The Survivor UK 2023 cast is comprised of 18 individuals from across the country who will be taking on the ultimate physical and psychological game in Survivor UK 2023, the newly-rebooted survival series.
Marooned at a remote location — and with The Masked Singer's Joel Dommett there to guide them through their journey — they'll be split into two tribes and taking on all manner of tough trials, all in the hope of being crowned the Sole Survivor and bagging the life-changing £100,000 cash prize.
Below, you can find out a little bit more info about all 18 Survivor UK 2023 contestants, including what made them want to apply, and some of the qualities they think they'll bring to the competition.
Meet the Survivor UK 2023 cast
Ashleigh
- Age: 34
- From: London
- Job: Brand Strategist
Ashleigh describes herself as a "highly self-motivated, resilient, determined" person who is "always looking for ways to improve and outperform others". Asked why she wanted to be on Survivor UK, she said cause she "I love every opportunity to live life to the fullest and to challenge and push myself. She added: "I have always wanted to test my limits. I suffer from imposter syndrome and struggle to believe in myself, so this is why I push myself, to try and find my limits. What better test to understand what I’m really capable of than the ultimate challenge — Survivor!
Christopher
- Age: 36
- From: Bridgend
- Job: Singer/Songwriter
Christopher describes himself as "extremely competitive" and said he decided to take part in Survivor because he "wanted to take on the hardest challenges, on land, in the air or in the sea", adding: "I want to prove to myself that I have got what it takes, that I can achieve anything. The idea of having nothing but the clothes on my back seemed a million miles away from what I do in real life. Having all luxuries taken away and food restricted whilst having to undertake the toughest game show on earth just excited me"
Doug
- Age: 32
- From: Isle of Mull
- Job: Flood Risk Consultant
Doug said he remembered watching the original UK edition of Survivor back in 2002 with his family, so he jumped at the chance to be on the rebooted show. Talking about the decision, he said: "When I saw that it was returning to TV in the UK I wasted no time in putting my application in. Next thing I know — I’m on a desert island building a shelter from bamboo! I came on Survivor to make my family back home on Mull proud, and have the adventure of a lifetime."
Hannah
- Age: 30
- From: London
- Job: Semi-professional footballer
As a footballer, Hannah is no stranger to some healthy competition, and she said she brought her competitive spirit to Survivor. Asked why she applied to be part of the Survivor UK 2023 cast, she said: "Survivor really became my go-to TV show to watch during lockdown. I got totally hooked, binge-watching season after season and the more I watched, the more I thought: "I'd absolutely love to be on that show!""
Jess
- Age: 38
- From: London
- Job: Fitting Model
Jess said she felt she'd bring "fun, laughter and positivity" to the competition, and applied because she "fancied doing something wild as I approach 40". She described the experience of living on the beach with no home comforts as her "literal worst nightmare"... but as a person "who will never give up", she wanted to get stuck in, and discovered she was stronger than thought she was in the process!
Laurence
- Age: 29
- From: London, born in Vienna and raised in Costa Rica
- Job: Entrepreneur and student, currently doing an MPhil in AI Ethics at Cambridge
Laurence said he "secretly" competitive, and approached the competition to see how strong he was, joking: "I wanted to see whether my character would remain the same when put to the test, or whether I would crack under the pressure like most other fellow soft millennials". He said his aim for the competition was to avoid coming across as a threat in order to avoid being perceived as a threat. Did his strategy pay off?
Lee
- Age: 28
- From: Belfast (originally Limerick)
- Job: Professional boxer
As a professional boxer, Lee said he felt like he already had the mental strength necessary to take on challenges and push past his limits, which is good, as he was open about being massively competitive and being in it to win it! Asked why he applied, he said Survivor would be "a great opportunity to test myself and let the world see me for who I really am".
Leilani
- Age: 45
- From: Hertford
- Job: Barista and yoga studio cleaner
Leilani was encouraged to apply for Survivor UK 2023 by a friend who'd spotted the reboot. "I was at a crossroads in my life and looking for a new direction so it came along at the perfect time", she said. From the sounds of things, her Survivor experience helped Leilani just how strong she was: "I learnt just how resilient and adaptable I am", she added. "My mental strength is super strong to be able to bear the pain of leaving my child at home during filming. I left Survivor a much more powerful woman."
Matthew
- Age: 21
- From: Cumbria
- Job: Hospitality
Matt wanted to bring his "glass half-full perspective on life" into the ultimate challenge, and it sounds like that positive outlook was what pushed him to apply for the show in the first place.
"I wanted to be a contestant on Survivor because I knew this was the ultimate challenge! An amazing chance to really get stuck in and see what I’m made of" he commented, adding: "I turned 21 a few months ago and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my summer, I’m so thankful for the opportunity. I really wanted to push myself to the limits and I genuinely mean that – this is a dream.
