It seems like almost every day, we learn of the death of yet another famed television
or film star.
While it's always heartbreaking to hear about the death of a celebrity, it's important to
remember that they are ordinary people just like us.
As such, they too must someday face mortality.
While reality show participants aren't necessarily of the same caliber of celebrities as, say,
Hollywood movie stars and sitcom leads, they still manage to amass sizable fan bases during
their fifteen minutes of fame.
Not long after their moment in the spotlight, however, they are often forgotten.
In this video, we'll be paying our respects to a few deceased reality show stars who appeared
on one of the most popular series in the genre.
Survivor debuted in the summer of 2020.
In the program's 22 years on the air, it has featured players of all ages.
Contestants have been born every decade from the late 1920s to the early 2000s.
Over the course of more than 40 seasons, over 600 people have competed head to head on the
hugely influential and groundbreaking TV show.
In the two-plus decades that it's been on the airwaves, sadly, 10 of these players have
passed away since leaving the island.
Fortunately, there has never been a fatality while filming.
Accidents have happened during the show, sometimes resulting in injury, but no one has ever died
on the air.
Even if a fatal accident were ever to take place, you know for a fact that their death
wouldn't be aired on network television.
Join Facts Verse as we pay tribute to the ten former Survivor castaways that have died
over the years that the show has been airing.
We want to reiterate that our aim isn't to make light of their fate.
Rather, our intention is to honor these fallen individuals while celebrating their lives.
Sunday Burquest
This castaway was loved immensely by all of her Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X co-stars.
She served as a surrogate mother of sorts for all of the other castaways on the island.
She formed particularly strong bonds with her fellow Gen X tribemates Chris Hammons
and Brett LaBelle, and she connected in a very special way with the millennial tribe
member Adam Klein, whose mother was being treated for cancer while they were on the
island.
When Sunday appeared on Survivor, she had already beaten breast cancer once, so it was
especially heart-wrenching to learn that she had been diagnosed with ovarian and esophageal
cancer in 2020.
On April 18, 2021, Sunday lost her battle with the disease at the age of 50.
B.B.
Anderson
Anderson was one of the first Survivor castaways.
He competed in the first season of the series in Borneo.
At the time, B.B was 64 years old.
In 2013, he died at the age of 77 after succumbing to brain cancer.
His obituary described him as a man who was larger than life with a 'heart to match'.
It went on to describe him as someone who had an unmatched zest for life and as a world
traveler and an avid sportsman.
Anderson apparently also had a profound love for cigars, fine wine, close friendships,
and healthy political debate.
He was survived by his daughter Alexandra, his four sons, Mark, Darren, John, and Todd,
and his wife, Jan.
Cliff Robinson
This former NBA player was aptly placed in the 'brawn' tribe during Survivor: Cagayan
– Brains Vs. Brawn Vs. Beauty.
Robinson formed an alliance with his tribemate and fellow athlete Woo Hwang early on in the
season.
Unfortunately, he was voted out before the tribes could merge.
His competitors made this decision since they saw him as having too much of a physical advantage.
In 2017, Cliff was rushed to the hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
Later, he was diagnosed with lymphoma.
In 2019, he underwent surgery in an attempt to treat his cancer, but he died of the disease
on the 29th of August, 2020, at the age of 53.
Rudy Boesch
Rudy was one of the most popular and charismatic players to ever appear on Survivor.
He competed in the first season in Borneo.
A few of his fellow castaways felt like he was a weak link since he was the oldest player
on the island at the age of 72, but being the tough-as-nails former Navy Seal that he
was, he made an early alliance with the eventual game-winner Richard Hatch.
He ended up finishing the season in third place after losing the last immunity challenge.
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And don't go anywhere just yet.
Keep watching to learn how the remaining six deceased Survivor players passed away.
Caleb Bankston
This player appeared in the Survivor: Blood Vs. Water season alongside his partner Colton
Cumble in 2013 when he was 26 years old.
Tragically, he was killed a little over a year later in a freak train accident when
he was just 27.
According to a news report, he was killed in an accident while he was working on a coal
train that derailed.
Bankston and Cumble were planning on getting married in October of 2014, just four months
after he was killed.
In an interview with an Alabama newspaper, a very devasted Cumble referred to Bankston
as his everything.
Shortly after his death, Survivor's production team released a statement via the show's host
Jeff Probst that expressed how the entire Survivor crew who were filming in Nicaragua
was shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of Bankston.
The statement described him as one of the most likable and humble contestants that had
ever appeared on the show.
Angie Jakusz
This castaway was a member of the notoriously hapless Ulong tribe on Survivor: Palau.
Even though she was considered to be among the strongest challenge competitors, she was
dealt a pretty awful hand when she was subjected to a surprise double tribal council that gave
her teammates no other choice but to vote her off the island.
Post-Survivor, Jakusz lived a pretty private life.
In 2018, her husband created a GoFundMe for their family after she was diagnosed with
squamous cell colorectal cancer in 2017.
On January 8, 2021, Angie's family announced that she had passed away at the age of 40.
Ashley Massaro
Massaro competed in the fifteenth season of Survivor in China.
She was assigned to the Zhan Hu tribe alongside her popular teammates Frosti Zernow and Peih-Gee
Law.
Her time on the show was short-lived as she got sick, not long after the competition had
begun.
She struggled to adjust to the elements and that proved to be her downfall, as her tribemates
voted her out second after casting out Chicken Morris.
Post-Survivor, Ashley, who worked as a WWE Diva, went back to the wrestling world while
raising her daughter Alexa.
Sadly, she hung herself on May 16, 2019, just ten days before celebrating her 40th birthday.
Dan Kay
Kay was a member of the Fang tribe during Survivor: Gabon.
He was praised by his tribemates early on in the competition for being one of the tribes
most capable and strongest leaders.
He was eliminated on day 21 after being accused of secretly holding an immunity idol.
Kay died on December 31, 2016, at the age of 40.
He was survived by girlfriend Jennifer and his two children.
Jennifer Lyon
Lynn competed as a member of the Koror tribe on Survivor: Palau.
During her time playing the game, Jenn enjoyed a flirtatious romance with Gregg Carrey.
After leaving the competition, the two even briefly dated off-camera.
Post-Survivor, Lyon consulted her doctor after finding a lump on her breast.
She was just 33 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She passed away after losing her battle with the disease on January 19, 2010.
She was 37 when she died.
Lyon was also the first Survivor alum to pass away.
Ralph Kiser
Hailing from Lebanon, Virginia, where he worked as a farmer, this Survivor: Redemption island
contestant notably stumbled upon a hidden immunity idol before survivor veteran Russel
Hentz could find it himself.
Kiser also played a crucial role in the Zapatera Six's plot to oust Russell, resulting in Hentz's
elimination for the first time in his three seasons of play.
After merging with the other tribe, Ralph discovered that he was on the wrong side of
a numbers game and was inevitably voted out.
When he was eliminated, he was in 9th place.
Ralph was also known for constantly misspelling other players' names at tribal council.
Sadly, Ralph passed away after having a heart attack on April 20, 2022.
He was 56 when he died.
At the time of his death, Jeff Probst made a statement through the show's Twitter account
in which he offered Kiser's family his condolences.
He described Kiser as having a huge smile, a positive attitude, and being one of the
most likable players to ever compete on the show.
It's terribly distressing that so many former-Survivor players have died.
It's especially saddening to learn how many of them passed away in such awful ways.
Did you know that ten former Survivor castaways had died?
If so, which one of these players do you remember most fondly?
Let us know in the comments section down below.
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