Survivor Season 51 Cast Revealed: Meet the 21 New Castaways Entering the Open Era

Survivor is getting ready to enter a brand new chapter. CBS has revealed the 21 castaways competing in Season 51, which will officially kick off the reality competition’s new “Open Era” when the series returns this September.

The 51st edition of Survivor premieres with a special two-hour episode on Wednesday, September 23, from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. The premiere will also stream on Paramount+. Beginning September 30, the series will move to its new 90-minute weekly format at 8:00 p.m.

So what exactly makes this the Open Era? According to CBS, every twist, idol and advantage introduced throughout Survivor’s history can potentially come into play in any order and without warning. In other words, even longtime fans may not know what is coming next when these 21 players hit the beaches of Fiji.

Hosted by five-time Emmy winner Jeff Probst, Survivor will once again put its castaways through a brutal combination of physical challenges, strategic gameplay and social maneuvering as they attempt to outlast one another and claim the title of Sole Survivor. And this cast is bringing some interesting backgrounds to the island.

Among the new competitors are a professional wrestler, sociology professor, medical student, criminal defense attorney, baseball executive, federal prosecutor, actor, game designer, chefs, farmers and even a resident OBGYN. With such a wide range of careers and life experiences, it will be interesting to see who becomes a challenge beast, who emerges as a strategic mastermind and who can simply convince everyone else to keep them around.

The 21 castaways competing on Survivor 51 are Aaliyah Puglia, 24, a chef from Gloucester City, New Jersey; Alexis Levine, 34, a criminal defense attorney from Atlanta; An “Thien An” Nguyen, 24, a medical student from Fort Worth, Texas; Ana Sani, 34, a voice actress from Toronto; and Angelica “Jelly” Loblack, 29, a sociology professor from Bloomington, Indiana.

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The cast also includes Brady Booker, 27, a professional wrestler from Knoxville, Tennessee; Carter Krull, 24, a livestock farmer from Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Cristian Chavez, 26, a head of HR from Salt Lake City; Danny “Kilby” Kilby, 30, a game designer from London, Ontario; Devin Way, 33, an actor from Los Angeles; Eric Macksoud, 34, a mental health counselor from Windsor Locks, Connecticut; and Jenna Doore, 30, a wedding photographer from Toledo, Ohio.

Rounding out the cast are Kristin Flickinger, 49, who works in crisis management and lives in Santa Barbara; Lewis Kelly, 28, a farmer from Puerto Rico; Linnea Capobianco, 25, an entrepreneur from Jersey City, New Jersey; Maggie Nestor, 40, a farmer from Charlestown, West Virginia; Mike Pinsky, 32, a baseball executive from New York City; Ori Jean-Charles, 27, a personal trainer from Spring Valley, New York; Patt Cannaday, 33, a federal prosecutor from Washington, D.C.; Rob Antonson, 40, an airline gate agent from Cumberland, Rhode Island; and Sharonda Cox, 34, a resident OBGYN from Richmond, Kentucky.

There are also a couple of hometown connections that should catch the attention of viewers in the Garden State. Aaliyah Puglia hails from Gloucester City, New Jersey, while Linnea Capobianco is from Kearny and currently lives in Jersey City. Meanwhile, Mike Pinsky will be playing the game after calling New York City home.

With the cast now officially revealed, the countdown to Survivor 51 is on. The new Open Era promises to shake up the familiar rules of the game, and with 21 first-time players arriving in Fiji, alliances could form and fall before anyone has time to get comfortable.

Survivor Season 51 premieres Wednesday, September 23 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and Paramount+.