Competitive reality shows can be brutal and Survivor is no different. For every winner that has taken home that million-dollar check, another has been the first one voted out.
Through 47 seasons of the United States version of Survivor, 46 people have now had their torches snuffed first (Francesca Hogi had the honor twice). Some are forgettable — on our screens for an hour and forever buried in the annals of Survivor history. Others, in the words of Survivor 47 first boot Jon Lovett, made their stay “one glorious and perfect episode” and will be remembered for years to come.
Bad luck is part of the equation. Jim Lynch, for example, was ousted after an 11-hour hike, injury and several fits of vomiting. But so is exceptionally poor play — look no further than Survivor 46’s David Jelinsky.
Keep scrolling for the most legendary first boots in Survivor U.S. history.
Sonja Christopher
You have to start with Sonja, the first player ever voted out of Survivor in season 1. As the oldest woman of the Tagi tribe, her performance in the immunity challenge made her fellow castaways view her as a liability. She took the vote-out in stride, smiling after host Jeff Probst snuffed her torch. She also offered some words of encouragement to the other players as she left. “Go get ‘em, you guys,” she said.
Tina Wesson
The controversial winner of season 2 returned for season 8, Survivor: All-Stars, only to be the first player voted out. When her tribe lost the first immunity challenge, her tribemates targeted her and season 3 winner Ethan Zohn because they had already won the game. While Ethan was able to avoid receiving any votes, Tina wasn’t as lucky. She returned for season 27, Survivor: Blood vs. Water, where she played with her daughter, Katie Collins. Tina placed fourth on that season.
Jim Lynch
Though Jim didn’t leave Survivor: Guatemala until the first Tribal Council, he lost the game right at the start, becoming one of three players to endure a fit of vomiting during the initial 11-mile hike to camp. As a 63-year-old, that was a sign of weakness. So was his bicep injury during the first immunity challenge. It made him a unanimous first boot.
Tina Scheer
Tina’s vote-out on Survivor: Exile Island, season 12, was brutal not because of what happened in the game but her backstory. Tina was supposed to appear on Survivor: Guatemala the previous season, but she withdrew after her son was killed in a car accident the week before she was supposed to leave to begin filming. CBS gave her another chance, and though media and fans both saw her as a preseason favorite, she went home at the first Tribal.
Steve ‘Chicken’ Morris
Another instance of the older player being targeted first, Chicken was the first to go in Survivor: China, the show’s 15th season. He rubbed his tribemates the wrong way in camp with a perceived negative attitude and controlling nature as the tribe built its shelter. Other players seemed to not appreciate him sharing his criticisms without offering solutions or much help around camp. Seventeen years later, Chicken remains one of the players that has fans asking “what could have been?” if they had a chance to see him play for more than one episode.
Marisa Calihan
Marisa is another who had the strategic chops to make some noise if she stuck around. Her mistake came in calling out Russell Hantz’ strategy of inducing chaos. Seeing through Russell’s “dumbass girls” alliances, she tried to paint a target on his back. Russell, however, succeeded in flipping it back on her, and she was blindsided at the first Tribal Council.
Francesca Hogi
Francesca has the honor (or onus) of being the only player in Survivor history to twice be voted out first. In her first season, Survivor: Redemption Island (season 22), franchise legend and eventual season winner “Boston” Rob Mariano helped engineer her ouster after a contentious post-immunity challenge afternoon at camp. When she returned four seasons later in Survivor: Caramoan, she tried to get back at Phillip Sheppard, who she blamed in part for her vote-out the first time around. Instead, her strategizing painted a target on her back and Jeff again snuffed her torch first.
Zane Knight
It turns out asking to be voted out is not a good strategy to avoid being voted out of Survivor. Zane tried that in season 25, Survivor: Philippines, telling his tribemates that his poor performance (and needing to be physically helped to the end) in the immunity challenge meant he deserved to go. His goal was to see who was loyal to him, given that he made alliances with most everyone at camp. The plan backfired and he was voted out unanimously.
Natalie Anderson
Natalie is a notable first boot from season 40, Winners at War, because she somehow still almost won the game. After being voted out, Natalie went to Edge of Extinction, where she eventually fought her way back into the game. She made it to the end, even earning four votes in the final Tribal Council, losing to Tony Vlachos.
Hannah Rose
Hannah didn’t have to be the first boot from Survivor 45. She struggled to adjust to life in Fiji, however, saying even before Tribal that she wanted to quit. When her tribe lost the first immunity challenge, she gave her fellow castaways an ultimatum: Vote me out or I quit. She admitted her heart and mind were not in the game, but she wanted to watch the rest of her tribe compete “from the comfort of [her] home.” She added, “Everything in my body is like, ‘I’m not going back to that camp.” She got her wish.
David Jelinsky
Real Survivor fans can name all “several” reasons Jelinsky only lasted one episode. His disastrous stay in Fiji began when he volunteered for the “Sweat vs. Savvy” challenge on day 1 to earn supplies for his tribe. When he realized how difficult the challenge would be, he decided it would be best to conserve his energy and quit, frustrating the rest of his tribe — including the outspoken Q, his teammate for the task.The next day, he volunteered to go on a journey with players from two other tribes to try and gain an advantage. In a game meant to test one’s persuasion and poker face, he folded immediately, claiming it was more valuable to build trust with the two other players. He also pitched himself as an expert puzzle-solver but lost the first two competitions for his tribe by being unable to solve them. He was voted out unanimously.
Jon Lovett
Jon falls under a similar category as the former pro athletes who have played Survivor in the past; he was already famous before the show began. That didn’t initially make him a target, but his tribemates quickly saw him demonstrate the strategic thinking and communicative chops that landed him a job in the White House and now as host of one of the most popular podcasts in the country. When fellow tribe member Andy Rueda nearly passed out during the immunity challenge, then spilled all of his secrets in front of the entire cast, he seemed like an easy out. Jon overplayed his hand, however, because of the relationship he developed with Andy during the first two days. When he tried to flip the vote onto Anika Dhar, he inadvertently showed why he was a bigger threat to the tribe than Andy.
