Aysha Welch — a 32-year-old IT consultant from Houston, Texas — undoubtedly came to play on Survivor 47, but could she leave with more than the title of “Sole Survivor” and the million-dollar prize? This castaway teased that she may be looking for a boo thang on the shores of Fiji, and we cannot help but applaud her ambition.
When asked which Survivor winner and non-winner she identifies with the most by longtime Survivor writer and reporter Mike Bloom in a pre-season interview with Parade — among numerous other questions that helped us get to know the contestant on a deeper level — Aysha chose Natalie Anderson and Cirie Fields.
When gushing about why she might just be a reincarnation of the legend that is Cirie — who competed on four seasons of Survivor: Panama, Micronesia, Heroes vs Villains, and Game Changers — the “overachieving, unique, and joyful” castaway predicted that “her relationships in the game are going to be what drives her to the end.” To follow, Aysha teased that some Fijian flirting might need to take place in order to climb her way to the coveted Final Tribal Council.
After explaining how she is naturally a social butterfly — and has been her whole entire life — Aysha admitted that she does not want her fellow castaways to see her social game as a threat. Instead, she wants her tribemates to not only like her, but to love her during her Survivor stint:
“I don’t want [my fellow castaways] to think that my social game is my strategy, because then I feel like it will help people genuinely like me, maybe even love me. I want people to fall in love in the shortest amount of time ever.”
It is unclear whether or not Aysha meant this statement on a romantic level, but Bloom got down to the nitty gritty details…
Asking her about Married at First Sight — a reality television series that she tends to podcast about — Bloom said to the Survivor 47 castaway, “You’re all about finding love right there in the moment!” To follow this statement, Aysha went on to tease that a showmance might actually help further her position in the game, seemingly considering the idea before Survivor 47 even started:
“Fall in love with me in 10 days, and then you don’t want to vote me out!”
With TK Foster already wanting to work with her before the game even begins, could sparks fly between the pair? Nonetheless, to see whether or not Aysha Welch brings home the title of “Sole Survivor” and the million-dollar prize in the end — or perhaps a brand new boo — catch Survivor 47 this fall via CBS (with next-day streaming on Paramount Plus), beginning on September 18 with a supersized premiere episode.
With the castaways coming in with some massive expectations, it is sure to be interesting (to say the least).