‘Survivor’ Alum Jonny Fairplay Reveals Why He ‘Hates’ Rumored All-Winners Season

Whisperings of a Survivor season pitting only past winners against one another for the $1 million prize have kicked up excitement among fans of the CBS reality show, but if you ask Jonny Fairplay, the whole idea is a bust.

Talking with PopCulture.com exclusively ahead of a live taping of his Survivor NSFW podcast, the notorious Survivor: Pearl Islands alum explained his reasoning as to why the much-anticipated “all-winners” season would be a disaster, in his opinion.

“More times than not, the greatest player … didn’t win,” he explained of Survivor history. “It was someone that played a safer game, or even less attractive viewer-wise is someone that was drug to the end.”

“So I think you can look back at almost every season, and these more polarizing characters did not win,” he reasoned. “And I think that makes for better television.”

Having people who have already won $1 million compete for another million also takes away some of what makes Survivor work, Fairplay added.

“I watch Survivor, and I’m looking for relatability,” he told PopCulture. “I’m just like, ‘Wow, that person reminds me of me. That person reminds me of my girlfriend. That person reminds me of my boss.’”

He continued, “Say they do for Season 40, all winners. … O.K., so you’re sitting at home like, ‘What millionaire are you most like? I feel like I’m like that millionaire. What about you? No, no, no. I’m like that millionaire.’ … and is there a viewer going, ‘Gosh, I sure hope they get another million.’”

It’s that combination that makes Fairplay, who is pretty sure that the “all-winners” season is imminent, wary of the impact it would have on Survivor.

“I hate it. I can’t stand it,” he told PopCulture, adding as a caveat, “Maybe if they did it Season 50 or even 60 when there’s a greater pool to cast from, I would possibly be more supportive, but I would still, even if I won and I was one of those people, I would still have the argument that I did before.”

Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. For more of Fairplay’s appearances, including live Survivor NSFW tapings, check out his website.

Photo credit: CBS