Survivor 46 premiere: Castaways divided into three teams as first challenges get underway
18 contestants will compete for the $1m (£794,000) prize as Jeff Probst returns as host for another season of Survivor
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Survivor returned for its 46th season on Wednesday (28 February)
Survivor 46 welcomed 18 new castaways to compete for the $1m (£794,000) prize as they are marooned on a desert island in Fiji.
Participants were divided into three tribes of six, and according to a press release, “will endure a faster, more intense season from the moment they step foot on the beach”.
The second episode, released next Wednesday, will also run for two hours before returning to its regular 90-minute format in the following weeks.
In the lead-up to the premiere, longtime host Jeff Probst has teased a major change to the show’s format.
He also confirmed that the forthcoming series is “one of the most vicious seasons ever”.
Meet the 18 contestants here and follow along live below for all the biggest moments from the first episode.
We’ve got a few Swifties in the house. It remains to be seen whether that trait will serve the contestants well or not.
First challenge
First place team of challenge one will earn the first batch of supplies: a pot, machete and flint.
Second place will earn the choice between a sweat or savvy task.
Team Nami wins!
They earn their tribe supplies.
While Segu comes in second; it looks like Yanu is the loser of the first challenge.
Team Yanu (the losers of the first challenge) have been handed down the sweat task. Two team members must fill up a vat with water, using buckets with holes, while the rest seem to be searching for food.
Team Sega must complete savvy tasks (mental puzzles) to earn their tribe supplies. Two teammates were chosen to try and complete the task, while the rest of the tribe lounges in the water bonding.
We’ve got 26-year-old Charlie Davis and 31-year-old Ben Katzman as part of the “Dumb and Dumber alliance”. They aren’t doing so hot on that savvy task, so they might lose the supplies for their tribe...
And let there be fire!
27-year-old Soda was the first to light a fire.
Jelinsky gives up in frustration
Jelinksy, part of team Yanu, already threw in the towel. Telling the camera that this is the most challenging physical task he’s ever done in his life, he then tossed the hourglass into the sand. His teammate Q was not impressed and took a mental note that when the going gets tough, Jelinksy’s not the one to call on.
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