Yahoo News “Survivor” villain Jonny Fairplay is engaged
Two-time Survivor competitor (and one of reality TV's OG villains) Jonny Fairplay is setting out on a new adventure.
Fairplay, whose real name is Jon Dalton, is getting married. The reality TV star proposed to girlfriend Jessica Kendrick at the Wyndham Grand in Clearwater Beach, Fla., on Sept. 19.
The 49-year-old proposed by getting down on a knee in front of a purple LED sign that said, "Marry Me," according to PEOPLE. The couple has been dating for more than two years.
"When I first met Jessica, she was the medical assistant at CAMI Greensboro and offered me free Botox. I was so afraid of needles, but as soon as I got there, she held my hand," Fairplay told People. "Two years later, we never stopped holding hands."
Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton
Fairplay first appeared on Survivor in 2003. He finished third that season, but emerged as one of the season's most memorable characters after lying to his fellow contestants (and the viewers at home) by having a friend tell him his grandmother had passed. It wasn't true, but the plan earned him sympathy and an advantage in the game. Host Jeff Probst called it the "greatest lie ever told on Survivor" and "a move so low and so evil, it definitely guaranteed Jon a spot in the Survivor villain hall of fame."
While many reality villains claim to have received a bad edit, that wasn't the case for Fairplay. "I embraced the role and reveled in it," he told EW in 2020. He even went so far as to develop a feud with Probst.
His Survivor infamy earned him appearances on several other reality shows. He'll next appear on E!'s House of Villains, a competition series bringing together heels from shows such as The Apprentice, Vanderpump Rules, 90 Day Fiancé, and more.
"Well, we all know I didn't win Survivor," Fairplay said when reached for comment by EW. "Let's hope I become the greatest supervillain of all time on E!'s House of Villains to pay for this 3-carat rock from Daniel of Fifth Avenue."
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