter Entrance: Unforgettable Survivor Moment 17:16 Meeting Russell, Facing Unknowns 20:16 Amanda Almost Returned for 50 22:14 Who Else Should Have Returned? 24:39 Villains Tribe’s Legendary Survivor Legacy 26:41 Colby and Jerri’s Evolving Relationship 31:19 Survivor 50: Celebration and Gratitude Never miss a minute of RHAP’s extensive Survivor coverage! LISTEN: Subscribe to the Survivor podcast feed WATCH:  Watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube SUPPORT:  Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks!

All right, do we have a treat or what today to talk about the premiere of Heroes versus Villains here? Now, 16 years old, it just got its learners permit, the premiere of Heroes versus Villains, three of the stars of Heroes versus Villains that you just watched in the premiere. And they are all returning for Survivor 50, I believe, all three-time players coming back to play for their fourth season. two heroes and one villain. From the Heroes Tribe, it's Stephanie LaGrosse. Stephanie, how are you? I'm good. Thanks for having me, Rob.

Hi. Very excited to get the chance to talk to you today. And if you're watching on the video, Stephanie is taking some time away from watching a volleyball game. Yes. I'm in my car. My daughter's volleyball scrimmage on a Friday night. This is what I do. That's fine.

Coach calls me in from a treadmill sometimes. So this is fine. I did. Okay. Yeah. And as you can tell from the video, Rob, Stephanie clearly went and got a blowout and had her hair done. Yes, thank you for just for this.

Just for you. She looks like a million dollars just for you, Sesternyno. We are going to dinner. We are going to dinner tomorrow night. It's a big deal. I'm not in a hotel this weekend for a tournament of some sort. I'm home in my own house. All right.

That voice you just heard, of course, one of the other heroes, somebody else is coming back for $75.50. of course, another legend. Colby Donaldson. Donaldson is here. Donaldson's here. Thanks, Cessernino for having me, brother. Good to be on here. Thanks, man. Yes. All right. Let's go. And then, of course, the man who got credit for the name of this episode, slay everyone, trust no one, the great Dragon Slayer who's returning. Coach, wait, coach, how are you? So good, my man. How about you? Doing fantastic. This is such a thrill for me to get the chance

to talk to all of you about one of these classic episodes that they are giving us a little appetizer to get ready for the big premiere of Survivor 50. What was this like for you all to go down memory lane and watch some of this old stuff before we get to the new stuff? Steph, you want to take it? This is one of my least favorite seasons for obvious reasons. but, you know, it sounded all well and good until I got out there. And so a couple people didn't really love me.

And I got rid of me very early. But that truly was a legendary cast that I got to be a part of. And it really was a great season. So, yeah, that's all I'll say about that right now. Okay. And for Stephanie, it must have been such a thrill for you to get the chance to come back and come, you know, after a season that was a down note in your survival. career to get the chance to have some redemption after Heroes versus Villains.

I bet that that was like really cool for you. Really, it was. I mean, 16 years later, I never would have thought, you know, I'd ever be back out there. But to be able to go out there for a monumental season, season 50, to be asked, it was such an honor. And, you know, I truly felt I still have it a little bit and I got something to prove here. So I got out there and, you know, I'm ready to kick some butt. So we'll see. All right.

Speaking of kicking butt. as soon as they announced the cast for Survivor 50, that there was some talk about, hey, oh, wow, look at this. Coach and Colby are going to be reunited after, of course, the epic match that they had to kick off, one of the big moments from the episode to kick off Survivor Heroes versus Villains. Have you two reminisced at all about the battle on the match? I'll tell you this because I know coach would say the same thing. And the truth is,

we haven't, Rob. You know, coach and I didn't, there was no bad blood, right? Coach at all, even before that challenge or after. But we haven't really talked about the challenge. One, it's not a real favorite memory of mine to revisit. Why would I want to break open a discussion? So I don't approach coach about it. But it just, look, we both know, He and I know what happened that day, and he owned the day. That was his day and certainly owned me in that challenge. And so, you know, that sort of kicked off and started our bit of a rivalry, but like brothers would have, I think, right?

