(ProsperNews.net) – Sonja Christopher, the first contestant voted off the Survivor reality show, has died at age 87. Christopher appeared on the first series in 2000 at age 63 and was described by host Jeff Probst as “one of the kindest people ever” to compete in the show. He said she always had a smile on her face and joy in her heart.
The cause of death has not yet been disclosed, but Ms. Christopher was a cancer survivor, having beaten the disease three years before competing on Survivor.
Born in Olympia, Washington, in 1937, Christopher was a music therapist who played the ukulele to entertain fellow Survivor contestants. In 2020, to mark the 20th anniversary of the popular reality show, the musician spoke to reporters and admitted that being voted off first was “a little humiliating.” Still, she took it on the chin, declaring she would always be remembered for the inauspicious accolade.
Survivor is a reality show franchise filmed around the world. It places individuals in isolated locations where they must form teams and forage for basic necessities. A “Tribal Council” votes to remove contestants based on their contributions to the tasks.
In 2020, Christopher described how she ended up on the show. She had recently survived breast cancer, split from her partner of 11 years, and found herself in a retirement home and at a loose end. The adventurer subsequently noticed a newspaper ad looking for contestants and decided to apply. “I had always wanted to see if I could survive using only my hands and my wits,” she said. Furthermore, Ms. Christopher had experience as she had previously participated in an outdoor training program for breast cancer survivors.
Tributes poured onto social media after Christopher’s death was announced on Instagram. Liz Wilcox, who is competing in season 46, described her as a “legend” whom she had met at Christmas last year and found to be full of “spunk and love.”
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