Sonja Christopher
Acey Harper/Getty ImagesSonja Christopherthe first ever Survivors outcast, died on Friday, April 26, at the age of 87.
“Sonya [sic] was one of the nicest people to ever play Survivors. “Every interaction I’ve had with her over the years has been wonderful,” Host said Jeff Probst said in a statement posted via the show’s official Instagram account on Saturday, April 27. “She would always greet you with a smile on her face and joy in her heart. I feel honored that our paths were able to cross.”
The account also shared a photo of Christopher smiling as she adjusted her hat. No cause of death was announced.
News of her death spread when Liz Wilcox, who is competing on the 46th season of the reality series, shared a heartfelt message over FaceTime along with a photo of Christopher, who competed on the first season in 2000, holding up her signed ukulele. (Christopher was known for playing the ukulele.)
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“Today the legend of the first season, Sonja Christopher, died,” Wilcox wrote via X on Friday. “I had the pleasure of meeting her at Christmas. She had so much cum and love with it Survivors and what the show has brought into her life. I hope you sing and play your heart out in a beautiful place, Sonja.”
In a subsequent post via X On Friday, Wilcox added, “No flowers, but donations may be sent to Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church (Walnut Creek, CA), Cancer Support Community of the San Francisco Bay Area, or Sjögren’s Foundation.”
Sonja Christopher
Frederick M. Brown/Getty ImagesMany Survivors Since then, cast members have paid tribute to Christopher on social media. Rob Cesternino wrote about X on Friday: “She paved the way for every person to ever play Survivor. We will always smile when we think of Sonja Christopher. RIP to a legend.”
Christopher voted from Season 1 of Survivorsfilmed in Borneo after struggling with the first challenge.
It’s not an easy game – but someone has to play it! “Survivor” first debuted in 2000 and quickly became a fan favorite and ratings juggernaut for CBS. The reality series, which rewards a single survivor $1 million each season after 39 days on the loose, has come a long way over the years. Host Jeff Probst, […]
“I had mixed feelings, that’s for sure. I was pretty beat up,” Christopher recalled to Entertainment Weekly in 2020 about her exit from the show. “To this day I still have bruises that won’t go away… Someone once asked me if I thought my early vote-out was due to ageism. And I said, “Oh no.” And you know why, because I had no idea about ageism. I was always good at sports and very physically active. I just didn’t realize that I was an old lady to some of these people.”
Christophers Survivors Her appearance came three years after she battled breast cancer. “I was recovering from breast cancer treatment. And I was in a relationship for 11 years and my partner found solace elsewhere during the cancer journey,” she told the outlet. “So I had moved into a retirement community and was alone, unattached, my son was grown and taking care of himself. I was reading the morning paper and there was an article saying something about CBS looking for 16 Americans to be on one “I can send you off to a deserted island to see who can survive for 39 days.”