And I think coach and I really wanted to play with each other. I don't think coach and coach you respond if it's different than this. but I'm not sure Coach really felt like or thought he should even be on the Villains Beach. You know, I think, we all know, Coach, there's a real hero inside him, and he likes that. And so I think there was a part of him that really wanted to be over on the beach with me and Stephanie and Tom. And boy, would the dynamics have been different if that had been the case. But nonetheless, it was humbling, brother, to come out. And in the very first challenge, after having been absent for years, a decade before,

and I get my ass whipped in the very first physical challenge. I didn't lose the coach in a puzzle or in a mind game. I got my ass kicked in a physical challenge. So you want to find humility and not to take anything away from coach. So it wasn't as though I underestimated coach. I just got beat. That's all there is to it. And there's no way for me to explain my way around this.

But you might maybe underestimate me just a little bit. But I will say this. You know, first of all, Rob, if you can grab that clip that Colby said, there's a hero inside of coach and send it to me, it'll be my new ringtone. And you got it down. That I was on the villains tribe. I'm just going to play that from Colby. But yeah, you know, there was no animosity.

I don't have very many victories in survivor, right? Physically, I came in. Everybody thought, you know, based on my stature that I would be an awesome athlete. I've never really been a great athlete, just historically in life. I always had to, I was always that guy that had to work that had to have like great mental acumen and focus in the moment, you know, to be better than than anybody else, except for maybe hitting a baseball. My batting average was pretty off the charge because that was just something I could focus on. But, you know, Colby and I in that challenge, it was just great for me to have a victory, the fact that people bring it up all the time, the fact that people make moons about it. I mean, that's, I just love that.

I'm going to get out of that. Yeah. possible because, you know, even season 50, Colby shows up, you know, freaking ripped in them. And I think, you know, for both of these, and I'm not just, you know, kissing her ass, but, you know, Colby looks like maybe he aged about five years. Stephanie, maybe about three and a half. I look like it's 30 years on the beach, you know, like the hair and you're supposed to go bald or gray, not both at the same time. And hell, I'm going both at the same time. It's crazy.

I think you're great, coach. But, you know, like, I just was excited to play with them. I mean, the fact that, so Colby, remind me, did they pick the order that we were lined up, or did we just go up there and line up? On 50? No, I'm sorry. For the Heroes vs. villains, right? No, no.

No, no. So, Rob, so Cessernino, what he's talking about and what was so cool, this is what, it's just a badass moment where it all came together for me on 50. Yeah. When the front of the- I don't know how much we're allowed to talk about. Well, but this is okay. I'm not going to spoil.

Well, it's, it's, the footage is out there. The footage is out there. So it's, everyone can see it. But, but when the front of the barge drops down and we all come out on the beach and probes lines us up, shoulder to shoulder, single file, I, coach to answer your question, I don't know whether they placed us together or we just happen to end up shoulder to shoulder. But Rob, it was one of the coolest feelings because we, we gave each other this look. And I think I kind of elbowed him in the shoulder and he did the same with me. but it was like my brother had landed on the beach. And we didn't know if we were going to be in the same tribes. We ultimately were not. But it was so good to just see a familiar face, an old school guy.

And then to be standing next to him in this epic moment at the very beginning of 50, that's where it really started to sink in and just felt so good. And coach had the same, you know, Kat Shire, mischievous grin, on his face that I did. And it was like, game on, let's do this. Yeah, there must be something for the people who are like the old school people where even if like, hey, we were not necessarily best bros way back when all this time has passed and it's like, hey, I'm thrilled to see you all.

