It’s been 15 years since CBS viewers last saw former castaway Russell Hantz on the cast of 2011’s “Survivor: Redemption Island.” Despite retiring from the reality TV sphere following the season, Hantz was remembered as one of reality TV’s most iconic villains.
According to a May 1 post on X, however, Hantz may be preparing to don his infamous fedora one last time as the 53-year-old revealed that he’s accepted an invitation to return to reality TV screens on yet another competition series.
Which Reality Competition Series Will Russell Hantz Be On?
CBS“I have literally received four different offers to do four different shows this year alone,” Hantz wrote on X, adding, “I have finally said yes to one of the offers! See you guys soon!”
While the three-time castaway – four if you count his time on 2019’s “Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders” – conveniently failed to mention which reality series he’d be appearing on, fans took the liberty of speculating in the comments section.
“Cant wait to see you on ‘Traitors.’ Letsss goooo!!!” one fan wrote, hoping to see Hantz on the Emmy-winning Peacock murder mystery competition series.
Another seconded the show – which has formerly featured “Survivor” alumni like Boston Rob Mariano, Parvati Shallow, Cirie Fields, Sandra Diaz-Twine and more – before tossing E!’s “House of Villains” into the mix.
“Let the Russell Renaissance begin!” they continued.
While “The Traitors” and “House of Villains” seem like the most logical choices for the extension of Hantz’s reality TV career, some fans wanted to see Russell expand his portfolio.
“I think I’ll cry if it’s ‘Dancing with the Stars!” suggested another hopeful follower.
Inside Russell Hantz’s Infamous ‘Survivor’ Career
For “Survivor” newcomers, Russell Hantz made his reality TV debut on the cast of 2009’s “Survivor: Samoa.” His villainous persona ultimately scored him a runner-up finish on the season, as well as earning him an invitation to return for the following installment, “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains,” where he once again managed to earn a spot at Final Tribal after being underestimated by his fellow returning players.
Hantz’s 17th place finish on “Redemption Island” the following year marked the first and only time he’s been voted off the U.S. flagship series.
He did return for “Australian Survivor” in 2018, but only briefly, wrapping up a 23rd place finish.
How Does Jeff Probst Feel About Russell Hantz Today?
“Russell really did reinvent a couple of things,” said longtime “Survivor” host Jeff Probst of Hantz in a December 2020 interview. “He’s the first guy who ever said, ‘Why do I need to wait for a clue to go look for an idol? How many spots could it be in? I really was reminded of how impressed I was by his absolute relentless pursuit of any and everything.”
Despite Probst’s praise of the iconic villain, he added in a 2025 conversation on the “On Fire with Jeff Probst” podcast, that Hantz was never going to win the game, despite making it to the end twice.
CBS/Getty“I mean, it’s very hard for a player who is not liked by the jury to ever win this game,” Jeff said. “You see it with Russell Hantz. I mean, he played arguably a very good game.”
“He hustled, you know, he did all that stuff,” the host continued, referring specifically to Hantz’s time on “Heroes vs. Villains.” “But when you got down to the Final Three, people didn’t like Russell, so he got two votes. Then, he came back and played again, got to the Final Three again, but he didn’t get any votes. And yet, fans watching have told me they would have voted for Russell to win, but they weren’t on the jury.”
“They didn’t live with Russell, so they didn’t have that extra layer of insight about, ‘Nah, maybe you wouldn’t.’ Trust me, you might not have,” Probst concluded.
