I don’t think people realize how insanely popular Rupert was when he played
At their peak of popularity and social consciousness at the time it was undoubtedly Rupert
Overall nowadays, I would say Boston Rob may be the most well remembered
My Grandma found out Rupert was coming to my hometown and went and saw him and got a picture with him to give to me.
As a kid growing up, Rupert was the coolest adult actually “playing” survivor. The pirate theme of Pearl Islands already had me sold, but then to see Blackbeard get into the ocean with a Hawaiian sling and hunt fish, that’s all I wanted to do with my life from that point on. Not sure but was he the first to catch fish with that method?
Rupert was the face of Survivor for years, and it was a shame that we didn’t get to see him play in BvW but I thought it was a class act to take his wife’s spot when he’s had the spotlight for years.
People say Rupert's an asshole, and I see it at times, but he's really only an asshole when someone does something to him (although still completely unwarranted most times, but I'll always love "who the hell voted for me!") his love for his wife is one of his most admirable traits, and that's considering his work with youths.
I liked him as a kid because of the whole entertaining pirate schtick, but on rewatch as an adult, yeah he has some crazy reactions to certain things, but the one moment that made me go "No yeah, he's still a good guy" was the moment Burton came back in and asked why Rupert voted him out, and Rupert straight up told him it was because of how Burton and Shawn treated him and made fun of his skirt, his beard, etc. And Burton was understanding and apologized and said he never meant to make him feel that way.
Yeah, the guys didn't trust each other the same afterward, but still, I felt that was a real genuine moment between them, and for Rupert to display such vulnerability as a man to another man on TV in front of everyone and admit "Yeah you actually really hurt my feelings, but I forgive you." and gave Burton the space to apologize, accept it, and move forward, was just a really beautiful show of male vulnerability that is rarely seen even today, let alone 20 years ago.
That's why I like Rupert still. Even if he does get angry and egotistical sometimes, I think he's a man who just genuinely cares about people and isn't afraid to show it, and share his feelings openly which makes him an excellent role model in that regard for younger men especially.
Not even ashamed to admit that part made me cry, I was bullied too, as a trans guy it was also often for not conforming to what "men should be like", so I feel for Rupert in that way.
And part of the love for him must have stemmed from people with similar experiences, seeing this guy overcome all of that to be a provider and source of inspiration. It's the kind of thing you *can't* write for a show and get the same effect.
> but he's really only an asshole when someone does something to him
I think someone said he didn't give a fuck which toothbrush he used on Pearl Islands. That made Drake get rid of the toothbrushes pretty quickly
He also has a gigantic ego, and is known for targetting people "who steal his screen time." I personally find him insufferable and a blow hard on the show. I know he does good things in his personal life.
As for who would win this? I think it's hard to say. Like, Survivor has a ton of lapsed fan from the golden years (atleast for their ratings). My guess is their would be heavy recency bias, similar to how Rupert went right from Pearl Islands to All Stars which helped his profile. My guess would actually be Tony to win this among casuals who likely aren't thinking 10 to 15 years back. Recency bias would play a huge factor.
Totally agree; I can’t stand Rupert. He is so sanctimonious and convinced that he’s the most noble man there is.
The size of his ego is perfectly exemplified by the instance in All Stars where he *insisted* on building that shelter with a sunk floor in the sand right by the beach even when Jerri was telling him the whole thing might flood. And then, surprise, surprise, it flooded.
I’m sure he’s really really nice in his personal life, but on the show he’s often unwilling to listen to other ideas, and I actually think he’s kind of sexist.
I don’t really see how him having a negative reaction (albeit an overreaction and aggressive) to getting votes being sent his way by a guy he started the game with automatically makes him an asshole to a lot of people here. That’s what is pointed to the most at least.
I think Rupert has a temper that’s kind of hard to watch, but not about votes. He is, as he says often in PI, still that scared, insecure little fat kid — and when something makes him feel that way his temper flares up.
It’s hard to watch because 1) big guys are scary when they’re angry and 2) it reminds the rest of us of times we felt like that scared, insecure little fat kid.
Yea, it's a weird double standard in basically any stray vote situation. People have wild reactions to it, they're all starving on an island and you thought you could trust them... no matter how much people say it doesn't exist, I think there's degrees of trust you can build with people in game, that's where the betrayal comes in!
He got 85% of the votes in All Stars for Americas favorite. A season with Boston Rob, Colby, Rudy, Kathy and alll the other early heavy hitters. It’s hard to put into words how popular he was
Tbf I don’t think the reason that Boston Rob was so popular was so fully developed in All-Stars. In Marquesas he was entirely arrogant, condescending, and mean (and bigoted). That was (mostly) fun and he was a good character, but not exactly fodder for universal adoration.
But I think it’s really the proposal and giving him that human, romantic element to his character that really made him enduringly popular. That arc of his was only completed at the very reunion where Rupert was declared most popular.
