If there’s one thing “Survivor” legend “Boston” Rob Mariano knows, it’s how to compete.
From his record-breaking five appearances on “Survivor” – from his debut on “Survivor: Marquesas” (2004), to his eventual victory on “Survivor: Redemption Island” (2011), and his final appearance on “Survivor: Winners at War” (2020) – to his subsequent runs on series like “The Amazing Race,” “The Traitors” and “Deal or No Deal Island,” Mariano has firmly established himself as one of, if not the most prolific reality TV star of the last two decades.
While Rob’s “Survivor” career has seen him spend as many as 152 days stranded on islands across the globe, separated from his family, the creature comforts of home, and steady access to food, he admitted in a new interview with OK! that there’s one reality competition series that’s actually more “difficult” than his debut franchise.
Boston Rob Claims ‘Traitors’ is ‘Harder’ Than ‘Survivor’
Getty“‘The Traitors’ was such a unique experience because strategically it’s such a difficult show,” Mariano told the publication in a June 20 interview. “It’s much harder than ‘Survivor’ in terms of the number of people.”
The reality star appeared on the Peacock murder-mystery competition series in 2025 as part of its third season, joining fellow former castaways like Tony Vlachos, Jeremy Collins and Carolyn Wiger, as well as other celebrities like Bob the Drag Queen (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”), Danielle Reyes (“Big Brother”) and Dylan Efron – actor Zac Efron’s younger brother.
As one of the season’s eponymous “Traitors,” Mariano was tasked with eliminating his fellow competitors in secret while avoiding detection, a feat he ultimately failed to accomplish after being sniffed out by so-called “Faithfuls” like Efron.
While the father of four was eventually “banished” from the competition in 12 place (out of 23 contestants), he claimed that his appearance on the series introduced a whole new generation of fans to his early-2000s runs on “Survivor.”
“What’s crazy is that for so long I’ve done these shows and it feels like there was a gap in between people’s consciousness of who I was because I played ‘Survivor’ so many years ago,” he explained. “But I think with the onset of streaming and social media, people have gone back and watched the old seasons [of ‘Survivor’]. I think more people are probably responsible for going back to Paramount and watching old ‘Survivor’ seasons because of Peacock and my time on ‘The Traitors.’”
Boston Rob Reacts to Being Called the ‘Greatest of All Time’ by ‘Survivor’ Fans
CBSDespite his mid-season elimination, Mariano has already reportedly been tapped to return to “The Traitors” franchise for a future “All-Stars” appearance, no doubt thanks to his legendary rivalries with both Bob the Drag Queen – with whom Mariano now hosts the official “Traitors” recap podcast – and Dylan Efron – with whom Rob recently launched his very own YouTube-based competition series, titled “Everything’s a Competition.”
Regardless, Boston Rob will forever and always be remembered for his five legendary appearances on “Survivor,” for which he still holds the records for most career days played (152) and most career Individual Immunity challenge wins (nine).
As a result, Mariano has been widely hailed as one of, if not the greatest “Survivor” player of all time, even making his way onto longtime host Jeff Probst’s official “Mount Rushmore” of former castaways alongside series legends Parvati Shallow, Sandra Diaz-Twine and Tony Vlachos, each of whom has won the title of “Sole Survivor” twice over the course of their respective careers.
While Mariano, in comparison, has only won the show once, he told OK! That it’s “nice to hear” that fans consider him to be one of the greatest to ever play the game.
“‘Survivor’ was a big part of my life for a long time and it still is. It’s been half my life, because I was 25 when I first played,” he said. “I turned 50 this year. It’s been an amazing journey. I played the game a lot. I met my wife [Amber Mariano] on the show. It definitely has a special place in my heart.”
