Survivor season 46: Meet the cast of 18 competing for $1m

Long-running CBS reality competition series returns on 28 February

CBS’s popular reality competition series, Survivor, is returning this month with its 46th season.

The new instalment of the long-running TV show, hosted by Jeff Probst, will welcome 18 contestants to the islands of Fiji, where they will compete in a series of challenges for the chance to win $1m (£794,000).

Participants will be divided into three tribes of six, and according to a press release, “will endure a faster, more intense season from the moment they step foot on the beach”.

“The moral dilemmas, extreme situations and new twists in the game will test even the strongest competitor, and the mental and physical challenges require players to masterfully evolve their strategies to survive another day,” it adds.

Contestants are progressively eliminated by way of popular vote each week until one remains and is crowned the Sole Survivor.

The series will debut with two, two-hour episodes airing on Wednesday 28 February and Wednesday 6 March, beginning at 8pm ET/PT on CBS. 90-minute episodes will air weekly after that.

Meet the 18 contestants below:

Q Burdette

Q Burdette of ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 29

Hometown: Senatobia, Mississippi

Current Residence: Memphis, Tennessee

Occupation: Real estate agent

Jessica “Jess” Chong

Jessica Chong from ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 37

Hometown: Hong Kong, China/Toronto, Ontario

Current Residence: San Francisco, California

Occupation: Software engineer

Charlie Davis

Charlie Davis on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 26

Hometown: Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts

Current Residence: Boston, Massachusetts

Occupation: Law student

Tevin Davis

Tevin Davis on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 24

Hometown: Goochland, Virginia

Current Residence: Richmond, Virginia

Occupation: Actor

Tiffany Nicole Ervin

Tiffany Nicole Ervin on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 33

Hometown: Franklin Township, New Jersey

Current Residence: Elizabeth, New Jersey

Occupation: Artist

Moriah Gaynor

Moriah Gaynor on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 28

Hometown: Boca Raton, Florida

Current Residence: San Diego, California

Occupation: Program coordinator

Maria Shrime Gonzalez

Maria Shrime Gonzalez on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 48

Hometown: Dallas, Texas

Current Residence: Dallas, Texas

Occupation: Parent coach

Bhanu Gopal

Bhanu Gopal on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 41

Hometown: Visakhapatnam, India

Current Residence: Acton, Massachusetts

Occupation: IT quality analyst

Jemila “Jem” Hussain-Adams

Jemila Hussain-Adams on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 32

Hometown: Berbice, Guyana

Current Residence: Chicago, Illinois

Occupation: International brand mentor

David “Jelinsky” Jelinsky

David Jelinksy on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 22

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Current Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada

Occupation: Slot machine salesman

Ben Katzman

Ben Katzman on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 31

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Current Residence: Miami, Florida

Occupation: Musician

Hunter McKnight

Hunter McKnight on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 28

Hometown: French Camp, Mississippi

Current Residence: French Camp, Mississippi

Occupation: Science teacher

Randen Montalvo

Randen Moontalvo on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 41

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

Current Residence: Orlando, Florida

Occupation: Aerospace tech

Tim Spicer

Tim Spicer on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 31

Hometown: Arlington, Virginia

Current Residence: Atlanta, Georgia

Occupation: College coach

Soda Thompson

Soda Thompson on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 27

Hometown: Long Island, New York

Current Residence: Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey

Occupation: Special education teacher

Venus Vafa

Venus Vafa on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 24

Hometown: Hill, Ontario

Current Residence: Toronto, Ontario

Occupation: Data analyst

Kenzie Petty

Kenzie Petty on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 29

Hometown: Gibraltar, Michigan

Current Residence: Charlotte, North Carolina

Occupation: Salon owner

Liz Wilcox

Liz Wilcox on ‘Survivor’ (CBS)

Age: 35

Hometown: Luther, Michigan

Current Residence: Orlando, Florida

Occupation: Marketing strategist