Nathan
- Age: 35
- From: Manchester (originally London)
- Job: Fitness instructor and Operations manager
As someone who constantly strives for improvement in life, Nathan said taking part in Survivor was a no-brainer. "When I reflect on when I’ve grown the most, it has always been on the back of significantly challenging times, adversity, or hardship", he said. "So, when the opportunity to be a part of one of the most challenging experiences someone can face, I needed no convincing."
Pegleg
- Age: 54
- From: St Agnes
- Job: Surf School Owner
Pegleg is one of the older contestants taking part in Survivor UK 2023, but that hasn't slowed him down one bit. Asked what qualities he'd bring to the game, he said "life experience as a 54 year old" and "a Gen X attitude for just getting on with it and not whining and moaning about the hardship of it all".
He also said having grown up with one leg helped him get in the zone: "Mentally, I knew I had what it takes as a lifetime of overcoming preconceived ideas of disability has prepared me well."
Rachel
- Age: 40
- From: Whitstable
- Job: Insurance Claims Handler
Rachel was actually encouraged to apply for Survivor UK 2023 by her mum who tagged her in an advert for the show online. She's determined to inspire her children that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Talking about what drove her in the show, Rachel said: "My motivation was that I wanted my children to know that not having a dad around does not mean that one parent isn’t enough and to show them that anything can be achieved if you put your mind to it.
Rach
- Age: 23
- From: Glasgow
- Job: Personal Trainer
Rach is a personal trainer, so she knew that her physical strength would be a great asset going into the competition, but she also said she has "a really strong mindset" which would help her during the challenges.
She's also a new fan of the series, explaining: "I had actually never heard of Survivor until the start of this year when I watched the Australian series and immediately knew that this would be something that I would enjoy", she said. "My boyfriend and I binge-watched every single series and I fell in love with the show. I love challenges and adrenaline rushes so taking part in Survivor was a perfect match for me".
Ren
- Age: 28
- From: London
- Job: Network Data Scientist
Ren is a Survivor super-fan. "Survivor has been my all-time favourite show since I found it when I was 14, ‘obsessed’ is an understatement. It combines so many things I love into this intense and awesome package where you get to do stuff you don’t get to regularly as an adult", she said. "I also just love the mental and social aspects of the game – it's not about playing the game you want to play, it’s about playing the game the jury wants to see you play."
As a Survivor obsessive, Ren had a serious plan for preparing for the show, involving spreadsheets, 3D-printed versions of some of the puzzles, practicing knot-tying, and working on their swimming techniques.
Richard
- Age: 36
- From: Dalkeith, Scotland
- Job: Pensions manager & RAF Reservist
Like many of the other Survivor UK 2023 cast members, Richard was looking for a new challenge to push himself. He described himself as a "good team player" and said he'd bring "great communication" and "empathy" to the show. His strategy for success was to try and remain in the middle of the pack whilst always looking for opportunities to get ahead... but did his approach pay off?
Sabrina
- Age: 45
- From: Stroud
- Job: Ultramarathon Runner, Charity Founder, Author, Mum of 4 and Grandmother of 3
Being an ultramarathon runner, Sabrina is no stranger to uber-tough physical challenges, and her active lifestyle definitely helped her get ready for life on the island. Talking about how she prepared, Sabrina said: "In the months before I ran two multi-stage 300K off-road trail ultramarathons. One of them being in the remote Scottish highlands. I camped out. I ate rations. I gladly put myself in a deep dark hole physically and mentally."
Shai
- Age: 33
- From: London
- Job: Finance Risk Manager
Like Ren, Shai is a Survivor super fan! Asked what made him apply for a spot in the Survivor UK 2023 cast, he said: "I remember watching the show as an 11 year old in Sri Lanka where I grew up till the age of 17 and have watched most previous seasons across the 23 year period. When the opportunity arose, I jumped at it! Who wouldn’t want to be stranded on a random island with nothing but basic rations against a bunch of random strangers, competing in the best game ever!
She said her knowledge of the game would make her a useful ally to her tribe, and she tried to brush up with some puzzle books to sharpen her skills ahead of her arrival on the island!
Tinuke
- Age: 30
- From: London
- Job: Professional roller skater & adventurer
Tinuke labelled herself a 'disco dynamite London babe' and said she would be able to bring the vibes to the island, but also that she's "a good mediator of people in arguments", skills that could definitely come in handy on the island. She's been a survival show fan since she was a kid (both Survivor and otherwise), and she wanted to go on the show to prove that she was so much stronger than she thought she was.
Survivor UK 2023 premieres on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday, October 28 at 8.25 pm. The second episode airs in the same places on Sunday at 8 pm.
