Since Carolyn Wiger hit the beaches of Fiji on the cast of “Survivor 44” in 2023, she’s become one of the show’s most iconic players. Widely considered a fan favorite player, Carolyn is mainly remembered for her erratic gameplay and unforgettable facial expressions.
Wiger’s open and honest approach to reality TV not only landed her a spot at Season 44’s Final Tribal Council ceremony, which she ultimately lost to the season’s “Sole Survivor,” Yam Yam Arocho, but also earned her an invitation to compete on Season 3 of “The Traitors.” During her time on the Mafia-inspired competition series, Carolyn was tasked with playing the game as one of the eponymous Traitors, alongside reality stars like Danielle Reyes (“Big Brother”), Bob the Drag Queen (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”) and fellow “Survivor” alum Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano.
Peacock/GettyDespite being renowned for speaking her mind, even in the least opportune of times, it might come as a surprise to some fans that Carolyn actually held back during her appearance at “Survivor 44’s” Final Tribal Council ceremony. After pleading her case and defending her game to the jury, Carolyn eventually finished the season in third place following a 7-1-0 vote in favor of Yam Yam, with Heidi Lagaraes-Greenblatt sweeping up a second place finish.
Speaking with former “Survivor” alum Ben Katzman on new series, “Master of Reality,” Carolyn opened up about what she really wanted to say during the high stakes moment, even name-dropping one castaway in particular that she wishes she’d called out during Final Tribal.
Carolyn Wiger Gets Real About Her Experience on ‘Survivor 44’
“Masters of Reality,” hosted by “Survivor 46” finalist Katzman, describes itself as “bringing creative oddballs together – from rockers to reality TV icons – for unfiltered conversations about life, art, and embracing your inner weirdo.”
Wiger appeared on a guest on the show on Monday, which similarly featured “Survivor” alums like Sugar Kiper (“Survivor: Gabon” and “Heroes vs. Villains”), Owen Knight (“Survivor 43”) and David Wright (“Survivor: Millenials vs. Gen X” and “Edge of Extinction”), all of whom appeared on the series as a makeshift jury to interrogate Wiger about how she really felt about her time on the Emmy-winning competition series.
Sugar kicked off the segment, posing the question: “Is there anyone from your season, Carolyn, that you did not get to tell exactly how you feel? So, if there is anybody – you don’t have to say who it is – but you can go ahead and say it.”
Despite being told she didn’t need to name names, Carolyn answers immediately and honestly. “Yeah, Danny.”
The Danny in question is Carolyn’s fellow “Survivor 44” castaway Danny Massa, who placed seventh in the 2023 season, earning himself a spot on the jury.
CBS/GettySpeaking to the gathered panel, Carolyn went on to colorfully explain how not calling out Danny during Final Tribal Council remains her “biggest regret” from the season.
“Did I tell people how I felt? Well, yes, but I wish I would’ve told them off more,” said Carolyn. “And it’s like, why am I being like, ‘I’m gonna be nice to you.’ You don’t respect me. You don’t like me. You don’t! So what […] am I doing trying to appease you?”
Wiger was instrumental in Danny’s elimination from the season at Top 7. While Danny, a formidable force in the Merge portion of the game, set his sights on eliminating Carolyn’s closest ally, Carson Garrett, in the episode, she ultimately foiled Danny’s plan by playing her Hidden Immunity Idol on Carson, a move that resulted in Danny’s torch being snuffed just moments later.
CBS/GettyWhile Danny had been open throughout the season about not seeing eye-to-eye with Carolyn’s devil-may-care approach to playing “Survivor,” the castaway previously told Parade that he was very aware that Carolyn, in turn, wasn’t a big fan of his either. Their feud came to a head when Danny was voted out, leveraging a grimace in Carolyn’s direction that left the eventual runner-up with a bad taste in her mouth.
Speaking with “Masters of Reality,” Carolyn added that she wishes she’d told Danny off to his face while defending her game at Final Tribal, adding “But yes, we are two very different people and that’s okay and you can still respect each other, but it’s that level of looking down on.”
Carolyn Reveals She Wanted to Play the Game with More ‘Freaks and Geeks’
She similarly admitted that she was underwhelmed by many of the personalities on her cast, saying that she’d hoped to play the game with more “freaks and geeks.”
“I thought, like, ‘We all go through a lot to get cast on this show. There’s gonna be some really interesting people. I’m really excited,’” said Wiger before adding, “No, they weren’t. And so it’s just like, we’re not doing anything else out there. Why…wouldn’t you want to take the time [to get to know each other]? But no one does. And it’s the truth.”
While Carolyn admitted that she could understand how the “I’m not here to make friends” point-of-view could be playing a factor, especially with a $1 million grand prize on the line, she added, “That’s fine. But could you have at least faked it?”
Fans can check out Carolyn Wiger’s full “Masters of Reality” interview on YouTube, when it drops later today, Tuesday, August 19.
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‘Survivor’ Fan Favorite Carolyn Wiger Wishes She’d Told Off Jury During Final Tribal Council