‘You have to jump through so many hoops’: How long does the casting process take for ‘Survivor?’

Contrary to popular belief, getting cast on Survivor is not as easy as submitting an application and getting a phone call — it turns out that patience and flexibility are key!

To the surprise of Survivor superfans nationwide, the casting process can last years, with dozens of castaways speaking out about their respective experiences after competing on the beloved competition series, including Tyson Apostol of Survivor: Tocantins, Survivor: Heroes vs Villains, Survivor: Blood vs Water and Survivor: Winners at War, Elaine Stott from Survivor: Island of the Idols, and Davie Rickenbacker from Survivor: David vs Goliath.

Keep scrolling to see for yourself…

In an exclusive interview with Business Insider, Tyson Apostol admitted that “you have to jump through so many hoops” to secure a spot on Survivor, before diving into his experience of getting cast on Survivor: Tocantins, the first of the four seasons he competed on in the past.

“They’re like, ‘Oh, we’ll stay in touch’ and ‘We’ll call you next week,’ and then three weeks will go by and they’ll text you, ‘Sorry, we don’t know yet,'” Apostol shared, admitting that you should only apply for the hit competition show “if you’re good at the waiting game.”

While he said that it took him months and months to land a spot on Survivor, Elaine Stott had a much different experience, beginning the casting process in college and not competing on the beloved competition series until she was in her 30s.

The audition process was not easy for her, however, once she was given the opportunity to talk to the producers face-to-face, she blew them away with her one-of-a-kind personality. “I was nervous going into the interviews, but I just knew that once I got to talk to these people and tell them a joke or two, or just be myself, it would be okay,” Stott dished.

Last but certainly not least, Davie Rickenbacker opened up about his experience of joining the show, admitting that he was an alternate. In fact, he was an alternate for Jared Fields, a houseguest on Big Brother 25 and the son of Cirie Fields, another houseguest on Big Brother 25 and a castaway on Survivor: Panama, Survivor: Micronesia, Survivor: Heroes vs Villains, and Survivor: Game Changers — how wild is that?

Because of his unique experience being cast in Survivor: David vs Goliath, he offered a piece of advice for those who dream of competing on the show someday. “You have to always be training just in case you get that phone call,” Rickenbacker gushed.

To see these castaways and so many more try their luck at one million dollars and the title of “Sole Survivor,” Survivor superfans can stream all 45 seasons of the beloved competition series on Paramount Plus now.