These other people, I don't really even know who they are, but at least you're a familiar face. Oh, yeah. Like, I never even had a chance to meet coach, you know, because I never played with him. But I love coach. I loved him. I loved him from old school seasons. loved him as a player. I always wanted to play with him. I never really understood why he was

even on the villains tribe. So to see him, I was like so excited, you know, and even Ozzy, like I loved Ozzy way back when, you know, I just thought he was great, you know, and I was like, wow, it's pretty cool. Ozzy's here. So people like that, it was pretty cool. I mean, of course, I was ecstatic to see Colby, but because Colby stood up for me. I mean, the last time I saw him, he stood up to meet to the big bully James. You know, he had my back. So I was like, all right, Colville definitely have my back. I hope I'm on his tribe. Yeah.

Now, Survivor has changed so much in the 16 years since you all played that season in Heroes versus Villains. And they opened with this really physical, like, wrestling match that were you all relieved that Survivor isn't necessarily that now when you come back for season 50? No. Yeah, no. I was bummed. I was bummed.

I was bummed. One, I wanted a second shot at coach for the title. I wanted to take him down again. Two, two. We can set that up. If you want to do like some sort of like Survivor, UFC events, like we could get tickets going. I was wanting.

I was wanting. I needed a little redemption just with coach personally. But but also too, this is kind of a behind the scenes things that I don't know the viewers all are aware of. And I don't think probes would mind me saying this. But he talked to all of us on 50. and Steph and coach may have known this prior. It was the first time I learned of it.

I really hadn't paid attention to it in some of the recent seasons. But there was a real gift in the game and the competition where they got away from pitting people against each other and having these one-on-one battles. Like for instance in heroes, villains later on in the season when we get on that perch and we're all covered in mud because we had to traips through the mud to get out. it we've got the big pillow pads and and i owned boston robin that challenge they don't do that they don't do that anymore and prope said we want to get away from we you know we we'll still have physical challenges but we're not going to pit two people against each other in these one-on-one mono-mono battles um but why not yeah i mean i'm much rather that yeah i'll take that any day my my two cents right is just i mean i do i do miss those challenges and that's one that you know

you could really, you know, get into a certain headspace about. But, you know, when you win the national championship, you don't really want to come back and coach the next year because, you know, you're just going to be a step down. So I'm just thought of part of me. It was like I was a little bit of relieved that I didn't have to go man to man with Colby. Well, we were all relieved. We didn't have to go man to man with Joe and Jonathan and those guys.

You don't necessarily. You don't want to stand across the mat when you've got jousting sticks with a guy like Jonathan for sure. Wait, here's another thing I'm going to drop with Stephanie and coach weighing in on this. Rob, it was funny. They'll go back and watch Heroes, villains, not having seen it in years.

But gosh, it immediately took, think about this. You know, they don't even allow swimsuits anymore. So you got girls walking around in bikinis. You know, there was some sex appeal back then. Remember, like second episode, they literally... I don't know if I'm supposed to weigh in on this, Colby. They cover us with baby oil and have us

run down a slip and slide and they film us with the phantom camera in super slow mo. So you see guys as jacked as James all lathered up and then you see the girls in their tiny bikinis. And I'm looking at that going, there's no way that ship flies today. Was that wrong? There's no way they were already. You know, and it was just a completely different time. We were all snuggling in the camps and now you got to have a bamboo partition in between you. I mean, it's a completely.

Even if you sleep by yourself on the beach, they're like, you have your partition, and you're like, I'm going alone. No, you got to have a partition. Rob can use none of this right here. What do you mean? You can get away with saying. You can get away with saying. People will not.

People would be crucifying me as far as like, what a massagerness if I had said that. But I mean, but it. But, hey, coach, I was just glad they didn't show my season. Yeah. I know, right? The Bushmaster. You know, Rob, I do want to say something that nobody's touched on about this season. You know, there's been some epic openings, but they fly us in these helicopters.

