The long-running Survivor series has often built up a community of sorts among its series alumni. Recently, this community honored one of their own after the recent loss of one such figure. Since then, other figures have also spoken out to share their story.
A Recent Episode Of Survivor Came With A Dedication
Survivor is an American series based on the Swedish Expedition Robinson series. Premiering in 2000, the series sees a group of contestants competing against each other in an isolated location, through voting and challenges, until one remains.
Over the years, many figures have brought the show to life. This includes the contestants, often known as “castaways,” to the number of people who work behind the scenes to develop the show. Recently, Survivor took time to pay respects to one of their own.
As noted by People, Survivor editor Sean Foley passed away in November 2025. He had been diagnosed with brain cancer.
Foley had been part of the series since the very start, being part of the show’s team back in 2000. He left the series around Season 31, which aired in late 2015.
Survivor, which is currently in its 49th season, recently aired a dedication to Foley. Its penultimate episode, airing on December 10, aired the following dedication, “In memory of Sean Foley, our friend and colleague.”
Sean Foley Was Described As One Of Los Angeles’ Top Editors
Since then, other prominent figures have paid tribute to Sean. Speaking with the outlet, reality TV producer Andrew Zoeller shared, “Foley was my dearest friend, a loving family man and a creative force that helped shape the landscape of television as we know it.”
“I soon started an editing career and Sean was very intrigued by the Avid editing system I was working with…it was one of those lightbulb moments for him and he wanted to learn the craft. From the moment he started editing, I knew he was special.”
Sean Foley Was Also Involved In Many Roles With The Naked And Afraid Franchise
Zoeller continued, referring to Foley as one of the top editors in Los Angeles. He continued, sharing how important his work on Survivor was to him. As he shared, “Sean put his stamp on everything he did and Survivor was no different.”
“He was an integral component to the creative look and feel of the show. It quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and the benchmark of all other ‘reality’ shows and he was the center of it all. He helped create an entire new genre of television in this country that will be forever with us.”
Foley was also known for his work with other projects, including Whale Wars, The Apprentice, Celebrity Undercover Boss, and The Age of A.I. He also served in various roles with the Naked and Afraid franchise.
On Facebook, Naked and Afraid XL alum Kyle Hennington wrote, “The Naked and Afraid community has lost a great man. Sean Foley was one of the pioneers from the start of the show and helped engineer the XL spinoffs into the phenomenon they became. He touched so many lives and was the kindest human. Although I never had the privilege of formally meeting Sean in person, I spoke with him several times since my challenge. He was always so polite and cheerful and listened to what I had to say. He will be greatly missed. Rest easy my friend.”
Are you also familiar with Sean Foley’s work? What is your reaction to these tributes?