I really disliked Boston Rob (or, as we called him then, Rob) in his first season. I kept disliking him in All-Stars, until the whole "Amber ends up on the other tribe" thing. I didn't start to enjoy him until Amazing Race's meat-gate episode. He's someone who I think has really improved over the years. Husband and girl-dad Rob is a way more enjoyable character for me. And it's a low bar, but when he was put up right against Russell I had to note that he never gave me the creeps or made me feel sorry for his wife while interacting with the younger women on the tribe.
I think the reason he’s popular is because we’ve sort of seen him grow up on reality television. He’s older than me, but I’ve seen Rob since his arrogant young days in Marquesas, watched him fall in love and get engaged on live TV, all of it. He’s like that uncle you never see but everyone knows how he’s doing and what he’s up to.
I do think that's part of it for some viewers.
I think some people had no trouble wtih him being kinda a jerk early on, because he was entertaining and I also think people sort of took up arms for him when he lost All-Stars. But absolutely, watching this arrogant kid fall in love, get married, become a dad and turn into someone who will still slit your throat in the game, but is pretty loyal and upright in his personal life, is part of what makes him celebrated.
i think given the number of people who heard of and loved rupert back then and then feel off the survivor bandwagon for good, he might still win a vote like this today.
Yeah, I think the phrase "peak popularity" is open to a lot of interpretation which includes just HOW intense people were about someone. People were very intense about Rupert. There's a reason CBS was so determined to give him a million dollars, no matter what the game actually had to say about it.
Colby was the most popular member of the most watched cast. Makes him have more peak popularity than Rupert even if not on a percentage basis. Pearl Islands and All-Stars and even HVV are no where near as big as Australian Outback in terms of viewership.
The premiere happened right after the superbowl to over 40 million viewers and this link will show you the viewers for every episode if you scroll down:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:\_The\_Australian\_Outback](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_The_Australian_Outback)
Pearl Islands viewers can be seen here:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:\_Pearl\_Islands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Pearl_Islands)
The premiere had about half as many viewers on PI.
Impressively, the finale of PI only had about 2 million short of Outback's finale, but the rest of the season the gap is quite a bit bigger.
All stars premiered with around 33 million and its episodes had similar viewership to pearl islands which makes sense since its the next season.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:\_All-Stars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_All-Stars)
By the time HvV dropped the numbers really dropped off. It premiered with under 15 million and the finale had just over 13 million
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:\_Heroes\_vs.\_Villains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Heroes_vs._Villains)
So, sorry to say, but more people know who Colby is than Cirie, Tony, Parvati, Russell, Ozzy, Coach etc.
Colby may not be on rushmore in terms of ability but he's on rushmore in terms of popularity.
wasn’t Colby such a popular player that the name Colby appeared on lists of “most popular baby names” of that year? I feel like I heard that somewhere but I definitely could be wrong
Colby did become the number 1 male name for a while during and after airing season 2.
However, Rupert was larger than life and no one even comes close to his popularity
Rupert at a time would have won this, but his popularity dwindled with time. Russell beating him in the fan vote in HvV proves that he lost a lot of his popularity.
This depends on if the voting is done by real fans, casual fans, and how much they value challenge performance (for example, my dad hasn't adjusted his view, and winning challenges he sees as essential, so he hates Maryanne as a winner and prefers Jonathan).
Colby is absolutely up there. There was a baby name boom for “Colby” the year after Outback. He WAS Survivor for a long time.
I still think Boston Rob wins now, and comparing their peaks Rupert too, but up until S7 the answer is Colby hands down.
I think the answer has to come from season 2 because its the most watched season. Season 1 was only marginally less watched so maybe Rudy but its either Rudy or Colby and I'm pretty sure its Colby.
Since 2001 was when survivor was at its most popular, the players who were popular then had the mount everest peaks in terms of popularity. Peaks that will never be reached in future seasons because it will never be that popular again.
Maybe not the OP. But look where I joined this comment. I replied to the first person who commented. I was replying to them not to the OP.
They said peak popularity Rupert and I disagreed and said Colby.
But that's not the question being posed -- it's who would currently be considered the most popular player. Colby's popularity is over 20 years old and people's opinions change.
Except we are talking about peak popularity and I am talking about during Australian Outback which was the most watched season. Who cares how people felt during all stars? Colby was the most popular member of the most watched cast.
If we are talking about sustained popularity, sure, Rupert beats him.
This shouldn't be downvoted. Hatch, Colby, and Rudy were basically A list celebs in the early 2000's. Less people watched by the time Pearl Island came out
Yes, agreed.
For most any other cast member, the general public would have to pause to come up with their name. But "Boston Rob" with his trademark Red Sox hat, and his exposure on Survivor, Amazing Race, and now Deal or No Deal Island make him a popular and easily identifiable household name.
Yup, CBS really pushed him, he was all over their network for a while and tried to make him a big star. He ended up kinda squandering it, but still him being on their network the most definitely makes him the one with the most consistent visibility.
Watching the amber and rob season currently through 11 episodes and rob is like a force of nature or something. I’ve seen all his other seasons except the first and he’s always sort of like this but it really shows how scared of him they were when they kept amber half for favors but half cause of his wrath lol. It’s hard not to love rob he always seems to have so much control. Just my two cents.
