Jonathan Younger repeated his Survivor 42 historical past within the Survivor 50 finale when Aubry Bracco despatched him into the fire-making problem towards Rizo Velovic. The Alabama native gained the competition, sending him into the ultimate three, giving him a redemption arc from his fire-making problem loss in Season 42. However he tells TV Insider that it was when he and Joe Hunter misplaced the ultimate immunity problem, Simmotion, to Aubry, he had a sense he had misplaced the sport. (Learn our finale recap right here.)
Jonathan nonetheless earned three votes within the stay finale, from Benjamin “Coach” Wade, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, and Chrissy Hofbeck, however he says it was nonetheless a really powerful loss to Aubry. He thought he may need gained Rick Devens‘ vote, in addition to Dee Valladares‘.
Beneath, Jonathan breaks down his Survivor 50 finale expertise, reflecting on his stress with Tiffany Ervin within the closing 5 tribal council, his ideas on what Ozzy Lusth mentioned about him in closing tribal, and extra.
Jonathan, congratulations. I do know it’s not the ending that you just wished, however you continue to obtained votes. It’s very thrilling.
Jonathan Younger: Properly, thanks.
How do you are feeling at present?
Properly, I’ve felt higher. Yeah, that was a tough loss, however $2 million, perhaps there’ll be a purpose that I don’t know but to why this all occurred.
Going into the finale yesterday, how did you are feeling about your probabilities of successful?
Properly, I just about knew after I was on the island when Joe and I dropped the ball and she or he gained Simmotion that individuals favored Aubry greater than me and Joe.
Robert Voets / CBS
Might you broaden on that? Why do you suppose that?
Properly, she’s performed [four] instances and I believe that the jury was not as bitter in the direction of her, that she was extra … She mentioned it one million instances, she performed within the center. If she performs within the center, she’s not going to offend individuals fairly as dangerous as I did who form of had my hand on numerous the votes.
You suppose you angered too many individuals on the jury? Is that what you’re saying?
I simply angered them. However I believe while you play with returning gamers, numerous them need to depart their mark and in the event that they depart early, no matter who it’s by, properly, I believe the person who has a hand on it might probably make it … It makes you look … How do I say this? If any individual votes you out and also you’re indignant about it, you sometimes don’t need to give them $2 million.
It’s an comprehensible mindset. However was there a second within the closing tribal council pitches the place you felt like issues have been entering into Aubry’s favor?
Properly, like I mentioned, I genuinely suppose that I knew that it was an uphill battle, however when Ozzy began wanting to provide credit score to Aubry for voting him out and leaning extra that means, I used to be beginning to suppose, oh, perhaps I’m in additional bother than I believed as a result of that was one which was up within the air and that’s how you determine the place they’re going. And after I noticed Cirie was tagging him with the Ozzy factor and speaking so good about Aubry, as , Cirie rallies the troops. She did within the season. There could be 4 individuals at a time coming as much as Cirie saying, “How will we vote?” Do you suppose that was simply on the island, or do you suppose it was on the opposite island of Ponderosa, too? I believe that it might have been each.
And when Ozzy mentioned that, how did you are feeling within the second when Ozzy was like, “Right here you’re on both aspect of the center” about you and Joe?
He was saying that she was driving the center and we have been making an attempt to get the center out the entire time. He’s not unsuitable. I wished to get Aubry out, however there was a special that means that I meant apart from what he was speaking about. I meant that there have been 4 individuals within the center and it was Aubry, Devens, Emily, and Christian that have been within the center alliance, not essentially Aubry simply floating within the center, however that they have been within the center and that we had two completely different sides. And that was a special that means, I suppose, than what he was speaking about. You already know what I imply? I didn’t suppose that it was simply any individual that was floating in between, floating the entire time, however any individual that was within the center alliance.
Had been you perhaps completely happy that you just obtained the possibility to do the fire-making problem once more after how 42 ended for you?
I wasn’t completely happy that I obtained to do it, however I used to be very completely happy that I gained. As soon as I gained, I used to be like, phew, I’m glad I did it. However at first, I used to be not completely happy in any respect to do the fire-making problem as a result of to go down twice as a fire-making problem loser — and actually with fire-making, it takes one good spark and you may win the entire thing. One fortunate spark. It’s like the sport of Survivor. There’s numerous luck concerned and ability. So, fire-making may be very nerve-wracking.
Robert Voets / CBS
You watched Rizo practising making fireplace earlier than the problem itself. The way in which it was edited, it was such as you have been watching when he began to make a spark and the look in your eyes was like, “Oh no, might he do that?” Is that what it was?
That was actual. That was really actual as a result of at first he wasn’t beginning something and impulsively, Rizo began simply getting one good strike and it was on fireplace, and that was spectacular. He began getting actually good and I used to be watching him getting nervous as a result of he was getting actually good at it.
Did you are feeling scared?
I used to be very nervous. Yeah. I used to be like, that is going to be not as simple as I believed. And Rizo could be extra of a worthy opponent. However right here’s the distinction is that the fabric is definitely made of various issues. So the fire-making stuff is a little bit completely different than the stuff that we simply have on the island. However I realized that from my first time, my first go round, I spotted that it was a little bit completely different as a result of on Season 42, it’d take me about 5 seconds, I might have a fireplace, however I spotted that Mike really helped me with a fire-making. The woods are completely different, the twine is completely different. So that basically helped.
Do you suppose, based mostly on conversations you’ve had with jury members within the time since filming, that had Tiff been within the closing three with you, you may’ve gained?
