20 years after Stephenie LaGrossa-Kendrick made her reality TV debut on the cast of “Survivor: Palau” in 2005, the legendary castaway is now set to return to the hit competition series as she joins 23 other former castaways on “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” in February 2026.

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While Stephenie’s first “Survivor” appearance was a lesson in perseverance as she survived the series’ first-ever “disaster tribe,” and made history as the first – and only – player to ever be on a tribe of one, LaGrossa-Kendrick’s tenacity earned her an offer to return the following season to compete on “Survivor: Guatemala.” During her second run, competing against newcomers as a veteran player, she eventually landed herself a seat at Final Tribal Council, finishing the season as a runner-up.

Most recently, Stephenie made her third series appearance on the cast of “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. ” However, playing against powerhouse castaways like Boston Rob Mariano, Sandra Diaz-Twine and Parvati Shallow, made the 2010 appearance LaGrossa-Kendrick’s worst “Survivor” performance to date as she became the second person voted off of the 20-player cast.

Now, 15 years later, Stephenie is gearing up for yet another “Survivor” run as she steps out of her self-described reality TV “retirement” and back onto the beaches of Fiji for the highly-anticipated premiere Season 50.

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Stephenie LaGrossa-Kendrick Opens Up About Her 2005 Decision to Apply for ‘Survivor’

While the 45-year-old television personality has been off-screen for the majority of “Survivor”s 25-year-history, her return, alongside the return of other old-school players like Colby Donaldson, and Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, has been praised by fans since the Season 50 cast was announced in May 2025.

Despite her lengthy hiatus from the competition, LaGrossa-Kendrick told Monmouth, a magazine published by her alma-mater university of the same name, “I’ve always been a fighter, and I have a very thick skin.”

According to the soon-to-be four-time player, these skills made her decision to apply for “Survivor” in 2005 an easy one.

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“I was always a huge fan,” she told Monmouth. “I remember watching and thinking, ‘I’m not a fisherman, I don’t go camping, but between my competitiveness and the social aspect of the game, I know I could kill it.”

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LaGrossa-Kendrick Turned Down Several Offers During Her 10-Year ‘Hiatus’ From Reality TV

After making a name for herself in the reality TV sphere following her trio of “Survivor” appearances, Stephenie took a step back from the spotlight, instead joining forces with her brother to buy a small restaurant in her native Philadelphia.

It was while working at the “hole-in-the-wall spot” that LaGrossa first crossed paths with her now-husband, former Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick.

After tying the knot in November 2010, the couple went on to welcome three children together – Sophie, 14; Kyle Jr., 12; and Sloane, 7.

With motherhood and marriage on the table, Stephenie made a commitment to her World Series-winning husband that she’d temporarily table her reality TV career for the sake of their family.

“Even before we had kids,” she said. “I told Kyle, ‘I’m going to drop it all, reality TV and anything else, because I love you, your career comes first, and I’ll support you. But when you’re done playing and we’re at a point in our lives that something comes around for me, I’m going to take the opportunity.”

In the time between Stephenie’s commitment and Kendrick’s MLB retirement in 2017, she reportedly turned down a number of reality TV opportunities, including offers to compete on series like “The Amazing Race” and “Dancing with the Stars.”

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Stephenie Talks Her Return to Reality TV on ‘Snake in the Grass,’ ‘The Traitors’ & ‘Survivor 50’

It wasn’t until 2022 – five years after Kendrick’s retirement – that Stephenie would finally make her triumphant return to reality television on the cast of USA’s “Snake in the Grass.” On the fledgling series, LaGrossa reunited with a number of other “Survivor” alumni, including Malcolm Freberg, Yul Kwon, Earl Cole, Trish Hergaty and Cirie Fields.

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The following year, Stephenie and Cirie once again joined forces on the debut season of Peacock’s “The Traitors.” While Fields ultimately took home the show’s $250,000 prize, for LaGrossa, the show’s success proved that her time on reality TV was far from over, and that she was still “up to the challenge.”

After appearing on “Traitors,” Stephenie was invited to join the cast for an upcoming season of “Australian Survivor,” but turned down the offer after CBS contacted her about joining the cast of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.”

“I didn’t find out for sure until probably six weeks before I was leaving, but I had worked out and trained and prepared as if I was going,” LaGrossa said. “The first time I was on, I was 24, a Division I athlete. Now, I’m in good shape for a 45-year-old mom, but I’m 45. I’ve had shoulder surgery. So, I trained like a lunatic. I thought, ‘If I’m going to blow out a knee, I want to do it now, not on the show.’”

While Stephenie admitted that she’s excited for her children to see her compete on Season 50 next year, she added that she’s “probably done” with “Survivor” after the upcoming season.

“This is my fourth time,” she said. “It’s like, ‘Come on, how many times are you going to do it?’…But who knows? If they do a [season] 60 and I’m still in good shape…”