Who is the greatest “Survivor” winner of all time? Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho has his answer, and it’s one he shares with many others.
Ahead of the “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” live finale, Dalton Ross of “Entertainment Weekly” asked Arocho a series of rapid-fire questions on the red carpet. Ross told Arocho to pick the best “Survivor” winner ever other than himself, and the “Survivor 44” champion did not appear to hesitate with his answer.
“The best ‘Survivor’ winner ever has to be the queen herself, the one who did it twice against crazy people in ‘Heroes vs. Villains,’ Sandra Diaz-Twine,” Arocho told Ross. “Puerto Rican, my girl. I love her.”
Arocho is one of the many fans to consider Diaz-Twine among the show’s greatest-ever castaways. Her strategic mind and “anybody but me” strategy helped her win “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains” over icons Parvati Shallow and Russell Hantz.
Diaz-Twine became the first two-time winner in the show’s history after winning “Survivor: Pearl Islands” and “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.” She remains one of two castaways to ever win the U.S. version multiple times, alongside Tony Vlachos.
Arocho’s Thoughts on ‘Survivor 50’
On a season with 24 of the greatest players of all time, one castaway’s theatrics stood out to Arocho.
“The best ‘Survivor 50’ moment this year was anything that [Rick] Devens did,” Arocho told Ross. “I’m sorry, he was hilarious. I didn’t love him in ‘Edge of Extinction,’ but this season, I love him.”
Devens had one of the biggest impacts of any player on “Survivor 50,” which included planting a fake idol at tribal council early in the game. He saved himself and eventual winner Aubry Bracco from elimination when he retrieved that idol on Day 16 and passed it off as legitimate without playing it.
Devens’ most notable contribution to that season was flipping a MrBeast-themed coin on Day 19, which doubled the prize pot to $2 million and earned himself immunity during that tribal council. A few days later, Devens’ tribemates voted him out at the Final Seven.
Because of Devens’ on-camera presence and flair for theatrics, many “Survivor” fans have suggested that he should one day succeed Jeff Probst as the show’s next host. But if Arocho had his way, the honor should instead go to Christian Hubicki, Devens’ alliance partner on “Survivor 50.”
“I enjoyed Christian a lot this year,” Arocho told Ross. “I feel like his point of view, his geeky words, his phrases — it might be like a three-hour episode, but it would be fun to have him as a host.”
What Else Did Arocho Tell Ross?
Arocho’s respect for “Survivor” winners dates all the way back to the show’s first season. He told Ross that if he could bring any former castaway back for another season, he’d choose “Survivor: Borneo” winner Richard Hatch.
“If I could bring anybody back to come and play ‘Survivor,’” Arocho told Ross, “I would love to see what Richard Hatch would do in this new era of ‘Survivor.’”
“Survivor: Borneo” marked not only the show’s first-ever season, but also the first with Probst as its host. Fifty seasons later, Probst learned how difficult the game is after failing to outlast castaways during the “Get a Grip” challenge.
Arocho hopes to see Probst compete in another immunity challenge in the future. Specifically, the “Survivor 44” winner wants to see Probst try the Last Gasp, a challenge Arocho knows very well.
“I know how to win that one,” Arocho said. “What about you?”
