Janu Tornell Biography

Janu Tornell (born May 9, 1965 in Las Vegas, Nevada) is an American reality show contestant and former Las Vegas showgirl and beauty pageant contestant of Cuban descent.

Early life

Tornell was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, the daughter of Juan and Maria Tornell. She attended Valley High School. She then went to Spain, later moving to Los Angeles. She then studied at Los Angeles Valley Community College, before moving back to Las Vegas and pursuing a career as a showgirl.

Pageants

In 1989, Tornell won the Miss Nevada USA title and went on to represent Nevada at the Miss USA pageant broadcast live from Mobile, Alabama. She failed to place at the pageant, which was won by Gretchen Polhemus of Texas. The following year she competed in Miami's Nuestra Belleza Internacional pageant, and was 1st runner-up.

Survivor

Tornell was one of twenty contestants who competed on Survivor: Palau. She became the thirteenth person eliminated when she voluntarily laid down her torch in a shocking twist, partially to save Stephenie LaGrossa, who was destined for elimination by her tribemates, but also because she did not get along well with the other players, particularly with Katie.

Tornell was the fourth person to quit the game since Survivor's start in 2000, and the first player to quit the game and still be allowed to participate in the jury. It should be noted that she was the first person who made it that far in the game before she decided to quit, with the other quitters leaving before the jury had started. Her final words were aired during the closing credits (the first to quit the game, Osten Taylor of Survivor: Pearl Islands, did not get his final words aired when he quit).

After competing on Survivor: Palau, Tornell was considered for Survivor: Micronesia, but was ultimately cut along with fellow Survivor: Palau castmember Coby Archa.

Personal life

Tornell speaks four languages: Spanish, English, French and Italian and currently teaches French at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.