‘He was seriously hysterical’: Per the ‘Survivor 47’ cast, these pre-jurors made quite the impression on their fellow castaways

As we inch closer and closer to the end of Survivor 47, it is finally time to hear from the jury we know and love.

The Survivor 47 jury consists of Sierra Wright, Sol Yi, Gabe Ortis, Kyle Ostwald, Caroline Vidmar, Andy Rueda, and Genevieve Mushaluk, but some beloved players were eliminated far too soon, missing their chance to be a part of the jury once and for all.

According to the Survivor 47 jury — shared in exclusive interviews with Entertainment Weekly — two contestants in particular made quite the impression, with the ousted castaways wishing they could have spent time at Ponderosa together.

Who are said contestants, you may ask? Well, that would be Jon Lovett and Anika Dhar. Both were members of the Gata tribe — and both got eliminated in the pre-merge portion of the game — but the impact they left behind was felt long after their departure.

According to Sierra and Sol, Jon would have brought a great sense of humor to Ponderosa, keeping the ousted castaways entertained day in and day out:

Sierra: “I really wish we had Jon Lovett with us the entirety of Ponderosa. I thought he was seriously hysterical with his witty humor! He always made great conversation on the island and you could just tell he’s a fun time. Not to mention he lives this whole other life no one knew about, and I just still have so many questions lol.”

Sol: “I spoke to Jon for like 10 seconds out there, and what he had to say cracked my a** up. Obviously, he was only on one episode, but he made me laugh a lot and I appreciated his dry sense of humor when he was on. I love being around people with his personality, and it would have been fun to get to know him a little in that environment.”

As mentioned, Anika is also a sweet soul who was greatly missed at Ponderosa, specifically by Gabe, Caroline and Genevieve:

Gabe: “Anika. She’s been great every time I’ve seen her outside the game and know she would’ve upped the already high Ponderosa vibes.”

Caroline: “I’ve adored getting to know Anika outside the game, and I’m so bummed we didn’t have a chance to play together. She’s an absolute blast and would’ve been a lovely addition to our Ponderosa party.

Genevieve: “Anika. She is type-A, enthusiastic and energetic, so she would always be planning something fun for everyone. She’s also really intelligent, so I could talk to her for hours and learn a lot from her!”

Other names that were mentioned were TK Foster, Kishan Patel, Aysha Welch and Tiyana Hallums, but nowhere near as frequently as the above pair of Gata tribemates. Nevertheless, from the way things sound, everyone would have been welcome at the Ponderosa party besides the oh-so-controversial Rome Cooney. Yikes!

For those who are unfamiliar, a major milestone on Survivor is “making the merge,” which is when the castaways all live together on one beach — creating a collective tribe instead of two or three separate tribes — ultimately beginning the individual portion of the game. Contestants who are eliminated after “making the merge” typically become members of the jury — sometimes with the exception of the first few eliminated players post-merge — living sequestered at a Fijian resort called Ponderosa.

Although they spend the day eating and drinking to their heart’s desire, the jury attends each and every Tribal Council to watch the game unfold in real time. In the end, each member of the jury will cast a vote for which of the finalists should take home the title of “Sole Survivor” and the million-dollar prize, ultimately controlling who will emerge victorious. Needless to say, it is quite a responsibility!

Now that their time at Ponderosa is winding down, who will the Survivor 47 jury award the title of “Sole Survivor” and the million-dollar prize: Teeny Chirichillo, Rachel LaMont, Sam Phalen, or Sue Smey? To find out for yourself, catch the second part of Survivor‘s unprecedented two-part finale on Wednesday, Dec. 18, via CBS, with next-day streaming via Paramount Plus.

With longtime host Jeff Probst promising a “tremendous finish,” you’re not gonna want to miss this one…