I think it was a New Zealand Air Force. In the bird? In the Huey, these are the, wait, coach, not to interrupt you, brother, but these are the Vietnam-era Hueys. And nothing sounds like a Huey helicopter. That's the whole reason the term chopper came about because they're too bladed. modern helicopters have four blades and they make a very different sound. Those choppers sounded so badass because of the design of them. And I agree with coach. Coach, you're right, dude. That was the most epic entrance we could have, right? And the thing is, is that I, like, I, you guys believe

what you want. I've had seven concussions, right? I get severe motion sickness. I'm the guy when it says you're playing a video game might have seizures. Like, that's me, right? I get, I cannot ride roller coasters. and I'm sitting there in the Huey, thank you for clarifying what it was. And the pilot's like, hey, do any of you guys get motion sickness? I'm not about to open up my friggin' mouth. And he's like, well, watch this. And he starts doing these stunts.

And I'm like, if I throw up, I'm going to throw up in Sanders lap. And I'm like, fuck it, the cameras are rolling. Let me do a Dragon Slayer pose, even though inside I was like a friggin' wreck. Because they were going, they were going all out. Most epic shot I've ever seen. That shot of you coach where he banks over the water. when you do the Dragon Slayer pose, but you see the water.

But you can tell that chopper is rotated 90 degrees with the door open. Oh, that's one of the coolest. Might be the most, the coolest shot in the history. But Rob, you know, I mean,

that's what gets you into the game. That's what gets you fired up. I mean, you can't fly in on those choppers and not be ready to play when that's your entrance. That's epic, you know. Colby,

I feel like that from what I've heard, and I've talked to so many players over the years, that the worst sort of entrance ride into the game was you guys in Australia, that I've heard stories of like the plane, like doing like loop to loops to try to get everybody throwing up before the game started. Yeah, the producers told them.

I mean, there's no question. I, you know, I became super close with probes afterwards and a lot of the guys that were in the field as production. And they really did. struck those pilots because they were so well trained. And this is a very, that, that Australian military cargo plane, it is specifically designed for very short takeoff and landings. And so it can get vertical really quickly. And he said, don't land this plane until everybody's thrown up. Those were the specific instructions. And it was mission accomplished. And I mean, you guys know how it is.

If you ever been around once one person throws up and the smell permeates the entire, fuselage of that cargo plane, it's lights out for everyone else. Everybody's grabbing barf bags and it never ended. We're like, okay, you guys got your shots. You got the photo. You know, let's just land this thing and get into the game. But it was bananas. How?

And I don't get air sick. I get seasick, but air sick didn't bother me. But it was the smell of everyone else getting sick and throwing up in their barf bags. It was brutal. Yeah. So in this Heroes versus Villains episode, we get an introduction to everybody and you all show up on the beach and of course coming off of Survivor, Samoa. There's a lot of an introduction of Russell who is there and none of you know who he is. And he's like, I'm a villain. Google it.

And you all are meeting him for the first time. And so, of course, had no idea who or what Russell was going to be. But now all three of you come back in a sense. season 50 and now oh hey here's two new friends that you um don't know anything about was the idea of and the memory of like russell as such an unknown something that you were thinking about i was pissed i said a day one i said they did this again they friggin duped us again by giving somebody an unfair advantage because we know nothing about them and you know i want to just i have not really said this i don't know if i've said this to anybody but

you know, I talked to Russell on the beach many times and I said, why are you on the villains tribe? And he knew just what to say, you know, just like maybe Rizzle and Savannah will know what to say or maybe they'll, they'll be more honest about their games. But, you know, Russell said to me, yeah, Russell said, well, he says, I stayed true to my alliance because he knew that's what I wanted to hear. And he said, when I got voted out, I actually jumped up and punched the guy in a face that betrayed me from my alliance. And that, that's, that's, that's what. That's why they put me on the villain's side. So that was his story to me.

And I thought, wow, man, this guy's honorable enough to, you know, go to blows over his, over his integrity. So anyway, back to your question, you know, it was the same feeling. I looked at my journal the other day and, you know, it said, you know, these two have to go first in big capital letters just because I didn't want to have the wool hold over my eyes. If the wool's pulled over your eyes because you do it to yourself, you know, that's one thing. But then if there's a wild card out there. But maybe that's what, you know, true fans would say that's the beauty of the game because they'd never had to live it. Those unknown variables that, you know, survivor throws at you. I guess you got to be good enough to roll with them.

