Working as a science teacher in French Camp, Mississippi — graduating college in 3.5 years with a 4.0 GPA, as well as stepping away from a full-ride scholarship and direct admission into medical school to be a teacher — it is clear that Hunter McKnight has the brains to be successful on Survivor 46, but as we know, a huge part of the beloved competition series is having suberb social skills and ride-or-die allies. We all remember the Reba four coasting their way to the end of Survivor 45, right?
Because of this, Hunter admitted in an exclusive interview with Mike Bloom at Parade which of his fellow castaways caught his eye before even having a conversation, solidifying some individuals who he would love to play with (as well as some who he would love to avoid) before his journey on the show began. Keep scrolling to find out for yourself who these potential allies were…
Which castaways instantaneously caught Hunter McKnight’s eye?
Before beginning his journey on the beloved competition series, three castaways caught his eye: Q Burdette, Jem Hussain-Adams, and Kenzie Petty.
Given that they both stem from Mississippi, Hunter found himself instantaneously drawn to Q after seeing a Mississippi tattoo on his arm, sharing his first impression of the Ole Miss athlete turned award-winning real estate agent in said interview.
“There’s a guy with a Mississippi tattoo on his arm. There’s never been a guy from Mississippi play, and it looks like there’s gonna be two on this, so I’m like, “We’ve got to work together!” He had he had an Ole Miss backpack on. I was like, ‘Okay, he could play for Ole Miss,’ but then he had the tattoo on his arm… I want to bring the Mississippi to the end and just have a better shot at him. If QB – I think those are his initials – is getting a lot of love, it’s time to go. I’m sorry, but you gotta go… If I’m the one on the lead, then I really got to hold tight to the Mississippi boy so that we can stick together, but he may not even have that desire at all to stick together.”
While Q definitely made the strongest impression on Hunter right off the bat, “a girl who kind of looks like a younger version of Natalie [Anderson]” caught his eye — likely Jem — admitting to Mike Bloom that she simply gave off some good vibes. Similarly, “the girl with red hair and tattoos” — likely Kenzie — grasped his attention as well, admitting that she gave off some good vibes too.
On the other hand, there was one woman who made an impression on Hunter in a much more negative manner, scaring him away by wearing some *NSYNC sweatpants. While he never uses her name in the interview, we have deduced that this individual is the one and only Liz Wilcox, an email marketing strategist and avid boy band fan.
“There was one girl that I wasn’t quite sure about. I feel bad talking about her, but it was only because she had sweatpants on that were *NSYNC, and I’m not sure of all the *NSYNC stuff… I’m keeping an eye on her, but then I realized she’s the only other left-handed person I’ve seen, so I’m like, ‘Maybe I can overlook the differences.’ We get to the beach, and I gotta find something to connect with you on.”
He also admitted that a guy brought a Team USA bag to Fiji — which the 28-year-old admitted was a bit of a “weird flex” — ultimately rubbing him the wrong way. We were unable to determine who this individual is exactly, but it looks like he may be an early enemy for Hunter…
Nonetheless, with hopes to align with castaways like Q, Kenzie, and Jem — and whoever else may surprisingly come his way — how will Hunter McKnight’s journey on Survivor 46 unfold? To find out for yourself, catch the premiere of Survivor 46 on Wednesday, February 28 at 8pm ET/PT on CBS, as well as brand new episodes every Wednesday afterwards at the same time.
With a cast that is as cool as can be, this season is sure to be sensational for fans of the franchise.