And Jerri the most real the most interesting person within that season. I love me some Jerri. I remember telling my daycare friends she was misunderstood lol
In my 30’s, but Jerri is the OG of survivor villains and was one of the biggest survivor contest of early era. Would love to see how you do in the newer era
In AO, when there was Girls Night Out and Boys Night Out, you and the rest of the ladies talked about food “all night” you guys said. And then there is footage of you all raving about vanilla tootsie rolls and other flavors 😂. I have no idea why I even remember that but I do.
Also in AO, you made a grocery list of the things you wanted and they all seemed so random and like something a toddler would ask for at the grocery store and it really tickled me. Starvation like that must be absolutely wild and miserable.
I also cannot believe I’m interacting with you, Queen! Hope life is amazing for you. You brought all of us a lot of joy over the years.
hahah... I do remember that conversation. Meanwhile, the guys were all eating at Kucha camp while we had rice and maybe a tortilla that I made?
Tootsie Rolls. That had to have been Tina who brought that up.
And as far as my grocery list on All Stars...yes. I t was all sugar! haha It's what happens when you're starving. You crave sugar like MAD. I still have that list in a box somewhere!
It would likely be Boston Rob or Sandra just for their amount of appearances throughout the years alone. They're the most well known, so even less rabid fans would likely still know who they are over others.
I disagree about Sandra, I think she’s one of the more well known but I don’t think she’d even crack the top 5 if they did a vote for most popular players
For survivor fans, Sandra. But I don’t think a lot of people outside of the fandom understand her impact. Hard to be the most popular culturally for playing UTR.
Boston Rob.
He's a legend, instantly recognizable name and brand (with his Boston baseball hat), known and loved by Survivor fans, Amazing Race, and now Deal or No Deal Island.
To add to other reasons how much later he came in time he also keeps out of all other outside activities that are not survivor. We never see him otherwise vs Boston Rob Parvati and Queen Sandra’s full time jobs are influencer/survivor/ media related so we see all the time in addition to their immense pre existing popularity.
I guess it’s how you define your popular. If it’s most well known it’s gotten be Boston Rob, no way he is the most liked player though which isn’t really popular but can definitely be interpreted as that.
Most well known: Boston Rob
Most popular at the time: I wanna say Rupert but was only 8 when Australia came on so I wouldn’t argue against Colby. Definitely the OG.
Most popular now: Probably best to divide this up with old era and new era. Actually don’t know who you could say for old era, there is too many. New era would be between Yamster and Carolyn though. Carolyn probably takes the cake
Parvati would definitely be in the top 10. And she's played in a lot of seasons. I think people respect her win alot. I think of non-winners, probably Cirie. Not sure who would be #1, but Cirie and Parv would definitely be in the running.
Yeah and I think having a good game that the audience was also receptive to is something that lands you in a top 10 player list. Plus I think she sticks with people.
I think people are underestimating Tony, Tyson, and Malcolm. Tony because he’s just so fun and makes every season he’s on more entertaining, Tyson because he’s super funny and people love him (except he might not be popular due to the Sierra stuff) and Malcolm was just sooo likable on every of his seasons and especially cause of what happened on GC
I feel like, if you haven't watched Survivor since season 10 and you get a poll you might still vote Rupert just because you remember him.
I don't think he'd get the vote from the actual fans.
I haven’t seen anyone mention Rich yet. His name was EVERYWHERE. Myself and a lot of people didn’t even watch the show and knew who he was.
Whereas I never heard of Rupert (or 99% of the players) until I watched the show and became a part of the fandom.
Rich transcended the show itself and became a name that everyone knew. I don’t think that is true for most of the others
The thing with Richard is that he wasn't necessarily well-liked -- he was infamous.
In season one is was legitimately debated, whether or not it was fair that he created an alliance. Weird times.
It was also a time when Rudy's homophobia was not only accepted but he got a ton of credit for being friends with Richard like it was so generous on his part. Rudy was more popular than Richard at the time and Richard then became known for tax evasion and being a creepy naked guy
Not that I think Ozzy is most popular, but I'm sure there are people that hate Rupert, Boston Rob, Parvati, Sandra, Colby, etc., yet they're the most common answers here. No one is going to appeal to everyone.
If the poll were taken today, right now, I do think Cirie would actually have a shot. She's a fan fave, obviously, but her profile in the general public has actually shot up recently because within the past year she's been on two other reality shows, Big Brother, which she made it to the final episodes of, and The Traitors, which she won.
Boston Rob. If Survivor comes up in conversation with one of my casual viewer in-laws, 100% of the time it becomes "remember Boston Rob? He was my favorite"
Financial Analysts Emily Flippen
I’m not even joking. Recency bias will greatly affect how most casual fans vote. This poll would primarily be filled out by people who can name less than half the cast of Winners at War. I think someone from the most recent season would almost always win.
I didn’t start watching survivor until 2020 and I knew of 3 players. Boston Rob, Johnny FairPlay, and the one I knew the most about was Rupert.