Yeah. Yeah. And I got a credit coach on that too because I do think it still resonated with coach in 50 what Russell represented way back in season 20. Coach, coach was very smart about it. He knew exactly what an advantage that was for Russell coming into our group in season 20, he rose villains because he was the wild card that was completely unknown. And it certainly played into his favor. Coach, coach was acute on it.

He knew exactly. And he knew that better be wary of Savannah and Rizzo because we just don't know anything about them. There's a reason why they got invited back. Yeah. We just don't know why, you know. So some of the press started coming out this week and everybody's interviews have been coming out. One of the press stories that it came out, I believe this was Terry Taranis for the Hollywood reporter, talked to Jeff about one of the people that they were thinking that they had in the bag for season 50 was Amanda,

who of course, such a big part of season 50, would any of you have been excited to see Amanda back in season 50? I was excited. She was a member of the Dragons back in. Yes. Ponderosa and Heroes and Villains. I mean, I know why she dropped out, but, you know, it was unfortunate that, you know,

they wanted to choose somebody else over Amanda. But I never really got to know her. She felt, I felt like she was already in a major alliance with James, who was in with Rupert and they were against me. So I was worried. Like, if she came back, you know, I was like, oh, God, is she going to want to work with me this time?

Or is she going to want to get rid of me again? But I thought she was a good choice. I would have liked to have seen her come back. And I remember Steph, even in that first episode, when Ceree was targeting you, it was Amanda that was saying, you know what? I don't know. I don't know why we give her this, Steph. She's strong.

She's good in the challenges. And Ceree's like, ah, you know. So I think I like Amanda, you know, from what I know of her. I only played with her. then, but it would, yeah, I think she's somebody that deserved an invitation. So if she had accepted that and she was on the beach, it would have been a great addition to the team for sure. Right.

Yeah. It just would have been a lot of people from Heroes Villains. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's true. Because you have Shuri also. So if there was anybody else from Heroes versus Villains, is there anybody else from this cast that you think would have also been a good fit for Survivor 50?

and so many of them have played many other times in other seasons. Yeah. Well, I mean, selfishly, and Stephanie would echo this, I just love Tom. And I mean, Cesterino, with the sense of humor you have, and none of this made air, but at night, especially after Stephanie got voted out, and it was really just sort of Tom and I left to ourselves on heroes. We knew we were tagged and marked for everyone. execution shortly thereafter. But we'd sit around the campfire at night and him being a retired

fireman from New York City, you know, he has the best arsenal of jokes. And with his thick New York accent, I still call him to this day and say, hey, dude, just tell me that one joke about Grand Central Station again and with the two tickets to Pittsburgh. And he knows, you know, and he'll tell me. And it's only, I've tried to retell his jokes. and I've tried to mimic his accent, his thick New York accent, I can't do it. So selfishly because he's such a good dude, but also he's so funny.

And we didn't get to see a lot of that on heroes, villains, because we weren't having fun. But at night sitting around the campfire, when everyone else was asleep and the cameras weren't rolling, we would just tell jokes. And Tom is just a great dude. Also know Tom, Stephanie, you know him better than I do. but but tom wanted and would have if if health would have allowed it and so it was kind of a bummer you know that he's just in a place and a lot of that came from 9-11 and all the asbestos and everything that he dealt with as a firefighter um you know it was a shame but there was I talked to

him on the phone at one point and he said Colby you and if even if they invited me I couldn't go back uh and so that was that was sort of a bummer for me I think though you know like any any of the people on, any of the people on heroes and villains could have been out there. Yeah. Really. I mean, it is any of those, any of those players could come back again and people would be excited to see them, no matter who they were from sugar to, well, maybe not Russell. I mean, but, you know, Russell's got his nick.

But Russell is so, yeah, Russell is so iconic. He's polarizing. But the dude is one heck of a player. And what I've always said is Russell will always find a way to make it to the end. The problem is he'll never win. And that's the weakness in his game that he fails to recognize and realize. But he's a hell of a player. Yeah.

