Survivor’s Jonathan Young Finally Reveals the Real Reason He Said Yes to Season 50 — And It’s Not What Fans Expected
In the upcoming season of “Survivor,” titled “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans,” viewers will see many of their beloved former contestants. Among them are former players who have participated in many seasons, some who have just been on “Survivor,” and others who haven’t graced the screens in decades.
Jonathan Young on Instagram Survivor
One of the players this year will be Jonathan Young, a Season 42 contestant who’s determined to take the win the second time around.
Jonathan Young Said He Was ‘Starving’ to Return to ‘Survivor’
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Young explained why saying yes to returning for Season 50 was such an easy choice.
According to him, his second-time around isn’t about “unfinished business.” “I think I left the game well last time,” he said.
Instead, Season 50 is all about participating in a competition show he loves and admires. “I love the game of ‘Survivor,’” he said. “I think it’s one of the last strongholds of true reality TV. You’re really starving. You really come to Fiji. You really live on an island with nothing. You’re stripped bare. I don’t think other reality TV shows are like that.”
As a result, Young’s attitude towards the game and gameplay will likely not change much.
“As for the game, I think that I’m going to play similar but not the same,” he said, adding that he’s been getting advice from his friend and “Survivor” veteran Rob “Boston” Mariano.
“Number one [advice] is to look at the game and try to see the game through your opponent’s eyes,” he revealed. “Number two is to smile. And number three is you can only control what you can control. Don’t worry about the rest.”
Most of all, he’s going to stay true to himself. “I have to play as Jonathan, and I want to take stuff from all the people that I know,” he said. “I want to take a little bit from my main man, Mike [Turner], I want to take something from Mr. Rob, take stuff from people that I’ve seen in the past, like Ozzy [Lusth] — all these people that I have admiration for.”
Jonathan Young’s Love for the Game Help in the ‘Tough’ Season
In the teaser video for Young’s casting, the 33-year-old echoed those feelings, showing his admiration for the game.
“I’m so honored that they chose me for ‘Survivor’ Season 50,” he said. “Yes, I’m playing with all these legends but when the game starts, all the fan stuff goes out the window.”
“It’s gonna be cutthroat,” he said. “It’s gonna be hard. It’s gonna be rough.”
The long-awaited 50th season of “Survivor” premieres on Wednesday, February 25, at 8/7c. New episodes will be available to stream the next day on Paramount+.
For more SURIVIVOR updates, follow Daily News.
Come back here often for Survivor spoilers, news and updates.