I believe that I wanted to get Tiff and Aubry out to win the sport. As a result of when you look again, Tiff and Aubry, they didn’t have a complete lot of votes that they have been gunning, that they have been accountable for, they have been main. And this season, that didn’t assist to have your fingers on numerous the vote-outs as a result of I had my hand on numerous vote-outs and I believed that is the place I used to be unsuitable. I believed that within the returning season, issues could be extra revered than they have been. For instance, Dee, I’d’ve thought that how she performs is so sharp and she or he is actual good at backstabbing individuals — I believed she would respect the truth that I obtained her to get all riled up and say one thing that she regrets after which vote her out. I believed she would respect that, however it seems she didn’t.
She really went the opposite means with it. Aubry didn’t even play with Dee, not even for a day, however she went with Aubry regardless that she performed with me for about 12 days at that time.
So, you suppose if it had been you, Joe, and Rizo, you’ll’ve gained?
I do. I imagine that I’d’ve positively have gained that one. That was the one means at that time with Tiffany, Aubry, Joe, and Rizo. The one means that I might have gained, I imagine, is with Rizo and Joe.
Robert Voets / CBS
Now that you just’ve watched the entire season, was there something that you just noticed within the episodes that you just realized you didn’t know?
I’d’ve by no means guessed that Cirie had 4 individuals at a time coming as much as her saying, “How will we vote?” That blew my thoughts that she was that highly effective, that she might simply say, “Properly, we have to vote this manner and because of this.” And so they all would go, “Wow, we have been considering this different individual beats. I’m shocked.” That shocked me. I didn’t suppose that might occur on a season like 50.
Why did it shock you, when Cirie has that aura about her? She’s all the time been a fairly highly effective participant.
It shocked me as a result of I take a look at Ozzy as a strong participant, and Christian and lots of people [as] highly effective gamers on Season 50. And what shocks me is that you just wouldn’t see that as a purple flag, that any individual has that a lot energy. That implies that in the event that they get to the top, you don’t suppose they’re going to get each single vote.
Someone that has sufficient energy to carry 4 individuals in and inform them the way to vote positively has the ability to win. That’s why.
You and Dee clocked fairly early, “We have to get Cirie out. She’s a giant risk.” Why didn’t you and Dee select to vote Cirie out in that episode?
Properly, Dee form of modified her thoughts. Dee thought that it wasn’t an ideal thought as a result of she turned near Cirie. She noticed a path with Cirie and that’s after they determined to go Charlie. And by the grace of God, I’m so grateful it wasn’t me as a result of that’s the one time I obtained blindsided the entire season.
What would you do in a different way subsequent time when you come again?
I’ll do jury administration a little bit completely different. And I simply obtained to review the season so much to inform you the reality. I don’t know, as a result of I did change my sport a complete lot. I don’t know the place all I went unsuitable simply but, however I’ll have to review it and get again with you.
Robert Voets / CBS
You bought three votes, which is a giant success. It’s exhausting to get any votes in a finale for this present. Did any of the votes that you just didn’t get shock you? Was there anybody you actually thought you had within the bag?
I believed Devens was going to vote for me. I believed he actually revered my sport and I believed he didn’t respect Aubry’s sport as a lot as he did my sport, in order that threw me off. Regardless that he labored with Aubry, I believed that he realized that numerous these strikes have been his strikes and never essentially Aubry’s strikes as a result of each time I noticed them working collectively, I all the time noticed Devens being the one to drag the set off and be that man that did that transfer.
In hindsight, do you perceive extra why Tiff was upset in her closing tribal council? After all, nobody desires to get eradicated, so everybody could be upset, however in hindsight, do you perceive her perspective a little bit extra?
Oh, I perceive getting upset for certain, however that’s the place it’s actually exhausting as a result of we now have to have self-control in these conditions and Tiffany held it collectively all these instances getting blindsided For instance, a Kamilla vote out after which Dee obtained voted out. She didn’t need that to occur numerous these vote-outs. After which Cirie obtained voted out and she or he obtained blindsided by that. And I believe that point it simply was an excessive amount of, and I believe you must by no means curse at individuals like that. I don’t suppose there’s ever a superb time to curse at individuals. So, I can see why she was upset. Do I believe it was dealt with one of the simplest ways? No.
You possibly can perceive her emotions although, I believe, as a result of it’s exhausting when persons are like, “Yeah, it’s you and you haven’t any alternative. There’s no solution to get round it.” I get it.
Properly, that was out of respect although. We might have lied to her and mentioned, “It’s not you.” So, I imply, there’s that aspect as properly. Would you quite simply us to be sincere with you or misinform you once more? So, there’s a number of other ways you’ll be able to take a look at it, however yeah, you’ll be able to really feel that means. However do I believe it’s one of the simplest ways? No.
Robust tablet to swallow regardless, regardless of the way it’s delivered. So simply to wrap up, what are you proudest of along with your efficiency this season and your evolution since 42?
I had much more technique this sport, numerous technique. That was good that they confirmed that. They really took away from a few of my he-man moments and put it on the technique, which was OK. I used to be grateful for the entire thing, for no matter they put in there, as a result of all of this can be a present. Survivor‘s only a present. I didn’t earn the $2 million. We simply obtained gifted the actual fact to be on Survivor. Everyone that’s on Survivor didn’t essentially … We don’t deserve it. We’re gifted it. It’s a present.
Survivor 50, Obtainable Now, Paramount+, Season 51 Premiere, Fall 2026, CBS
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