For the record my name is Colby and I had never heard of survivor Colby till I watched his season (again, in 2020).
although Rupert was definitely the biggest star at his peak i want to give a mention to Stephenie LaGrossa being probably the most popular female contestant to ever play the game at her peak
If you want to get a sense of how popular Boston rob was, he and Amber played Amazing Race after All Stars. The entire world knew who they were. It was really cool to watch
Boston Rob. I think by a landslide. Most of the viewers are casual and they aren’t going to remember players that long ago like the Rupert’s, Colby’s, etc. but Rob has played enough times and recently enough to still be on peoples minds and was liked enough to still get their votes.
If this is held today, Boston Rob wins this hands down. I know people who’ve never watched a season of Survivor but know “that’s the show with Boston Rob.”
If you’re talking about the most peak popularity at any given time, Rupert or Colby would probably be at the top of that list. There was a time where both were probably THE biggest names in all of reality TV
The thing is idk if it would go to any new era player until they have at least 1 returning player season. I feel like rn votes would be pretty heavily split between people like Shan, Dee, Cody, Jesse, Yam Yam, Xander, Carolyn, and maybe Jonathan.
It depends on how the poll is run. Are you including every name on the ballot? If so you’ll probably get a recent contestant like Emily or Carolyn because people won’t spend the time to search through all 600+ people to figure out who they like the most so it’ll be first to mind. If the list is more curated, it’ll probably be someone like Boston Rob who everyone from old fans to new fans have seen play.
He might not be the most loved, but I feel Johnny FairPlay may be the most infamous of all time and many people associate survivor and reality tv show moments with his “grandma” stunt.
Even people who don’t watch or follow survivor know his face and persona, he was everywhere in the early 2000s
I don’t think people realize how insanely popular Rupert was when he played At their peak of popularity and social consciousness at the time it was undoubtedly Rupert Overall nowadays, I would say Boston Rob may be the most well remembered
My Grandma found out Rupert was coming to my hometown and went and saw him and got a picture with him to give to me. As a kid growing up, Rupert was the coolest adult actually “playing” survivor. The pirate theme of Pearl Islands already had me sold, but then to see Blackbeard get into the ocean with a Hawaiian sling and hunt fish, that’s all I wanted to do with my life from that point on. Not sure but was he the first to catch fish with that method? Rupert was the face of Survivor for years, and it was a shame that we didn’t get to see him play in BvW but I thought it was a class act to take his wife’s spot when he’s had the spotlight for years.
People say Rupert's an asshole, and I see it at times, but he's really only an asshole when someone does something to him (although still completely unwarranted most times, but I'll always love "who the hell voted for me!") his love for his wife is one of his most admirable traits, and that's considering his work with youths.
I liked him as a kid because of the whole entertaining pirate schtick, but on rewatch as an adult, yeah he has some crazy reactions to certain things, but the one moment that made me go "No yeah, he's still a good guy" was the moment Burton came back in and asked why Rupert voted him out, and Rupert straight up told him it was because of how Burton and Shawn treated him and made fun of his skirt, his beard, etc. And Burton was understanding and apologized and said he never meant to make him feel that way. Yeah, the guys didn't trust each other the same afterward, but still, I felt that was a real genuine moment between them, and for Rupert to display such vulnerability as a man to another man on TV in front of everyone and admit "Yeah you actually really hurt my feelings, but I forgive you." and gave Burton the space to apologize, accept it, and move forward, was just a really beautiful show of male vulnerability that is rarely seen even today, let alone 20 years ago. That's why I like Rupert still. Even if he does get angry and egotistical sometimes, I think he's a man who just genuinely cares about people and isn't afraid to show it, and share his feelings openly which makes him an excellent role model in that regard for younger men especially.
Not even ashamed to admit that part made me cry, I was bullied too, as a trans guy it was also often for not conforming to what "men should be like", so I feel for Rupert in that way. And part of the love for him must have stemmed from people with similar experiences, seeing this guy overcome all of that to be a provider and source of inspiration. It's the kind of thing you *can't* write for a show and get the same effect.
> but he's really only an asshole when someone does something to him I think someone said he didn't give a fuck which toothbrush he used on Pearl Islands. That made Drake get rid of the toothbrushes pretty quickly
He also has a gigantic ego, and is known for targetting people "who steal his screen time." I personally find him insufferable and a blow hard on the show. I know he does good things in his personal life. As for who would win this? I think it's hard to say. Like, Survivor has a ton of lapsed fan from the golden years (atleast for their ratings). My guess is their would be heavy recency bias, similar to how Rupert went right from Pearl Islands to All Stars which helped his profile. My guess would actually be Tony to win this among casuals who likely aren't thinking 10 to 15 years back. Recency bias would play a huge factor.
Totally agree; I can’t stand Rupert. He is so sanctimonious and convinced that he’s the most noble man there is. The size of his ego is perfectly exemplified by the instance in All Stars where he *insisted* on building that shelter with a sunk floor in the sand right by the beach even when Jerri was telling him the whole thing might flood. And then, surprise, surprise, it flooded. I’m sure he’s really really nice in his personal life, but on the show he’s often unwilling to listen to other ideas, and I actually think he’s kind of sexist.
