A second ‘Survivor’ contestant quits just four episodes into the season

In a shocking turn of events on Wednesday’s episode of Survivor, the show witnessed its second castaway of the season voluntarily quitting after just four episodes. Along with a tribe swap, tensions were high as alliances were reshaped. One of the affected castaways was Sean Edwards, a 35-year-old elementary school principal from Provo-Orem, UT. In an unexpected twist at Tribal Council, Edwards stunned everyone by requesting that his name be written down. Let’s take a closer look at how it all unfolded.

The Surprising Exit of Sean Edwards

After the tribe swap, Edwards found himself in a difficult situation after being moved to the Reba Tribe, which consisted of four other members. This put him at risk of being voted off. The first immunity challenge for the new tribes involved carrying a large cage out of the ocean and shooting balls into tall baskets. Unfortunately, the Reba Tribe fell short and had to face Tribal Council.

During the discussion before the vote, host Jeff Probst asked Edwards about his experience on Survivor. Edwards took the opportunity to share his personal journey, revealing that being gay and growing up in a conservative environment was a complex and challenging experience for him. He explained that participating in Survivor was a way for him to reclaim lost time. However, he realized that his true adventure of a lifetime was with his husband at home. Edwards respectfully asked the tribe to write his name down, and his torch was extinguished, ending his nine-day journey on the show. Notably, his former tribe mate, Hannah Rose, had also requested to be sent home on day three, making them the earliest voluntary quitters in the history of Survivor.

Jeff Probst’s Reaction

On his podcast, On Fire, Jeff Probst shared his thoughts on Edwards’ decision, calling it an “engineered quit.” Probst mentioned that Edwards had been playing a clever game and that his decision seemed sudden rather than based on exhaustion or other challenging factors. Probst also revealed that it would have been Nicholas “Sifu” Alsup, not Edwards, who would have been voted out based on interviews with the tribe members.

Viewers’ Reaction

The voluntary quit by another castaway disappointed viewers, as seen on social media. Many expressed frustration and suggested that players should face financial consequences for quitting. Fans of the show pointed out that there are many people who would love to participate in Survivor and criticized those who quit without legitimate reasons.

Looking Ahead

Interestingly, despite Edwards’ request, it wasn’t a unanimous decision to send him home. One vote was cast for Dee Valladares, and another for Sifu. A preview for the next episode shows Sifu reeling from the vote, while cracks are forming within other tribes and the potential for a medical issue arises.

Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.