What we know about the Duke Ph.D candidate on the new season of ‘Survivor’
Jesse Lopez, a researcher and poli-sci Ph.D candidate at Duke University, will bring a unique set of skills when he competes on the new season of “Survivor.”
Lopez, 30, tells Entertainment Weekly that he has researched voting behavior on the CBS show for years, and he believes he has the strategic side of the game figured out. But that’s not all.
“I’m also not an academic by nature and have gone from being a gang member to dealing with Harvard-level researchers on a daily basis — so I can adapt to any environment and build relationships with anyone,” he told EW.
The 18-member cast for Season 43, subtitled “Cutthroat Island,” was revealed Wednesday. Lindsay Carmine, who lists her hometown as Greensboro, also is a contestant. Carmine, 43, is a pediatric nurse who now lives in Downington, Pa.
Lopez is originally from Venice, California, and is married with two young kids, with whom he plays chess and dances. At Duke, he is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.
When asked by EW about past players he’s most like, he says, “I’m basically Spencer or Christian (‘David vs. Goliath’ season) if they got jumped into a gang at 15. I’m definitely bringing an academic mindset to the game because I’ve spent more hours thinking about how people vote than Sandra and Boston Rob combined. At the same time, I wasn’t raised in an ivory tower and have been around the block enough to know there is stuff textbooks can’t teach you about real people and life.”
The Sandra he refers to is Sandra Diaz-Twine of Fayetteville. Diaz-Twine has made five appearances on “Survivor” (four times as a contestant, once as a mentor) and has won twice. She is considered one of the greatest “Survivor” players of all time.
Lopez won’t be the first person to represent Duke University on the show.
Duke pre-med student (and Fayetteville native) Keith Sowell competed on “Survivor” Season 38 in 2019, and Duke law student Molly Byman was on Season 39 the later in the year. Sowell was voted out on Day 17 and Byman, a Boston native, was voted out on Day 6.
On “Survivor,” contestants are divided into tribes and compete against each other in a series of challenges that test their physical and mental abilities. At the end of each episode, one player gets voted off, and players are eliminated until one remains. The “Sole Survivor” wins $1 million. The show is hosted by Jeff Probst.
Watch Season 43 of ‘Survivor’
Season 43 of “Survivor” gets a two-hour premiere at 8 p.m. Sept. 21 on CBS.
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This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 3:00 PM.