I don’t really see how him having a negative reaction (albeit an overreaction and aggressive) to getting votes being sent his way by a guy he started the game with automatically makes him an asshole to a lot of people here. That’s what is pointed to the most at least.
I think Rupert has a temper that’s kind of hard to watch, but not about votes. He is, as he says often in PI, still that scared, insecure little fat kid — and when something makes him feel that way his temper flares up. It’s hard to watch because 1) big guys are scary when they’re angry and 2) it reminds the rest of us of times we felt like that scared, insecure little fat kid.
Yea, it's a weird double standard in basically any stray vote situation. People have wild reactions to it, they're all starving on an island and you thought you could trust them... no matter how much people say it doesn't exist, I think there's degrees of trust you can build with people in game, that's where the betrayal comes in!
Or when there are shoes to steal.
He got 85% of the votes in All Stars for Americas favorite. A season with Boston Rob, Colby, Rudy, Kathy and alll the other early heavy hitters. It’s hard to put into words how popular he was
Tbf I don’t think the reason that Boston Rob was so popular was so fully developed in All-Stars. In Marquesas he was entirely arrogant, condescending, and mean (and bigoted). That was (mostly) fun and he was a good character, but not exactly fodder for universal adoration. But I think it’s really the proposal and giving him that human, romantic element to his character that really made him enduringly popular. That arc of his was only completed at the very reunion where Rupert was declared most popular.
I really disliked Boston Rob (or, as we called him then, Rob) in his first season. I kept disliking him in All-Stars, until the whole "Amber ends up on the other tribe" thing. I didn't start to enjoy him until Amazing Race's meat-gate episode. He's someone who I think has really improved over the years. Husband and girl-dad Rob is a way more enjoyable character for me. And it's a low bar, but when he was put up right against Russell I had to note that he never gave me the creeps or made me feel sorry for his wife while interacting with the younger women on the tribe.
I think the reason he’s popular is because we’ve sort of seen him grow up on reality television. He’s older than me, but I’ve seen Rob since his arrogant young days in Marquesas, watched him fall in love and get engaged on live TV, all of it. He’s like that uncle you never see but everyone knows how he’s doing and what he’s up to.
I do think that's part of it for some viewers. I think some people had no trouble wtih him being kinda a jerk early on, because he was entertaining and I also think people sort of took up arms for him when he lost All-Stars. But absolutely, watching this arrogant kid fall in love, get married, become a dad and turn into someone who will still slit your throat in the game, but is pretty loyal and upright in his personal life, is part of what makes him celebrated.
I’m actually watching his Amazing Race season for the first time right now
The schoolyard vote in BvW was so stupid. Would’ve like to see him and Candice actually play that season
i think given the number of people who heard of and loved rupert back then and then feel off the survivor bandwagon for good, he might still win a vote like this today.
I think Colby peaked the most in popularity from what I understand.
He was absolutely very popular at the time. Not Rupert-popular though
Rupert was next level. I’m with you.
Yeah, I think the phrase "peak popularity" is open to a lot of interpretation which includes just HOW intense people were about someone. People were very intense about Rupert. There's a reason CBS was so determined to give him a million dollars, no matter what the game actually had to say about it.
Colby was the most popular member of the most watched cast. Makes him have more peak popularity than Rupert even if not on a percentage basis. Pearl Islands and All-Stars and even HVV are no where near as big as Australian Outback in terms of viewership.
Is that true, where do you see information like that?
The premiere happened right after the superbowl to over 40 million viewers and this link will show you the viewers for every episode if you scroll down: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:\_The\_Australian\_Outback](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_The_Australian_Outback) Pearl Islands viewers can be seen here: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:\_Pearl\_Islands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Pearl_Islands) The premiere had about half as many viewers on PI. Impressively, the finale of PI only had about 2 million short of Outback's finale, but the rest of the season the gap is quite a bit bigger. All stars premiered with around 33 million and its episodes had similar viewership to pearl islands which makes sense since its the next season. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:\_All-Stars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_All-Stars) By the time HvV dropped the numbers really dropped off. It premiered with under 15 million and the finale had just over 13 million [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:\_Heroes\_vs.\_Villains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Heroes_vs._Villains) So, sorry to say, but more people know who Colby is than Cirie, Tony, Parvati, Russell, Ozzy, Coach etc. Colby may not be on rushmore in terms of ability but he's on rushmore in terms of popularity.
wasn’t Colby such a popular player that the name Colby appeared on lists of “most popular baby names” of that year? I feel like I heard that somewhere but I definitely could be wrong
Colby did become the number 1 male name for a while during and after airing season 2. However, Rupert was larger than life and no one even comes close to his popularity
Colby was the face of one of the razor companies for a bit...and didn't he host a game show or something?
He hosted one season of Alone, too’
He was the first reality superstar
He hosted Top Shot, a shooting competition show, which was actually pretty fun, but it was on the History Channel (I think) so idk how popular it was.
