CBS ANNOUNCES THE 20 RETURNING CASTAWAYS COMPETING ON THE NEXT EDITION OF "SURVIVOR"

Special Two-Hour Season Premiere, Themed "Game Changers," Airs Wednesday, March 8

The Season Premiere Marks the 500th Episode of the Series

CBS announced today the 20 castaways who will compete against each other on SURVIVOR, when the Emmy Award-winning series returns for its 34th season with a special two-hour premiere, Wednesday, March 8 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Notably, the season premiere marks the 500th episode of the series.

"When we started this adventure, I don't think anybody would have predicted we'd still be going strong 17 years later!" said host and executive producer Jeff Probst. "I'm as enthusiastic as ever and love the relationship we have with our audience. I think SURVIVOR fans are really going to enjoy this season."

In the summer of 2000, the premiere of SURVIVOR introduced a mentally challenging, physically demanding and strategically complex adventure series to television. This spring's edition, themed "Game Changers," will feature 20 returning castaways who helped evolve the game even further by launching an accelerated level of competition and proven willingness to risk it all in order to become the Sole Survivor. These castaways who have made some of the biggest moves in the history of the game will be divided into two groups of 10 and forced to compete against each other with the same ultimate goal: to outwit, outplay and outlast each other. The show, filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji, is hosted by Emmy Award winner Jeff Probst.

The following are the 20 returning castaways, including the previously announced two-time winner Sandra Diaz-Twine; fan-favorites Cirie Fields, Ciera Easton and Tai Trang; challenge dominator Ozzy Lusth; Cagayan winner Tony Vlachos; Millennial stand-out Michaela Bradshaw; and Caleb Reynolds, who was medically evacuated from his earlier season.

"Mana" Tribe

Michaela Bradshaw
Age: 25
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Previously Played On: Season 33: Millennials vs Gen X - Finished 14th

Aubry Bracco
Age: 30
Hometown: Cambridge, Mass.
Previously Played On: Season 32: Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty - Runner Up

Sandra Diaz-Twine
Age: 41
Hometown: Fayetteville, N.C.
Previously Played On: Season 7: Pearl Islands - Winner Season 20: Heroes vs. Villains - Winner

Ciera Eastin
Age: 27
Hometown: Salem, Ore.
Previously Played On: Season 31: 2nd Chances - Finished 10th Season 27: Blood vs. Water - Finished 5th & Jury Member

Malcolm Freberg
Age: 29
Hometown: Hermosa Beach, Calif.
Previously Played On: Season 25: Philippines - Finished 4th & Jury Member Season 26: Caramoan - Finished 9th & Jury Member

Hali Ford
Age: 26
Hometown: San Francisco, Calif.
Previously Played On: Season 30: White, Blue, No Collar - Finished 11th & Jury Member

Caleb Reynolds
Age: 28
Hometown: Hopkinsville, Ky.
Previously Played On: Season 32: Brain vs. Brawn vs. Beauty - Medically Evacuated

Troyzan Robertson
Age: 54
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
Previously Played On: Season 24: One World - Finished 8th & Jury Member

Jeff Varner
Age: 50
Hometown: High Point, N.C.
Previously Played On: Season 2: Australia - Finished 10th out of 16 & Non Jury Season 31: 2nd Chances - Finished 17th

Tony Vlachos
Age: 42
Hometown: Jersey City, N.J.
Previously Played On: Season 28: Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty - Winner

"Nuku" Tribe

Andrea Boehlke
Age: 27
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Previously Played On: Season 22: Redemption Island - Finished 5th & Jury Member Season 26: Caramoan - Finished 7th & Jury Member

Brad Culpepper
Age: 47
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Previously Played On: Season 27: Blood vs. Water - Finished 15th out of 20

Sierra Dawn-Thomas
Age: 29
Hometown: Roy, Utah
Previously Played On: Season 30: White, Blue, No Collar - Finished 5th & Jury Member

Cirie Fields
Age: 45
Hometown: Norwalk, Conn.
Previously Played On: Season 12: Panama - Finished 4th & Jury member Season 16: Micronesia - Finished 3rd & Jury member Season 20: Heroes vs. Villains - Finished 17th

Sarah Lacina
Age: 32
Hometown: Marion, Iowa
Previously Played On: Season 28: Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty - Finished 11th & Jury Member

Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth
Age: 34
Hometown: Venice, Calif.
Previously Played On: Season 13: Cook Islands - Runner-up Season 16: Micronesia - Finished 9th & Jury Member Season 23: South Pacific - Finished 4th & Jury Member

Zeke Smith
Age: 28
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Previously Played On: Season 33: Millennials vs Gen X - Finished 9th & Jury Member

James "J.T" Thomas
Age: 31
Hometown: Mobile, Ala.
Previously Played On: Season 18: Tocantins - Winner Season 20: Heroes vs. Villains - Finished 10th

Tai Trang
Age: 52
Hometown: San Francisco, Calif.
Previously Played On: Season 32: Brain vs. Brawn vs. Beauty - 2nd Runner-up

Debbie Wanner
Age: 51
Hometown: Reading, Pa.
Previously Played On: Season 32: Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty - Finished 9th

SURVIVOR is hosted by Emmy Award-winning host Jeff Probst and produced by S.E.G. Holdco., LLC. Mark Burnett and Jeff Probst are executive producers.

For more detailed information on SURVIVOR and the castaways, log on to www.cbs.com/survivor.

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