Shane Powers, who originally appeared on “Survivor: Panama – Exile Island,” has been remembered as a fan favorite castaway due to his “entertaining, aggravating, hilarious, and enigmatic” appearance on the 2002 season.
While other castaways from the season, including Cirie Fields, Aras Baskauskas, Danielle DiLorenzo and Terry Deitz, have since celebrated returns to the series for subsequent seasons, Powers, who placed 5th on “Survivor: Panama” has remained notably absent from every cast featuring returning players.
Though fans expected to see Powers on the cast of “Heroes vs. Villains,” the closest the former player has gotten to returning to the show was when he was featured on the fan-voted list for “Survivor: Cambodia – Second Chance.” Ahead of the 2015 All-Star season, CBS released a short list of 32 former castaways, allowing fans to vote on which 20 would return. Of the 16 men featured on the short list, Powers, alongside players like Brad Culpepper, Jim Rice, Max Dawson and Troyzan Robertson, were cut from the cast after not receiving enough votes from fans.
While some fans had hoped to see Powers brought back for “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans,” which is set to feature the series’ largest-ever cast of returning players, he once again remained uncontacted by CBS.
In an August 5 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Powers revealed that he blames himself for falling off the casting radar ahead of the landmark 50th season.
Powers Reveals the Reason He’ll Never Play ‘Survivor’ Again
“I was so drunk, and I was lying to everybody saying, ‘I’m not drunk,’” Powers told EW, adding that he even completed his psychological evaluation with “Survivor’s” resident Consulting Psychologist Dr. Liza Siegel while under the influence.
Powers added that he felt certain his time on the show was over after he failed to garner enough votes to earn a spot on “Survivor: Cambodia”.
“That was the end of it,” he told EW, adding that he wasn’t contacted to compete on “Survivor 50.”
Getty“I have lost the right to be considered for that show because I have been mean and grumpy and nasty with the guy who created…or didn’t create that show, but that’s his baby,” added Powers, referring to “Survivor’s” longtime host and executive producer Jeff Probst.
While Powers has previously spoken out against Probst, the former fan favorite told EW that he now regrets his behavior.
“He’s been a wonderful host, and he’s been an amazing executive producer,” said Powers. “And I’ve made the choices I’ve made, and I really respect who he is and what he’s done with that whole thing. It’s been really beautiful.”
Speaking further on his rocky relationship with Probst, Powers told EW: “I don’t have any issues with him. He has every right to do whatever he wants to do with his show. He has earned that right. I wish them nothing but the best.”
Powers Shares His Thoughts on the Cast of ‘Survivor 50’
When asked if he was upset with not being considered for the cast of “Survivor 50,” Powers replied: “They wouldn’t have called. I’m not one of the people that should have been on 50. There are 24 other dudes that should have been on there before me that have meant what they’ve meant to the show.”
Powers is hardly the first “Survivor” alum to share his thoughts on the cast of the upcoming landmark season, with plenty of former players, like Jerri Manthey, Rupert Boneham and Abi-Maria Gomes having already expressed their disappointment at being cut from the 24-person cast.
“Do I have criticism as a fan? Sure,” said Powers, though he added that, overall, he’s a “big fan” of the cast, which will feature his “Panama” co-star Cirie Fields returning for her fifth appearance on the series. Despite fans and former players who aren’t happy with the season’s line-up, Powers argued that it’s nearly impossible to please everyone when it comes to casting an all-stars season of “Survivor.”
“Some people are complaining about the casting, but there’s no way to win. Any cast they would’ve thrown up would’ve been a drag,” he said. “Do I think they were a little heavy on [seasons] 40 to 50? Sure. But for what they had to get done, and for what they’re trying to accomplish, for them looking into the future of what the show is, I think they did a really good job.”
The milestone season, featuring the return of legacy players like Ozzy Lusth and Benjamin “Coach” Wade, former winners like Kyle Fraser and Dee Valladares, and new-era threats like Genevieve Mushaluk and Joe Hunter, wrapped filming in Fiji in June, and is currently set to premiere to CBS audiences in February 2026.
“The more and more I look at the cast, the more excited I am, man,” said Powers, admitting that he’s looking forward to the season despite not being a part of it. “It’s gonna be a really cool celebration of a show that’s been on for a very long time. It’s part of the human lexicon. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Powers Admits He Was Tapped for ‘The Traitors,’ But Declined
While Powers reiterated that his time on “Survivor” is finished, he did reveal that he’s been contacted for other reality competition series.
“I think it was for ‘Deal or No Deal Island’ or ‘The Traitors,’ one of the two,” he revealed. “This was before they had gone on the air and blown up. And I met with the casting director and they’re like, ‘[The prize is] $250,000, but we can’t tell you what the show is and we can’t tell you where you’re going and we can’t tell you how long.”
Powers reported that he ultimately turned down the offer, saying, “You can’t ask me to take this seriously without answering. It was supposed to be a big secret, but at the time I was like, I’m just not going to commit to anything and not know anything like it. That just seems insane.”
He continued: “All of these shows, I love watching them, but there’s a part of me where I would feel like I was betraying ‘Survivor.’ The only reason any of these people would want me on is because of what I did on ‘Survivor.’ And ‘Survivor’ is the thing that’s bigger than anything else. I don’t have any interest in going and doing fake challenges.”
While Powers has ruled out following in the footsteps of “Survivor” alums like Parvati Shallow, Boston Rob by joining the cast of “The Traitors” or “Deal or No Deal Island,” he did reveal that he’s considered joining another CBS reality competition series.
“I think about ‘The Amazing Race,’” he admitted. “I think about me and Cirie being on ‘The Amazing Race.’ That might be a fun thing to do. And I really like ‘The Amazing Race’ as a thing. That show is different.”
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‘Survivor’ Fan Favorite Reveals Why He ‘Lost the Right’ to Return to the Series