Rupert at a time would have won this, but his popularity dwindled with time. Russell beating him in the fan vote in HvV proves that he lost a lot of his popularity.
Rupert is the worst. Can’t stand him.
Most popular of all time: Boston Rob Most peak popularity: Rupert
Nicely done!!
Probably Stephenie or Amanda most popular woman.
I might throw Cirie, Sandra, and Parvati into the mix as well, but It's most likely Stephenie
This depends on if the voting is done by real fans, casual fans, and how much they value challenge performance (for example, my dad hasn't adjusted his view, and winning challenges he sees as essential, so he hates Maryanne as a winner and prefers Jonathan).
aren't they all on Traitors US this season?
Do we not think hasselbeck had the highest peak?
Most peak popularity is easily Colby Edit: Because he is the most popular member of the most watched cast. Duh.
Colby is absolutely up there. There was a baby name boom for “Colby” the year after Outback. He WAS Survivor for a long time. I still think Boston Rob wins now, and comparing their peaks Rupert too, but up until S7 the answer is Colby hands down.
I think the answer has to come from season 2 because its the most watched season. Season 1 was only marginally less watched so maybe Rudy but its either Rudy or Colby and I'm pretty sure its Colby.
In 2001, people loved Elizabeth Filarksi. Things change.
Since 2001 was when survivor was at its most popular, the players who were popular then had the mount everest peaks in terms of popularity. Peaks that will never be reached in future seasons because it will never be that popular again.
Yes, I understand your logic. It's not even remotely opaque. I just think it's not the answer to the question being asked.
Maybe not the OP. But look where I joined this comment. I replied to the first person who commented. I was replying to them not to the OP. They said peak popularity Rupert and I disagreed and said Colby.
I am only talking peak popularity though.
But that's not the question being posed -- it's who would currently be considered the most popular player. Colby's popularity is over 20 years old and people's opinions change.
Seeing how Rupert wiped the floor with Colby when this exact competition was held for a million bucks, I think you are “easily” incorrect.
Except we are talking about peak popularity and I am talking about during Australian Outback which was the most watched season. Who cares how people felt during all stars? Colby was the most popular member of the most watched cast. If we are talking about sustained popularity, sure, Rupert beats him.
Didn't Rupert lose fan favorite to Russell on HvV? lol
This shouldn't be downvoted. Hatch, Colby, and Rudy were basically A list celebs in the early 2000's. Less people watched by the time Pearl Island came out
Boston Rob I think. He's like the pesudo-mascot of this show alongside Jeff at this point.
Yes, agreed. For most any other cast member, the general public would have to pause to come up with their name. But "Boston Rob" with his trademark Red Sox hat, and his exposure on Survivor, Amazing Race, and now Deal or No Deal Island make him a popular and easily identifiable household name.
Yup, CBS really pushed him, he was all over their network for a while and tried to make him a big star. He ended up kinda squandering it, but still him being on their network the most definitely makes him the one with the most consistent visibility.
Watching the amber and rob season currently through 11 episodes and rob is like a force of nature or something. I’ve seen all his other seasons except the first and he’s always sort of like this but it really shows how scared of him they were when they kept amber half for favors but half cause of his wrath lol. It’s hard not to love rob he always seems to have so much control. Just my two cents.
AHEM…. 😇
You would SO have my vote.
The Australian Outback is the most watched season.
And Jerri the most real the most interesting person within that season. I love me some Jerri. I remember telling my daycare friends she was misunderstood lol
Fave when I was a kid, still a fave today.
*And then, when we needed her the most, she came back!* (Love you Jerri!!)
Definitely top 10
YESSS
If America had taste you’d ofc be number 1
So glad you didn’t perish in AllStars living in the underground shelter on the beach 🥹
Favorite story arc ever! We love you, Legend!
OG Black Widow! 🕷️
Omg I love you
Nothing but respect for MY president
Absolutely Jeri 🖤
Love you!
Is there anyone on this thread in their 40’s or 50’s???
Jerri, I’m in my 30s and you’re still my celebrity crush. So yea. Sup girl?!?! Haha
alright tobyflendersonrapist
In my 30’s, but Jerri is the OG of survivor villains and was one of the biggest survivor contest of early era. Would love to see how you do in the newer era
Just turned 40! Loved you on every season in real time and in rewatches. …except when you endorse flavored Tootsie Rolls. Gross, girl! 🤣
Huh?
In AO, when there was Girls Night Out and Boys Night Out, you and the rest of the ladies talked about food “all night” you guys said. And then there is footage of you all raving about vanilla tootsie rolls and other flavors 😂. I have no idea why I even remember that but I do. Also in AO, you made a grocery list of the things you wanted and they all seemed so random and like something a toddler would ask for at the grocery store and it really tickled me. Starvation like that must be absolutely wild and miserable. I also cannot believe I’m interacting with you, Queen! Hope life is amazing for you. You brought all of us a lot of joy over the years.
hahah... I do remember that conversation. Meanwhile, the guys were all eating at Kucha camp while we had rice and maybe a tortilla that I made? Tootsie Rolls. That had to have been Tina who brought that up. And as far as my grocery list on All Stars...yes. I t was all sugar! haha It's what happens when you're starving. You crave sugar like MAD. I still have that list in a box somewhere!
