Survivor: Island of the Idols' cast of 20 castaways has formally been announced by CBS.
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The lineup of castaways who will be competing to win $1 million this fall when Survivor premieres on Wednesday, September 25 include a pro poker player, an Olympic medalist, an Air Force veteran, a former NHL player, a factory worker, a nanny, two personal injury lawyers and more.
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As previously announced, Survivor's 39th season -- featuring former Survivor winners Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine as mentors -- premieres with a special 90-minute episode at 8PM ET/PT on CBS, preceding Big Brother's Season 21 finale.
Boston Rob and Sandra, who have played over 200 days of Survivor combined, will not be competing for the money. Instead, they'll share their knowledge of the game with the new castaways to help them get a step closer to achieving their goal.
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"During the 39 days, some castaways will have the opportunity to visit the Island of the Idols to learn skills and strategy from these 'idols,'" CBS teased in a press release announcing the cast.
"Each player, selected to visit the special island in various ways throughout the season, will have to decide if they should put their knowledge to the test for a chance at a possible advantage in the game, or risk losing something very important in the process."
Those who choose to take a risk may gain an advantage in their individual quest to win $1 million and the title of "Sole Survivor."
"For our 39th season, we are bringing back two of our most dominant winners to serve as mentors to a new group of castaways," Survivor executive producer and host Jeff Probst said in a statement.
"It's a Survivor boot camp where each week, players will be instructed on a different facet of the game and then have a chance to test what they've learned for a shot at an advantage."
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Survivor's 39th season wrapped filming in Fiji's Mamanuca Islands in late April.
The Island-of-the-Idols twist was first announced during a preview video shown at the conclusion of Survivor: Edge of Extinction's finale broadcast in the spring.
"We've both won the game [and] Sandra's the only contestant to ever win twice. We know everything there is to know about Survivor. I mean I wrote a book on it!" Boston Rob said in the promo. "Survivor school is in session!"
"If they can take what Rob can teach them and what I can teach them and put it all together, they can take home the million dollars -- that's it, all they got to do is listen!," Sandra added. "[But] we're not giving you anything for free."
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This new twist is similar to what fans saw unfold on Survivor: Game Changers, when Survivor: Caramoan winner John Cochran made a one-off appearance on Exile Island to gave Debbie Wanner some advice.
Debbie -- who got sent to Exile Island, which was more like a luxury vacation for its inhabitants -- was able to choose one of three possible advantages: A stellar kit to construct a perfect-looking fake hidden Immunity Idol, an extra vote at Tribal Council, or an Immunity Challenge advantage for her tribe.
Debbie selected the extra vote and attempted to play it correctly during the rest of her time in the game.
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Below is the list of 20 castaways who will appear on Survivor: Island of the Idols and their respective tribes:
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LAIRO TRIBE
- Ronnie Bardah, a 35-year-old pro poker player from Brockton, MA, who currently resides in Henderson, NV
- Elizabeth Beisel, a 26-year-old Olympic medalist from Saunderstown, RI
- Missy Byrd, a 24-year-old Air Force veteran from Decatur, GA, who currently resides in Tacoma, WA
- Dean Kowalski, a 28-year-old tech salesman from Westfield, NJ, who currently resides in New York, NY
- Tom Laidlaw, a 60-year-old former NHL hockey player from Ontario, Canada, who currently resides in Greenwich, CT
- Aaron Meredith, a 36-year-old gym owner from Uncasville, CT, who currently resides in Warwick, RI
- Vince Moua, a 27-year-old admissions counselor from Merced, CA, who currently resides in Palo Alto, CA
- Karishma Patel, a 37-year-old personal injury lawyer from Philadelphia, PA, who currently resides in Houston, TX
- Elaine Stott, a 41-year-old factory worker from Woodbine, KY, who currently resides in Rockholds, KY
- Chelsea Walker, a 26-year-old digital content creator from Marlton, NJ, who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA
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VOKAI TRIBE
- Lauren Beck, a 28-year-old nanny from Bakersfield, CA, and Rochester Hills, MI, who currently resides in Glendale, CA
- Molly Byman, a 27-year-old law student from Boston, MA, who currently resides in Durham, NC
- Janet Carbin, a 59-year-old chief lifeguard from Neptune, NJ, who currently resides in Palm Bay, FL
- Kellee Kim, a 29-year-old MBA student from Costa Mesa, CA, who currently resides in Philadelphia, PA
- Jason Linden, a 32-year-old personal injury lawyer from New York, NY
- Jack Nichting, a 23-year-old graduate student from Newport News, VA, who currently resides in Harrisonburg, VA
- Noura Salman, a 36-year-old entrepreneur from London, UK, and Bethesda, MD, who currently resides in North Potomac, MD
- Tommy Sheehan, a 26-year-old 4th grade teacher from Bayville, NY, who currently resides in Long Beach, NY
- Jamal Shipman, a 33-year-old college administrator from Jersey City, NJ, who currently resides in Providence, RI
- Dan Spilo, a 48-year-old talent manager from New York, NY, who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA
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