Tonight, Wednesday, December 17, 36-year-old MBA career coach Kristina Mills will enter the finale of “Survivor 49” with a one-in-five shot at becoming the next “Sole Survivor.”
CBSWhile Kristina has managed to outlast every other member of her original Hina tribe, a fumbled Idol play has left her without the numbers or the power to guarantee herself a seat at Final Tribal Council.
Will she be able to turn things around, earn a spot in the Final 3, and convince the Jury that she deserves the season’s $1 million grand prize?
For now, only time will tell. Until then, here’s five fast facts you need to know about “Survivor 49” finalist Kristina Mills.
1. Kristina Mills Is the Mother of Irish Twins, Kodi & Kobe
In addition to working as a MBA career coach in Edmond, Oklahoma, Kristina Mills is also the mother of six-year-old “Irish twins” Kodi and Kobe.
Born only ten months apart, Kristina credits her children for preparing her for her grueling experience on “Survivor,” adding that they’ve shown her not only how much she’s capable of, but also how to be resilient in the face of adversity.
“No matter what, I have to be on and show up,” she said, equating raising two close-in-age toddlers to keeping her head in the game on the show. “Kids don’t care if you have a stomach bug. They want their bedtime story read with enthusiasm!”
2. Kristina Mills Is Married to Her College Sweetheart, Richard Mills
Kristina Mills tied the knot with her high school sweetheart, Richard Mills – who she affectionately calls “Richie” – in January 2017.
When asked by Entertainment Weekly who her biggest inspiration in life was, Mills gave her longtime partner a shoutout, telling the publication, “my husband and my best friend, Richi, inspires me to be my best self. He immigrated from Ghana in middle school and has worked tirelessly to get where he is now. He has faced many challenges, including being diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia, but has never wavered from having a Mamba mentality.”
Richard had been tirelessly supportive of his wife’s “Survivor” journey, taking over full responsibility of their two children while Kristina spend over a month in Fiji chasing the $1 million that could change their family’s lives forever. That being said, Kristina has been tight-lipped about her experience, allowing Richard to find out what happened on the island in real-time, like a true fan.
That means no sneak peeks, no behind-the-scenes secrets, and, most importantly, NO SPOILERS! You can check out a video of Richard’s live reaction to learning that his wife secured a spot in the finale here.
3. Kristina Mills Was Inspired to Play ‘Survivor’ by Her Late Mother
In addition to her kids and husband, Kristina Mills has been vocal about the role her late mother’s legacy has had on her “Survivor” experience.
While Mills discussed her mother’s passing at length on the show, revealing that she passed away shortly after the birth of her grandchildren as the result of a fentanyl overdose, the castaway elaborated on the topic in pre-season press, calling her mother an “adventurous spirit.”
In an Instagram post commemorating the one-year anniversary of her mom’s passing, Kristina honored her memory with a carousel of photos accompanied by the caption: “Your final chapter will have a purpose. You touched so many people while you were here and lived a life too large for this earth. Although you’re gone physically, your spirit will continue to inspire others.”
4. Kristina Mills Has a Degree in Industrial Engineering
While Kristina Mills is clearly dedicated to her family, she’s also celebrated an illustrious professional career as an MBA career coach after originally receiving her Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering.
In pre-season press, Mills explained that she was motivated to follow through with the career change after realizing that she is – in her own words – a “social nerd,” adding that she wanted to spend more time around people, and less time surrounded by spreadsheets.
As an MBA career coach, Kristina advises graduate students at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business on how to network and build their resumes in order to land their dream jobs.
5. Kristina Mills Is Proud of Coining Jeff Probst’s ‘Uncle Jeff’ Nickname
Kristina Mills’ run on “Survivor 49” will perhaps be best-remembered for her presenting the show’s longtime host – Jeff Probst – with his controversial “Uncle Jeff” nickname.
While some fans have described the moniker as “cringey” throughout the season, Mills has since defended it, explaining that the nickname grew out of her Southern cultural habit of adding “aunt” or “uncle” to the names of older people she meets.
She similarly argues that Probst has no problem with the title – a fact that the 64-year-old host has since confirmed in several interviews – as well as revealing that she coined it well before the cameras started rolling. According to Mills, she first called Probst “Uncle Jeffrey” during her pre-season Zoom calls with the host and other “Survivor” producers as part of the show’s lengthy casting process.
Be sure to tune in to the “explosive” three-hour finale of “Survivor 49” on CBS, tonight, Wednesday, December 17, at 8:00pm ET, to see if Kristina Mills can emerge victorious as this season’s “Sole Survivor.”
One in five shot? Hardly. One in a million, maybe. She’s been invisible all season.