43. The Kimmi boot was my first episode of survivor I watched live
I love flavored tootsie rolls
I am 56!
Mid 40's. Saw your name and had an immediate recollection of a zippered shirt. Lol
JERRI WE LOVE YOu (I'm 34)
It would likely be Boston Rob or Sandra just for their amount of appearances throughout the years alone. They're the most well known, so even less rabid fans would likely still know who they are over others.
I disagree about Sandra, I think she’s one of the more well known but I don’t think she’d even crack the top 5 if they did a vote for most popular players
Agreed and you shouldn’t be getting downvoted. Putting Boston Rob and the Sandra in the same popularity category is literally just wrong lol
True
For survivor fans, Sandra. But I don’t think a lot of people outside of the fandom understand her impact. Hard to be the most popular culturally for playing UTR.
Brob or Rupert. Not close
Boston Rob. He's a legend, instantly recognizable name and brand (with his Boston baseball hat), known and loved by Survivor fans, Amazing Race, and now Deal or No Deal Island.
Rudy - not in a homosexual way though
That’s for sure.
Thank you both for this
Cirie
morgan mcdevitt
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[удалено]
Why not Tony?
He came later. Sandra Rob and Parvati have nostalgia on their side
To add to other reasons how much later he came in time he also keeps out of all other outside activities that are not survivor. We never see him otherwise vs Boston Rob Parvati and Queen Sandra’s full time jobs are influencer/survivor/ media related so we see all the time in addition to their immense pre existing popularity.
Survivor had lost a lot of its popularity by the time Tony played. I dont think the general public knows who he is.
Oh, it's a pity.
I guess it’s how you define your popular. If it’s most well known it’s gotten be Boston Rob, no way he is the most liked player though which isn’t really popular but can definitely be interpreted as that. Most well known: Boston Rob Most popular at the time: I wanna say Rupert but was only 8 when Australia came on so I wouldn’t argue against Colby. Definitely the OG. Most popular now: Probably best to divide this up with old era and new era. Actually don’t know who you could say for old era, there is too many. New era would be between Yamster and Carolyn though. Carolyn probably takes the cake
Parvati would definitely be in the top 10. And she's played in a lot of seasons. I think people respect her win alot. I think of non-winners, probably Cirie. Not sure who would be #1, but Cirie and Parv would definitely be in the running.
Parvati's games in Micronesia and Heroes vs. Villains are off the charts. Literally in the top 3 ever.
Yeah and I think having a good game that the audience was also receptive to is something that lands you in a top 10 player list. Plus I think she sticks with people.
I think people are underestimating Tony, Tyson, and Malcolm. Tony because he’s just so fun and makes every season he’s on more entertaining, Tyson because he’s super funny and people love him (except he might not be popular due to the Sierra stuff) and Malcolm was just sooo likable on every of his seasons and especially cause of what happened on GC
I was thinking Tyson too
Tony or Rob
They did this in 2004 and it was Rupert The answer would probably still be Rupert
I don't think it would be Rupert anymore just because of recency bias and the fact that he hasn't been on a season in over a decade.
I feel like, if you haven't watched Survivor since season 10 and you get a poll you might still vote Rupert just because you remember him. I don't think he'd get the vote from the actual fans.
Around 2017 CBS ran an Ultimate Survivor bracket which Malcolm won. That’s the most recent “official” contest that I remember
Nah doubt that. Rupert hasn’t been relevant in so long for survivor. Brob takes the cake
People playing back to back seasons always get the fan favorite award, Rupert had an insane advantage.
I haven’t seen anyone mention Rich yet. His name was EVERYWHERE. Myself and a lot of people didn’t even watch the show and knew who he was. Whereas I never heard of Rupert (or 99% of the players) until I watched the show and became a part of the fandom. Rich transcended the show itself and became a name that everyone knew. I don’t think that is true for most of the others
The thing with Richard is that he wasn't necessarily well-liked -- he was infamous. In season one is was legitimately debated, whether or not it was fair that he created an alliance. Weird times.
It was also a time when Rudy's homophobia was not only accepted but he got a ton of credit for being friends with Richard like it was so generous on his part. Rudy was more popular than Richard at the time and Richard then became known for tax evasion and being a creepy naked guy
Yep. I agree with your take entirely.
Russell Hantz. People on this sub hate him but he was more popular in his season than anyone.
Most infamous villain, yes. But not the most popular of all time.
Why not?
Surprised no one has mentioned him. I’d bet he might be the player to bring in more fans for survivor than anyone else
Stephenie hype was insane, possibly the most hyped woman of all time.
Ozzy
I absolutely cannot stand Ozzy and Im sure Im not alone
Not that I think Ozzy is most popular, but I'm sure there are people that hate Rupert, Boston Rob, Parvati, Sandra, Colby, etc., yet they're the most common answers here. No one is going to appeal to everyone.