I mean, coach, that villain's tribe, you know, so many people who, you know, go on to win the show, go on to make the finals. Like, it's really just like incredible, just like the resume of just that villains tribe alone. Yeah. I mean, I think it's coach's golden touch, you know. What I turn in, you know, what I touch in real life, I just, I guess I just don't touch myself because hell I'm not turning to gold but you know I mean like everybody I'm touching out there goes on to have some heroic amazing journey for the win I guess I should have been you know

doing more stuff personally to myself you know in preparation for uh season 20 okay sorry I'm just sorry well yeah look and you could have you know and you could he's like I'm going to the volleyball game now properties but you know part you know look Jerry Jerry was pissed Jerry Jerry Jerry Jerry Jerry, you know, I've been on record in a lot of the interviews in Ponderosis saying, Jerry, Jerry deserved to be there. And again, you talk about, if we're talking about icons. Yeah. But Colby, that was cool, dude. That was cool, man.

Like, she's seen that. And even though she's not going to, she's not going to watch 50. She's boycotting it. She told me, you know, she's even going to a watch party that I'm playing my trumpet at. And she's like, well, I'm going to step outside for the episode. But you making that comment consistently. that's like been a lot of healing, I'm telling you, and for her. So that's off to you.

Yeah. I'm glad to hear you say that. I know you're in communication with her. I hope that's the truth because I know I've heard she was dragging me a little bit, you know, when she found out she wasn't going. And I couldn't understand why, coach, because I did talk to Jerry before all of this. But the truth is, Jerry and I've gotten along for years. And I had no intentions of conspiring against her or trying to plot against her.

or any of that. I honestly believe Jerry earned a spot to go back and play. It was iconic. Absolutely. Yeah. And and and and and Sester Nino, you know, one of the things I've mentioned it years ago in an interview, but but Jerry and I would go when when the tribes merged and we were on the same tribe, you got to remember real quick if you'll indulge me. You know, I was responsible for her. Actually, I wasn't responsible for her getting ousted in all. Australia, but I went along with it only because I was outnumbered by Tina and Keith. I was in the minority. And so I couldn't, I couldn't convince them to keep Jerry. I wanted to keep her and bring her along because I knew she was, she was with her.

She was with me, you know. But anyway, he felt like I was responsible for that. So she definitely targeted me and All-Stars, got me. And when she wrote her parchment and held it up, she said, is this a revenge vote? You bet your ass it is, right? So that was the first time. she also helped well that was all stars we go back to heroes villains we had sort of buried all of that

right I got her out she got me out so by the time the tribes merged Jerry and I were in a very neutral good space and we went out and went fishing there was a freshwater stream coming through Samoa feeding into the to the ocean we go fishing every day

she and I would together and there were a camera cruise with us filming it they were hoping you know maybe there would be some fireworks or either negative or positive, but it was just us going out, having conversations, fishing, bringing back fish every day to the tribe. We were providing for the tribe, but it wasn't the drama that they had hoped. It wasn't good enough TV to make the cut. So no one ever saw that.

But Jerry and I were getting along great post-merge at Heroes versus Villains. So I felt like coming back all these years later, we'd be in good shape, too. You know, I felt like we wouldn't have a problem connecting and no one would see it. Everyone would assume we would be adversarial and be against each other. And so I was hoping to see her over there. And we didn't. And we wanted to see it. I think that it's such an interesting arc. And I think that that's what's so fun about having all three of you come back where there's just this lore. And, you know, we want to see like the next chapter in the story. And I think that that's what's been really what people are, I think, most excited about with season 50 of to see the icons

coming back to see this other chapter. And so I just want to say that it's going to be really, really fun to see you all back in action. Thanks, Rob. I just want to say one thing. This is basically Rob's execute to get us out to out the room. I want to be responsible. I'll stay here on night, but I'll be respectful of everybody's time. I got to go, I got to go pick up my kids, but I would be remiss in saying, thank you. okay i've said it to you before i'm going to say it to you again rob for keeping the interest in survivor alive and i just like i think the whole survivor community just owes you a lot i think most people you know realize it that first time even when i heard your voice today in this forum

