Thanks to a twist from YouTube star MrBeast, the traditional $1 million winner’s prize was doubled for the milestone season.
LOS ANGELES — After four seasons and more than a decade of heartbreak, Aubry Bracco finally was crowned Sole Survivor.
The 38-year-old who first captivated audiences on “Survivor: Kaôh Rōng” in 2016 only to lose in one of the franchise’s most controversial jury votes was named winner of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” on Wednesday night, claiming the $2 million prize.
The milestone 50th season brought back 24 former castaways — including legends like Cirie Fields, Ozzy Lusth, Rick Devens, Mike White and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick — to compete for the largest prize in franchise history. Thanks to a twist from YouTube star MrBeast, the traditional $1 million winner’s prize was doubled.
The three-hour live grand finale was the show’s first live reunion broadcast in a decade.
The final three of Aubry Bracco (Kaôh Rōng, Game Changers, Edge of Extinction), Joe Hunter (Season 48) and Jonathan Young (Survivor 42) each made their case to the jury. Tiffany Young and Rizo Velovic were eliminated in the final episode, taking 5th and 4th place respectively.
Jonathan had formed strong bonds throughout the season, including his “Honor & Integrity” alliance, and won the key individual immunity challenge that allowed him to vote at both tribal councils when the game split into a double elimination.
Joe, who had finished third in his previous appearance, once again won multiple immunity challenges and became an emotional center of the season, speaking openly about the grief surrounding the loss of his sister, Joanna.
Aubry spent much of the season earning what fans called a “winner’s edit” — appearing more frequently in confessionals and strategy conversations as the season progressed — hoping at last to claim the title that had eluded her since “Kaôh Rōng” in 2016.
Probst’s live finale blunder
The finale will also be remembered for an awkward live-television moment.
Before the final four firemaking segment had aired on the East Coast, host Jeff Probst appeared to accidentally reveal that Rizo Velovic — the 26-year-old fan-favorite from Yonkers, N.Y. — had lost in the firemaking challenge for the second consecutive season, inadvertently confirming him as the jury’s final member before viewers had seen it happen.
It was an especially cruel twist for Rizo, who had lost in the same firemaking challenge on “Survivor 49,” where he was beaten by eventual winner Savannah Louie.
Social media reacted immediately, with fans pointing out the gaffe in real time as the taped footage from Fiji was still airing. Probst did not appear to acknowledge the slip on air.
Despite the exit, Rizo’s back-to-back runs had cemented his status as a “new era” legend — one of only a handful of players in franchise history to reach back-to-back finales.
The $2 million winner was revealed before a live studio audience in Los Angeles. Fans also had one final vote of their own: choosing a favorite player to receive a $100,000 prize from pop star Sia, a tradition in recent seasons. They awarded the prize to Cirie Fields, who Probst also presented with a “Spirit of Survivor” award earlier in the broadcast to mark her legendary status.