Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBS

There has been a lot of talk about how many of the returning players brought back for Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites (premiering Feb. 13 on CBS) were not actually very good players their first time around. One contestant who did have some serious game in her first outing, however, is Brenda Lowe. Brenda worked herself into a position of power in Survivor: Nicaragua, but then made two fatal errors: She got too comfortable in her perch, and then did not scramble hard enough to stay once it became evident that the votes may have shifted against her. Now, Brenda gets a chance to make up for those mistakes. I chatted with Nicaragua’s Black Widow last May just days before filming on Survivor: Caramoan began and she spoke about her past mistakes, the other returning player she was concerned about, and the only thing that gave her pause about coming back.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Okay, Brenda, why are you going to win this time?
BRENDA LOWE: Because I am leaving behind a lot of really great things in my life in Miami and I feel like I’ve learned so much from the first time from being able to watch and feeling how much it hurts to get voted off, that I don’t think that I would ever make those same mistakes again. And those mistakes were pretty crucial. I was doing pretty good. Had I not messed up, I probably would have gotten really far so I wanted that second chance to make those corrections and then probably make it to the end. READ FULL STORY »

Image credit: Monty Brinton

I remember being out on location for Survivor: South Pacific and standing on the Savaii beach on day two. One person in particular was in trouble, and that person was Dawn Meehan. A longtime super-fan of the show who had first applied back for season 2, her dream had finally come true and she had made it onto the show. But now, just 24 hours after her adventure had started, that dream was turning into a nightmare. Sitting in a tribe full of younger, less clothed flirts and frolickers, Dawn wasn’t fitting in. And it was killing her. Imagine waiting 10 years for your moment to come, and then when it does, it all goes wrong from the get go. I saw Dawn in tears, telling Ozzy how she felt like an outcast from the rest of the tribe. Things didn’t look good. But Dawn rebounded from that initial culture shock, found common ground with the group, and even came up big in some challenges. Her island rebirth was inspiring to watch. Unfortunately, she was ultimately doomed by Cochran’s flip, which saw her entire tribe wiped out one by one.

Now, the Mormon with a penchant for baking bread and adopting kids is back competing again on Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites (premiering Feb. 13 on CBS). And she says to expect dry eyes this time around. READ FULL STORY »

Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBS

It’s hard to interview someone returning to play Survivor when you haven’t even seen how or what they did the first time around. That was the situation when I spoke with Malcolm Freberg in May 2012 as he was getting ready to depart for Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites (premiering Feb. 13 on CBS). It was only two weeks after he had finished filming Survivor: Philippines (which would not air for another four months). Luckily, I did have a few things to go on. I had met and spoken with Malcolm on location for that season, and had watched him play out there for the first few days, so I at least had some familiarity with him and his game.

What I found most interesting about Malcolm coming back is that he became only the second returning player — after Russell Hantz — to go back-to-back seasons in which none of the other contestants had been afforded a chance to watch him play. Portions, if not all, of the first seasons of Rupert Boneham, Stephenie LaGrossa, Bobby Jon Drinkard, Amanda Kimmel and James Clement had aired before their second consecutive appearance, so other players were familiar with them. Malcolm, however, would be a complete question mark. I asked Jeff Probst if he thought that was an advantage or disadvantage. I also wanted to hear from the player himself how he felt about being a Survivor Mystery Man.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What’s it like to go from being a super-fan of the show, to a player, to now a returnee?
MALCOLM FREBERG: It’s flattering, but not completely unexpected. I always thought if you’re going to do something you have to assume you’re going to be successful at it. That’s just the inner arrogance I’ve been gifted with my entire life. It’s been a head rush for sure. It’s really thrilling. And there is a moment of starstruck-ness each time I keep running into other returning players, so I need to get over that real quick. READ FULL STORY »

Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBS

If you blinked, you might have missed her. Francesca Hogi was the first person voted out of Survivor: Redemption Island, and the first person ousted from the game after she lost a duel. But even though she only lasted three days on her tribe, what an impression she made — going right after Boston Rob and then sparring with Phillip Sheppard about (among other things) the pronunciation of her name. I loved Francesca in our Redemption Island pre-game interview and was thoroughly bummed when she was booted so early. So I was pleasantly surprised when I learned she was being brought back to play again for Survivor: Caramaon — Fans vs. Favorites (premiering Feb. 13 on CBS). However, there is one person who will not be watching Francesca play — herself! The fan of the show could not bear to watch her last outing on TV and claims she has no plans to do so this time around either. Just days before filming began last May, I spoke with Francesca about her feud with Phillip (which The Specialist discussed right here), what she learned from her last brief outing, and the awkwardness of being mistaken for another black female contestant.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Okay, this is absurd. Nobody in this entire world has given you more public props than I have, but a person voted out first being asked to come play again?
FRANCESCA HOGI: You are my biggest fan, and I am so grateful, but yeah, exactly! I mean, I knew some people liked me and some people were sad to see me go so I could see how they might put a feeler out to have me back, but they’re not really going to cast me! And so I just figured it’s not going to happen. And now I’m like, oh, s—, it’s actually happening! This is great! READ FULL STORY »

Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBS

Is Phillip Sheppard a character, or was he merely playing one when he appeared on Survivor: Redemption Island? Walking around in pink undies and an occasional feather on his head, Phillip acted crazy and often drove his tribemates equally nutty with his behavior — which included mispronouncing one of their names and complaining about a lack of burnt rice. But the player insists that it was all a well-designed ruse to get him to the end of the game, and get to the end he did thanks to Boston Rob. Now, Phillip is back as one of the familiar faces returning for Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites (premiering Feb. 13 on CBS). What sort of hijinks does he have planned this time? How does he feel about being reunited with Fransesqua…uh, I mean, Francesca? And what is this about a new book he wrote based on his island alter-ego? (You can even hear an audio file of him reading from the book below! And trust me, you need to hear it.) The former federal agent (maybe) told all when we spoke last May just days before filming began.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Greetings, Specialist. First question right off the bat: What are you going to do if someone on your tribe tries to take the last scoop of the crispy? Not on your watch, right?
PHILLIP SHEPPARD: That’s right. That’s not gonna happen. If anyone were to take that last scoop of crispy, I don’t know what I would do. READ FULL STORY »