'Survivor' Cast Announcement: Jonathan Penner, Mike Skupin Return?
New reports have revealed a potential list of new contestants that will appear on the reality series "Survivor," with three rumored to have been previous contestants on the show.
The new cast will likely include 15 new players, with three returning from previous seasons. One of those players will be Mike Skupin, 50, a contestant from the "Australian Outback" season, who infamously fell into the campfire and became the first contestant ever removed from the competition due to medical reasons.
Also making a reappearance is Jonathan Penner, also 50, a native New Yorker who classifies himself as an actor and writer, according to the "Survivor" rumor site Survivor Fever. Penner appeared on "Survivor: Cook Islands" and "Survivor: Micronesia." Jeff Probst, the show's host, has described Penner as his "favorite contestant" although in previous seasons he has been referred to as "cancerous."
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The third contestant that may reappear on the show is Russell Swan. Swan previously appeared on "Survivor: Samoa" and is a practicing attorney. Other interesting new contestants could include Jeff Kent, a former Major League Baseball player, and Angelia Layton, a former Miss Teen runner up.
Layton and Katie Hanson, a college student studying Criminal Justice, appear to be the youngest of the contestants at 20 years old.
The only other known name may be Lisa Whelchel, who appeared on the 80's sitcom "Facts of Life" and is also a Christian pop singer.
"Survivor" first aired on CBS in 2000 and is currently going on its 25th season. The show was created by Charlie Parsons in 1997 and focuses on a group of strangers being left in an isolated locale and made to live off the land. Aside from having to find strategic ways in order to battle weather and the lack of food, the contestants must also take part in competitions and make alliances to keep from being eliminated or voted off the show.
