Who is Bruce Perreault and why is he playing back-to-back seasons of ‘Survivor?’

Hitting the beach to play Survivor just a few months ago, Bruce Perreault is ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime for the second season in a row.

Despite being a member of the Survivor 44 cast (at least for a few hours), Bruce is returning for Survivor 45 later this month, and fans of the beloved competition series can’t wait to see him attempt to outwit, outplay, and outlast his competition once again.

If you are unfamiliar with Bruce Perreault and his original Survivor journey, have no fear! Keep scrolling to find out everything you need to know about this returning castaway prior to the premiere of Survivor 45.

Who is Bruce Perreault?

Bruce currently works as an insurance agent in his hometown of West Warwick, Rhode Island, however, using energetic, funny, and competitive as the three words that best describe himself, there is so much more to him than what meets the eye.

Using his biographies from Survivor 44 and Survivor 45, we learned quite a few fun facts about the the 47-year-old. For starters, some of his favorite hobbies are golf and boxing, and his biggest pet peeve is when people scratch their teeth with their fork while eating, however, Bruce was much more vulnerable in these bios as well, sharing information about his upbringing, his family, and more.

Bruce revealed that he was “abandoned as a child” and a member of the foster care system, until he was eventually adopted by a white family — an experience that has truly shaped him into the man he is today. In an exclusive interview with Parade, Bruce gushed about this experience, as well as how it has prepared him to play Survivor:

“I was abandoned as a child, and I was placed into the foster care system, and before being placed into the foster care system, I was abandoned for about three days… It was a level of survival there, even though I didn’t know it. I was at the age of two, but growing up in the foster care system, you gain a sense of being able to survive, because you never know how long you’re gonna be with the person that is there with you. … You tend to learn how to kind of grow bonds when you know they’re going to be there. But then you also tend not to grow those bonds when you know it’s only a short-term situation.”

Now, with two kids of his own and a wife that he loves oh-so dearly, Bruce is the father and husband that he has always dreamed of. How sweet is that?

Why is Bruce Perreault playing back-to-back seasons of Survivor?

Returning to the beach for the second time, the Rhode Island native will be making history as the first new era castaway to play another season of Survivor due to his his untimely exit on Survivor 44, and we are so excited to see him flourish this time around.

During the premiere episode of Survivor 44, Bruce severely injured his head during the first challenge of the season, causing him to suffer a major concussion and be removed from the game after just a few hours.

Even though he was medically evacuated during his inaugural season, Jeff Probst gave him the opportunity to join the cast for Survivor 45 almost instantaneously. The Emmy Award-winning host spilled the beans on his On Fire with Jeff Probst podcast the day after the infamous Survivor 44 premiere:

“In the spirit of what Survivor is all about, getting up off the couch, leaving your ordinary world behind — your family, your friends — left to fend for yourself in the jungle and say yes to adventure, I don’t think Bruce got his fair share of Survivor… Here’s the announcement. We are officially inviting Bruce to play Survivor again. First player of the new era invited back. It’s kind of exciting. It just felt like the right call.”

Will you be tuning into Survivor 45 to watch Bruce’s redemption arc begin? If so, clear up your schedule from 8pm to 9:30pm ET/PT every Wednesday, beginning on September 27. With unprecedented 90-minute episodes, this season is sure to be jam-packed with adventure!