Through Survivor‘s decades-long run on CBS, several castaways have made names for themselves with innovative moves, tactical plays, and competition prowess. But, perhaps the most notorious contestant ever became a household name with one villainous lie, and that’s Jonny Fairplay.
Fairplay, whose real name is Jon Dalton, is a two-time Survivor veteran best known for using his grandma’s life — well, “death” — as a game strategy. In his first reality adventure, season 7’s Pearl Islands in 2003, Fairplay’s best friend Dan came onto the show as part of the loved one’s visit during an episode appropriately titled “The Great Lie.”
Dan whispered to Fairplay that the then-29-year-old art consultant’s grandmother died while he was away filming in Panama.
An emotional Fairplay informed the rest of the cast that he was now grandma-less. Feeling bad for the broken-up Fairplay who wanted more details of his grandmother’s demise, the other players threw the competition so he could spend time with his buddy.
When Fairplay and Dan were together alone, they laughed and laughed — Fairplay’s grandma wasn’t dead. It was a ruse to make him a sympathetic character in the eyes of those wanting to vote him out.
Well, did this move lead to him winning Survivor? Nope. The now-49 year-old has never won the reality competition show.
Fairplay almost made it to day 39 on Pearl Islands and then had an early exit during Fans vs. Favorites
Fairplay’s diabolical fib happened around the halfway point of Pearl Island’s merge, and he lasted more than a week later into the game.
Fairplay outlasted 15 other castaways before host Jeff Probst eventually snuffed his torch. In fact, he was the final player to be voted out. This was back when only two contestants would sit in front of the jury and endure a grilling in the hope of winning $1 million. Unfortunately for Fairplay, he was taken out at the final three.
Lillian Morris, a 51-year-old Scout troop leader, won the final Immunity Challenge of the season. By doing so, she secured her spot in the final Tribal Council, and she also had the power to choose who sat beside her. As history has it, Lillian voted Fairplay out, making way for Sandra Diaz-Twine to win her first season.
That wasn’t the last time Fairplay competed on Survivor.
He appeared on season 16’s Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites in 2008 alongside nine other returning veterans and 10 rookie castaways. But, Fairplay’s game ended at the first Tribal Council when he told the rest of his tribemates that he was missing his family back home and was checked out of the game. When it was time to vote, every returnee wrote Fairplay’s name down and his second campaign for the grand prize was over, and that was the last time we saw him on Survivor.