Another Survivor 49 contestant fuels cheating scandal by corroborating Sage Ahrens-Nichols’ allegations

New revelations are continuing to pour fuel on the fire surrounding the scandal that has shaken the Survivor community. This time, the confirmation doesn’t come from Sage Ahrens-Nichols—the whistleblower who ignited the controversy—but from another Survivor 49 castaway whose remarks make the situation increasingly difficult to dismiss.

Sage Ahrens-Nichols. Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

Annie Davis speaks out amid the Survivor 49 cheating storm

Just weeks after Survivor 49 wrapped, the season has taken on a completely different legacy—one defined by one of the most explosive scandals in the show’s history. The controversy began when Sage Ahrens-Nichols accused multiple players of pregaming, claiming alliances and strategy discussions took place before the game officially began, though she initially avoided naming names. She later alleged that Sophi Balerdi and Jake Latimer were directly involved.

Those claims quickly became the dominant topic within the Survivor fanbase. Online debates erupted, speculation ran rampant, and even legendary former player Erik Reichenbach weighed in with what many fans praised as a measured, thoughtful response. Now, another Survivor 49 contestant has stepped forward—offering comments that appear to substantiate key parts of Ahrens-Nichols’ story.

Annie Davis confirms cheating took place, without naming names

During Survivor 49, Kimberly “Annie” Davis was the second player voted out. While her time in the game was brief, any contestant who sets foot on the island walks away with insights that viewers simply can’t have. That’s why interviews with former players often carry so much weight.

Still, few expected Davis’ recent podcast appearance to pull her directly into the heart of a major scandal. On January 6, 2026, Davis appeared on Beyond the Edit, a podcast hosted by former Survivor player Lauren Ashley Beck. During the conversation, Davis confirmed multiple claims previously made by Ahrens-Nichols—while carefully avoiding naming anyone and emphasizing that she does not blame CBS.

When Beck asked point-blank whether extensive pregaming had occurred before Survivor 49—“So, you did witness people talking?”—Davis didn’t hesitate.

“Oh, for sure. Multiple times a day.”

Davis went on to confirm Ahrens-Nichols’ assertion that these conversations weren’t limited to daytime hours, but continued late into the night.

“I did observe and hear and see some things going on at night in tent city… When they take you to tent city, you’re supposed to just go to your tent and go to sleep. But people would get up, move around, talk. You’d hear tents opening and closing, people going into other tents, people walking to the bathroom together, talking, looping around camp…”

She continued:

“That stuff was happening in the middle of the night. In the mornings too—when we were waiting for production to take us to breakfast—there was chitter-chattering. People were talking.”

More than just the two players removed before the game?

Unlike Ahrens-Nichols, Davis never specified how many people were involved in pregaming. However, one moment in the discussion strongly suggests she believes the issue extended beyond the two players who were removed before the game officially began.

When Beck asked whether those two contestants—confirmed by Jeff Probst to have been pulled before the start—were the worst offenders, Davis stopped short of agreeing.

“I think it’s hard to gauge who was the worst because I didn’t see everything. I only saw what was in my little lens—this or that happening. I don’t really know who the worst were.”

That response appears to imply that some players who pregamed remained in the game throughout the season.

Notably, Davis’ description of late-night conversations mirrors Ahrens-Nichols’ claims involving Sophi Balerdi and Jake Latimer, though Davis herself did not mention either by name.

“Not pregaming cost me in this game”

Perhaps the most heartbreaking moment of the interview came when Davis reflected on how following the rules may have put her at a disadvantage. While she acknowledged that her social game wasn’t strong and that she still might have been voted out early regardless, Davis made a compelling case that pregaming almost certainly affected her experience.

“After everything was said and done, another cast member told me, ‘Annie, I saw someone try to talk to you, and you said you couldn’t and turned around and walked away.’ If we don’t think that affected my relationship with that person on the island, we’re vastly misjudging how much that stuff matters.”

“When you turn away and say, ‘No, I can’t talk,’ of course it’s going to affect the relationship.”

It’s a sobering conclusion for a player who chose to follow the rules—and perhaps the clearest illustration yet of how pregaming can ripple through an entire season.

We’ll continue to share updates on the Survivor 49 cheating scandal as the story continues to unfold.