When Colby Donaldson first entered the “Survivor” world in Season 2, he was an instant fan-favorite. So, even though he wasn’t declared the winner at the end, the competition set him up for success, launching him not only to fame, but an exciting acting career.
Since then, Donaldson has rejoined “Survivor” a few times, in Season 8’s “All-Stars” and Season 20 as part of the “Heroes vs. Villains” theme. And, luckily for fans, he’s about to do it again in Season 50, aka “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans”. This time around, however, he’ll be doing things a little differently.
Colby Donaldson Regrets Parts of His Previous ‘Survivor’ Appearances
GettyIn a new interview with People, Donaldson got candid while looking back at his previous performances on “Survivor.”
“It’s hard for me to reconcile the way I played the last two times,” he told the outlet. “Not necessarily proud of the outcome, but I’m also not proud of just how I handled adversity in the game. A lot of why I wanted to come back was I wanted to right those wrongs for me.”
According to him, his previous two appearances were all about performing like he did in Season 2, all while making sure he was still beloved by fans. “I was trying to be relevant and needed exposure and all those things that can cloud your ability to play this game full tilt,” he admitted.
‘Survivor’ Season 50 Will See a New Side of Colby Donaldson
Now at 51 years old, Donaldson is just no longer chasing fame or money, and just wants to play the game like himself again.
“I don’t think I would’ve ever been a consideration by [Jeff] Probst and by the team if I weren’t back in Texas doing what I’m doing because my intentions for playing the game today are just as authentic as they were 25 years ago,” he explained “I’m not sure I could say that about the second and third time I played.”
He echoed those feelings in casting announcement on Instagram. “Now I’m coming back to Season 50 to prove that first season wasn’t a fluke,” he said. “My ego doesn’t have to be alpha on this beach, I can be in the middle.”
“Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” premieres on CBS on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, with a special three-hour episode.