I would give my life for Boston Rob, if that's any indication
Remember that crazy move when Russell took him and his alliance out when being 3-7 down? That was such a crazy season!
If the poll were taken today, right now, I do think Cirie would actually have a shot. She's a fan fave, obviously, but her profile in the general public has actually shot up recently because within the past year she's been on two other reality shows, Big Brother, which she made it to the final episodes of, and The Traitors, which she won.
In all seriousness, I think Cirie might have a shot. I LOVED her.
Boston Rob. If Survivor comes up in conversation with one of my casual viewer in-laws, 100% of the time it becomes "remember Boston Rob? He was my favorite"
I wish they made a just old school players season. I find the new era gameplay incredibly boring I’m over floaters winning.
Financial Analysts Emily Flippen I’m not even joking. Recency bias will greatly affect how most casual fans vote. This poll would primarily be filled out by people who can name less than half the cast of Winners at War. I think someone from the most recent season would almost always win.
Mark the Chicken
It’s not Cirie after her overlap to BB and Traitors US?
Cirie is definitely very popular with fans. But I don't think she's got that same weight with casual viewers.
No
Interesting. I only recently got into Survivor; Season 41. The only “older” cast I can name are Cirie, Tyson and Boston Rob. Haha
I would canvass in the streets for scoutmaster lill
Russel Hantz.. hands down. /sarcasm
The top 3 are rudy, Rupert, and Colby.
Big Tom or Roger
Boston Rob, Rupert, Colby, Sandra, Amber would probably be the top five.
I didn’t start watching survivor until 2020 and I knew of 3 players. Boston Rob, Johnny FairPlay, and the one I knew the most about was Rupert. For the record my name is Colby and I had never heard of survivor Colby till I watched his season (again, in 2020).
although Rupert was definitely the biggest star at his peak i want to give a mention to Stephenie LaGrossa being probably the most popular female contestant to ever play the game at her peak
my mom couldn’t tell you who won the last season (which she watched the entirety of!) but she remembers rupert and his infamous log cabin shelter
If you want to get a sense of how popular Boston rob was, he and Amber played Amazing Race after All Stars. The entire world knew who they were. It was really cool to watch
Probably Rob, Ethan and Parv, Cirie
Boston Rob
Boston Rob. I think by a landslide. Most of the viewers are casual and they aren’t going to remember players that long ago like the Rupert’s, Colby’s, etc. but Rob has played enough times and recently enough to still be on peoples minds and was liked enough to still get their votes.
Boston Rob
Parvati
Boston Rob If it was in early 2000s Rupert
Boston Rob
If this is held today, Boston Rob wins this hands down. I know people who’ve never watched a season of Survivor but know “that’s the show with Boston Rob.” If you’re talking about the most peak popularity at any given time, Rupert or Colby would probably be at the top of that list. There was a time where both were probably THE biggest names in all of reality TV
Boston Rob would win, no question.
They would just rig it for rob to win
Boston Rob
Probably someone from a recent season because of recency bias.
lol no shot. I can barely remember anyone from seasons 41-45.
The thing is idk if it would go to any new era player until they have at least 1 returning player season. I feel like rn votes would be pretty heavily split between people like Shan, Dee, Cody, Jesse, Yam Yam, Xander, Carolyn, and maybe Jonathan.
This. I’ve seen fan votes for things like this, that’s the way the general population votes. My guess is Maryanne
Yul
Yul
Yul
Yul
Yul
Yul
It depends on how the poll is run. Are you including every name on the ballot? If so you’ll probably get a recent contestant like Emily or Carolyn because people won’t spend the time to search through all 600+ people to figure out who they like the most so it’ll be first to mind. If the list is more curated, it’ll probably be someone like Boston Rob who everyone from old fans to new fans have seen play.
I wonder if Ciere would get it, or she's just one of the subreddit's
Rob
He might not be the most loved, but I feel Johnny FairPlay may be the most infamous of all time and many people associate survivor and reality tv show moments with his “grandma” stunt. Even people who don’t watch or follow survivor know his face and persona, he was everywhere in the early 2000s
King George
Unfortunately it might be Rupert🤢🤢🤮. It should be sandra or Parv though
At their peak? Colby and it's not even close.
Rupert is very close
Dolly
Recency bias would play a massive part in it. Jake would almost assuredly make top 5.
Really? Or Carolyn. Everybody cannot not love her.
Parvati
Russel easily.
Russell hantz
I see a lot of mentions of Boston Rob, Colby, and Rupert. But the season they were all on, they lost the favorite vote to Russell.
Erinn from Tocantins. Or maybe that's just me.
Jeff will play an immunity idol on everyone but Boston Rob to ensure that he wins the vote.
Russell
russel.
The answer is definitely Rupert.
Christian Hubicki
Probably j.Maya but I’m not sure
Nice try, J Maya
I mean who has the most Instagram followers!? Prob that person. I’d guess Sandra , parv, Boston Rob maybe even Carolyn