“Survivor” has been on for so long that fans have seen just about everything the show has to offer. But last night’s episode was a genuine shocker, because a contestant was kicked off the show for inappropriate behavior. This is the first time that’s ever happened.
You may remember that several weeks ago, Dan Spilo, who’s a Hollywood talent manager in the real world, was cautioned for being a little too handsy with some of the women. The issue was dealt with onscreen, but the show also said that producers spoke to the cast off-camera, and Dan was given a “formal warning.” Well, it didn’t take.
At the end of last night’s episode, Jeff Probst visited the contestants to tell them that Dan had been removed from the game. Then the screen went to black with text saying, “Dan was removed from the game after a report of another incident, which happened off-camera and did not involve a player.”
So far, there’s no word what happened. But Jeff did talk to “Entertainment Weekly” yesterday, and he said, “It has been an unprecedented season. Complex social issues were woven into the game in a way we have never seen before. We have learned a lot and it will inform our process moving forward.”
He added that Dan was “not happy” when he found out they were removing him from the game. But after a long talk, he was, “very respectful” on his way out.
As for the remaining contestants, Jeff said, “They’re very close to the end. They’re also in a state of ‘eyes on the prize’, They seemed to accept the news and moved on with the game.”
(Here’s a statement from Kellee Kim, the first contestant to raise concerns about Dan’s behavior.)
The “Survivor” season finale airs next Wednesday, and because of the sensitive nature of the topics they’ll have to tackle, the reunion show will NOT be live. Which is also a first in the show’s 20-year history.
