'Survior' Season 33 Runner-Up Ken McNickle Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

Survivor season 33 runner-up Ken McNickle took to Instagram on Wednesday, June 3, revealing that he was diagnosed with cancer.

"So here we go … I deliberated for a while about whether to share or not but I ultimately decided to because I'm hoping this chapter in my story can help others," McNickle wrote. "I've made some mistakes in the process and should have taken care of myself better and sooner."

"But here we are. I'll be sharing more, but this is enough for today," he continued. "As I've said before, if you have a health concern, don't sit on it. Get yourself checked. There's no valid reason not to. Not one."

In his post, McNickle also shared a photo of himself in the doctor's office, opening up about the moment he learned the news. He then shared a follow-up video where he talked about the symptoms that led to him going to the doctor.

"I waited almost a year until my skin was tearing open to get this checked. Had I gone in sooner, it would have been a simple procedure," McNickle explained. "Not a three-inch hole in my chest."

Many flooded the comments with supportive messages.

"I'm deeply sorry Ken that you have to go through this. You are a strong, resilient person and cancer fucked with the wrong guy. You got this. Sending healing energy," Adam Klein, who won the season of Survivor that McNickle competed on, commented.

"You got this! There is always something beautiful ❤️‍🩹behind every difficult situation," one person wrote.

"These are all the emotions I felt, too! But attitude is everything and cancer treatments have come a long way, so choosing to be positive is a lot easier now. Wishing you the very best!," another person posted.

"Sending many prayers for strength and a full recovery.🙏💪💕," a fan shared.

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 10:42 AM.