It’s been 25 years since Amber Brkich (now Mariano) became the very first castaway to purchase a “mystery item” at a “Survivor” Auction on the cast of 2001’s “Survivor: The Australian Outback.”
The beloved franchise tradition, which offers late-stage players a brief reprieve from the competition’s more strenuous challenges by allowing them the opportunity to bid on food items and other in-game advantages, is now set to make its triumphant return on the currently-airing “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” next Wednesday, April 29.
In the past, the long-standing reward challenge has previously been altered from its food-centric origins to offer castaways a plethora of other prizes, including the chance to reunite with their loved ones after weeks isolated from the outside world, the power to send one of their competitors to Exile Island, or even a clue to the location of a Hidden Immunity Idol.
This season, however, the “Survivor” Auction will witness its biggest twist in series history as YouTube phenomenon and “Beast Games” creator MrBeast (a.k.a. Jimmy Donaldson) joins longtime host Jeff Probst on the island to offer the 10 remaining castaways a once-in-a-lifetime reward.
The ‘Survivor Auction’ Returns for Season 50, Featuring MrBeast
The 10th episode of “Survivor 50” is set to hit CBS screens nationwide on Wednesday, April 29.
According to the network’s official press release, the forthcoming installment – titled “A Side Dish of Chaos” – will watch as “One castaway comes clean to the tribe about a previously deceptive move” before “the crowd favorite ‘Survivor’ auction returns with an extra special season 50 spin.”
Pre-release footage and stills have already revealed that the “extra special spin” refers to the on-set arrival of MrBeast, whose appearance reportedly results in “chaos” amongst the remaining castaways.
We know from early “Survivor 50” trailers that the content creator – the most-subscribed individual in YouTube history – will arrive at the auction with a MrBeast-branded briefcase in hand, though its contents, for now, remain a mystery.
What’s in MrBeast’s Briefcase on ‘Survivor’ Season 50?
GettySince Season 50’s celebrity endorsements were first announced – including the participation of stars like Billie Eilish, Zac Brown and Jimmy Fallon – for the milestone season, fans have speculated that MrBeast’s role would have something to do with the “Beast Games” coin that can be seen in early promotional materials.
The coin has previously been utilized on Donaldson’s eponymous Prime Video competition series to allow one contestant to potentially double the show’s grand prize from its previous $5 million to a whopping $10 million.
Alternatively, if the contestant fumbles the coin toss, instead of doubling the prize pot, they’d be immediately eliminated from the competition.
While neither “Survivor” nor MrBeast have addressed or confirmed these rumors, fans are all but convinced that something similar will befall the Season 50 castaways next week, offering one player the opportunity to either double the grand prize from $1 million to $2 million, or to become one of the first castaways to be eliminated from the game outside of Tribal Council.
MrBeast Asks Fans to ‘Keep an Open Mind’ About His Cameo
GettyMrBeast’s upcoming “Survivor 50” appearance will be the fourth and final of the season’s celebrity endorsements.
Grammy-winner Billie Eilish kicked things off in the premiere with the debut of her eponymous “Billie Eilish Boomerang Idols.”
To date, however, none of the Idols have “boomeranged” back. In fact, Genevieve Mushaluk – who unearthed not one but two of them – was unanimously voted out pre-Merge without the power to cancel out the votes.
Fans have since argued that Eilish’s endorsement was a bust, noting that the “Bird of a Feather” singer has yet to even comment on her involvement in the milestone season.
Viewers were similarly frustrated with country music star Zac Brown’s Episode 4 cameo, during which the edit dedicated a disproportionate amount of time to the singer’s spear-fishing prowess.
Most recently, “Survivor” fans were once again disappointed by late-night host Jimmy Fallon’s Season 50 role, which forced castaway Christian Hubicki to publicly vote himself off the island after failing to complete a puzzle challenge during a journey.
While the season’s previous celebrity endorsements have been, for the most part, received negatively by the audience, MrBeast asked fans to “keep an open mind” about his Episode 10 appearance.
“Just give it an honest try,” he said during an interview with former castaway Rob Cesternino earlier this month. “I know – you’re not a fan of us cameos. You don’t like us. But trust me, ours isn’t just some silly cameo. You’ll like it.”
Find out what happens when “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” returns to CBS screens nationwide on Wednesday, April 29 at 8:00pm ET.