and i pictured myself on the treadmill you know and and and doing that that was 15 years ago i think that was 2011 that we did that it's amazing but dude we we owe you a lot it we appreciate you That's true. And congrats, Rob, too, just on the longevity. How many years have you had the show? Yeah, that's such a great point because I'm so happy you brought this up because the first episode of Rob is a podcast that I did was the Heroes versus Villains premiere. So I know the day, February 12th, 2010 was or after February 11th, 2010 was when this episode aired and then February 12th was the first day that I did this podcast. So yeah, thank you. I had totally forgotten about this added meaning for this episode of TV. that was on because it started this. And if you were all coming back for heroes versus villains,

like I probably wouldn't have like, like said, oh, I guess people wanna hear about this. Yeah, well, man, I know I speak for Steph and coach, man. We just hope you all enjoy this season like we did. Because I'm telling you, you're gonna, you're just gonna see a lot of really good attitudes on the beach, you know, a lot of gratitude and a lot of,

of folks that that really wanted to come back and play hard but we're stoked and we know how fortunate we were out of the 700 plus people that that have played to be the chosen few that get to do it one more time so I hope that comes across and

certainly the way we all felt having been selected. Absolutely. One more question for Stephanie. In the episode we know your shoulder gets separated the medics come in they put it back into place. I've always wondered is that the real sound? or is that a sound effect that we heard in the episode?

No, it does do that. It does make that sound. It does. Jeff is like, ooh, Winston. Yeah. Further proves how tough she is, right? Yeah, it's true. Okay.

I appreciate all three of you so much coming on and chatting about this. Is there anything else you all want people to know, Stephanie? I know that no more filet mignon pizza, but is there anything else that people should check out? No, I just, you know, hopefully I have a little bit better of a run on 50 than I did on Heroes Villains and it's a great honor for me to be back on 50. Okay, looking forward to seeing it. How about for you, Donaldson? Man, just, uh, uh, I will say this. I had more fun on 50 than I've ever had in my survivor career. Wow. Even going back to Australia. I had more fun this time.

and that was intentionally, but I was given the platform and the people in production. It was amazing. And I will say this as a tip of the hat to production. They are far less adversarial than they were back in the old days. And wouldn't you coach and Stephanie agree?

That was part of the tension in heroes villains. Rob, it was us against them, meaning players and egos against production. Yeah. And it was palpable through the entire thing. It was really bad between. And I don't know why that was, but Jeff has changed the culture on the production side.

And we came in with a much better attitude as a group. And it led to just a very harmonious experience all the way through, regardless of how you fared in terms of competition. It was a beautiful thing to witness the family of production and the family of the players all coming together and rejoicing in the fact that this show's been on the air 25 years. It was a beautiful thing, and I hope that comes through for the fans. Yeah, that's cool to hear.

Yeah. Yes. And Coach, we're going to be talking to you a few more times along the way with these classic episodes, but anything you wanted to let people know between now and then. No, I mean, just like what Colby said, man, it was a, it was a blessing to be out there. You know, everybody had their own reasons and agendas. but overall when they say they wanted to be a season of joy

that's what it's going to be it was a celebration yeah church uses that and we we delivered we had a celebration out there it was cool as shit yeah all right well this was a joy for me thank you all so much for making some time to talk about this and hopefully we'll talk again soon

but hopefully after some deep runs in Survivor 50 you okay? Thank you, Rob. Thanks, Bushmaster. Thanks, Rob. See you, Coach, and Stephanie. Love you guys. See you guys. Thanks for checking out today's podcast,

talking about these classic episodes of Survivor. If you love hearing stories like this from the classic survivors about all the greatest moments in Survivor history, you're going to love this book. The Tribe and I have spoken. We captured 25 years of Survivor lore and all the best moments

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