For the first time in Survivor history, a contestant was ejected from the show due to inappropriate behavior. Jeff Probst, the host, announced on the December 11 episode, “Dan was removed from the game after a report of another incident, which happened off-camera and did not involve a player.”
Weeks later, Survivor contestants – old and new – are responding to Dan Spilo‘s removal.
Ciera Eastin
“I am proud of CBS and Survivor for ejecting Dan from the game, especially considering it is so late in the season. Ejecting Dan when there are only seven people left in the game not only affected Survivor‘s timeline, but affected all the other players’ games and relationships and strategy. I’m sure this decision was not taken lightly, and I’m proud of CBS for putting their players and their producers first.”
“I think they made the right choice ejecting Dan. This season has been full of social issues we really haven’t dealt with in seasons past. And Dan was obviously given multiple opportunities to change his actions and when it didn’t happen, Jeff was really left with no other choice. I have always felt safe and a priority to Jeff and all the producers when I played, and I am not surprised at all that they would continue to put the safety of their players and crew first.”
Benjamin Wade
“CBS, Survivor, and all production and crew have proven that they have what it takes to be the ultimate survivor, in terms of ratings and longevity. If they are doing it, we can be assured that it’s for a damn good reason.”
Kellee Kim
“While Dan’s dismissal has validated the concerns that I raised from the beginning of this season, I wish that no one else had to be subjected to this type of behavior. I’ve accepted genuine, heartfelt apologies from fellow castaways, but I’ve continued to feel disappointed by how this pattern of behavior was allowed to occur for so long.”
Janet Carbin
“We all have learned from this situation, and it is time to move forward for all of us. I love and respect my tribe mates, ALL OF THEM, and I love that we were together on Survivor, one of the greatest shows on TV. I am thrilled I was selected to play, and I want to enjoy the experience. I am asking at this time to accept, forgive, and move on to enjoy the show moving forward. There is so much more to see and enjoy what goes on. We need to remember, we are all human and this is a TV, but we all have lives outside of the game. I look forward to enjoying all of these people outside of the game.”