Survivor 49’s Jason Treul Shares His “Unique Perspective” as Alternate

A twist of fate sent Jason Treul on the journey of a lifetime.

Although the contestant on Survivor season 49 was voted off unanimously in the October 22nd episode, his departure was bittersweet, as he almost didn’t get to compete in the first place.

He explained in an interview with Men’s Journal on October 23rd that he approaches the situation from a different angle, simply because he’s an alternate player. He feels his fate is ultimately not in his control.

The 32-year-old and Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu were originally chosen as alternates, but they both ended up playing after being added to the lineup just 12 hours before the game. This last-minute change, surprisingly, seemed to help him adjust quickly during his brief time on the court.

I joined the show due to circumstances beyond my influence, and my departure was also largely out of my hands. Despite everything, I feel like I’m still participating and doing my best.

In the first episode of the season, Jason recognized he was a backup contestant when he officially met the other cast members, and he actually thought that scene wouldn’t make the final cut.

He admitted he was most worried before the premiere about whether he’d be able to share details of a profoundly meaningful experience, not about anything happening within the story itself.

He said the whole situation felt unbelievable, and he was surprised it was even made public. He’d braced himself to keep it private, sharing the story only with close friends. Instead, he was thrilled it was shared with everyone.

Jason and MC joined the game at the last minute after two other players had to drop out during the pre-season isolation period, when the cast is kept apart to prepare for filming.

As someone who’s spent a lot of time around the Survivor set, I can tell you one of the biggest rules is no talking! It’s in place for a very good reason – to keep the game fair. We actually had a bit of a situation in Season 49 where two players kept breaking that rule – they just couldn’t stop chatting with each other, which is a big no-no. I was discussing this recently on my podcast, On Fire with Jeff Probst, and it really highlighted how important that rule is to the integrity of the game.

The original cast members were warned about their behavior by the show’s producers, but they were eventually removed because their actions became too disrespectful and violated the show’s rules.

Jeff explained that the decision to substitute the two players with alternates was made right away. He emphasized that maintaining the game’s fairness was their top priority.

For more on the cast of Survivor season 49, keep reading.