“The Traitors” star Sandra Diaz-Twine weighs in on possible “Survivor” return
The Queen also reveals what it would take to get her into the "Big Brother" house.
She was so close to becoming the queen of the castle, but Sandra Diaz-Twine could not quite pull out a victory on season 2 of The Traitors, and was eliminated at the final banishment ceremony. Now that her time in the Scottish Highlands is over, would she consider returning to more familiar terrain? Say, a tropical island in the South Pacific?
Sandra found fame as the “Queen” of Survivor — winning the million-dollar prize her first two times playing (Pearl Islands, and Heroes vs. Villains). She later returned to compete on Game Changers and Winners at War, while also appearing with Boston Rob Mariano as mentors on Island of the Idols. She even went international, appearing with her daughter Nina Twine on Australian Survivor’s Blood V. Water season.
So would Sandra ever take her skills back to the island? ”I don't know that if I would come back,” she tells EW. “Why would they even want me back? You know what I'm saying?”
Well, one reason would be the impending season 50, which will film next year in Fiji. It is expected to be the franchise’s first returning player season since season 40’s Winners at War. “Everybody keeps talking about season 50 as the best of the best,” says Sandra. “Yeah, I consider myself one of the best, but I don't know. Those missions in The Traitors house were hard. I was huffing and puffing in those missions, and those challenges on Survivor are getting harder and harder. I'm watching, and I don't know. I'm not as young as I used to be. I'm really not.”
Of course, the woman who had the sit out bench actually named after her should only have to worry so much about challenges. The bigger concern — one which Boston Rob recently spoke to EW about — is if players on the Survivor Mount Rushmore (who literally had giant statues made of them) would even have a chance playing again with such massive targets on them.
“I get what he's saying, because it's true,” agrees Sandra. “We come out there, and with me being called the Queen, that automatically turns people off to me. They just want to knock you off your pedestal and send you packing and make a big name for themselves. So I get where he's coming from where we probably wouldn't have a shot.”
But it’s not like Survivor historians are holding Rob, Sandra, and Parvati’s early Winners of War exits against them. And passing up on a landmark season like number 50 would be difficult. “I guess I've got to start thinking about it. And the thing is that at least I have faithful fans that are like ‘Sandra, if you go out early, we know it's because you're a threat. And if you make it to the end, it's because they don't know how to play.’ So it's a win-win. No matter what I do on Survivor, my fans will love me."
Still… “I'd have to give it a lot of thought because I feel like I might have already moved on.”
However, that doesn’t mean that the Queen is retiring from reality competition TV. Far from it. The Traitors has reignited Sandra’s fire to compete… and win. “There’s stuff in the pipeline for Peacock, and I hope that they call me for other things as well. There are so many other shows out there happening and doing things with Survivor alums or even Big Brother or The Challenge alums. I feel like The Traitors had a winning combination with all reality stars from across different franchises. So anyone that would want to put on a spectacular season of something would do the same.”
And she extends that to the network that first made her a star, CBS. “Even if it was Big Brother, bring a whole bunch of people into the Big Brother house or onto The Amazing Race — there's a lot that can be done with reality stars.”
Hold on a second…. Did Sandra Diaz-Twine just say she would enter the Big Brother house? “No, not 100 hundred days,” she clarifies, noting that she would do a shortened season like Celebrity Big Brother rather than a full summer swing. “Not 100 hundred days, no. My husband would divorce me. Keep it short and sweet."
Sandra competing next winter for the golden power of veto? Hey, expect the unexpected, everyone!
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