‘Survivor’ Kicks Contestant Dan Spilo From Show For Off-Camera ‘Touching’ Incident

A Survivor contestant has been kicked off the show in a dramatic turn for the reality/competition show. Days before the season ended, Hollywood producer Dan Spilo was removed after an alleged incident took place off-camera. As TMZ notes, the decision marks a first in Survivor’s almost 23-year history.

Spilo’s removal was addressed by host Jeff Probst at the end of the most recent episode, where he informed the remaining contestants that he would not be returning. Before the credits rolled, a message appeared on screen that read: “Dan was removed from the game after a report of another incident, which happened off-camera and did not involve a player.”

The incident in question occurred when Spilo was being escorted into a boat, though it’s unclear what exactly transpired.

Last month, Spilo had received a warning from the show after numerous contestants came forward alleging he was a little too touchy-feely. Kellee Kim was the first and was soon joined by Missy Byrd and Elizabeth Beisel, though the latter two later revealed they were using the allegations as a way to give themselves an advantage in the game.

Things got worse when another contestant, Aaron Meredith, disputed the credibility of the claims, which did not go over well on social media. After seeing the episode, however, Meredith took to Instagram to offer an apology.

“I want to publicly apologize for my behavior and my actions at tribal council last night,” Meredith said. “Watching back the episode was extremely difficult and I, immediately after saying what I said in the game, I regretted saying what I said and now watching it back, I’m very disappointed in myself and how I conducted myself handling the emotions of this game in this situation, given the magnitude of what this surrounds, I’m disappointed in myself. I’m not looking to make any justifications in my behavior. It was completely unwarranted. I was out of line. I was out of place. I let emotions get the best of me.”

Spilo had reportedly been observed invading Kim’s space multiple times, only to apologize to her after she was voted off the show. After Spilo’s removal this week, Kim took to Twitter to share her thoughts on the ordeal.

The season finale of the 39th season of Survivor, dubbed Survivor: Island of the Idols, is slated to air December 18th on CBS.