Survivor Season 50 Live Finale Brings Back All Past Winners—Except One Says He Wasn't Invited

CBS confirmed that every champion from Survivor's storied history received an invitation to the Season 50 live finale, which airs this evening on May 20.

The current season has been running since February and has narrowed down to its final five players: Aubry Bracco, Jonathan Young, Tiffany Ervin, Joe Hunter, and Rizo Velovic. With the endgame approaching, the outcome remains wide open as contestants prepare for the decisive challenges ahead.

This marks a significant moment for the franchise, as live finale events have been rare in recent Survivor seasons. The network is treating this milestone installment as a special celebration.

The Complete List of Past Survivor Champions:

Richard Hatch won the first season in 2000, followed by Tina Wesson in 2001. Ethan Zohn claimed victory in Season 3 that same year, with Vecepia Towery winning Season 4 in 2002. Brian Heidik took Season 5, also in 2002.

Jenna Morasca won Season 6 in 2003, and Sandra Diaz-Twine captured Season 7 that year. Amber Brkich emerged victorious in Season 8 (2004), with Chris Daugherty winning Season 9 the same year. Tom Westman claimed Season 10 in 2005, followed by Danni Boatwright in Season 11 that same year.

Aras Baskauskas won Season 12 in 2006, and Yul Kwon took Season 13 the same year. Earl Cole claimed Season 14 in 2007, with Todd Herzog winning Season 15 that year. Parvati Shallow won Season 16 in 2008, and Robert "Bob" Crowley captured Season 17 the same year.

James "J.T." Thomas Jr. won Season 18 in 2009, with Natalie White taking Season 19 that year. Sandra Diaz-Twine won again in Season 20 (2010), making her a two-time champion. Jud "Fabio" Birza claimed Season 21 in 2010.

Rob Mariano won Season 22 in 2011, followed by Sophie Clarke in Season 23 that year. Kim Spradlin captured Season 24 in 2012, with Denise Stapley winning Season 25 the same year. John Cochran claimed Season 26 in 2013, and Tyson Apostol won Season 27 that year.

Tony Vlachos emerged victorious in Season 28 (2014), with Natalie Anderson winning Season 29 the same year. Mike Holloway captured Season 30 in 2015, followed by Jeremy Collins in Season 31 that year. Michele Fitzgerald won Season 32 in 2016, with Adam Klein taking Season 33 the same year.

Sarah Lacina claimed Season 34 in 2017, and Ben Driebergen won Season 35 that year. Wendell Holland captured Season 36 in 2018, with Nick Wilson winning Season 37 the same year. Chris Underwood claimed Season 38 in 2019, followed by Tommy Sheehan in Season 39 that year.

Tony Vlachos won again in Season 40 (2021), becoming a two-time champion. Erika Casupanan captured Season 41 in 2021, with Maryanne Oketch winning Season 42 in 2022. Mike Gabler claimed Season 43 that year, and Yam Yam Arocho won Season 44 in 2023.

Dee Valladares captured Season 45 in 2023, followed by Kenzie Petty in Season 46 (2024). Rachel LaMont won Season 47 in 2024, with Kyle Fraser claiming Season 48 in 2025. Savannah Louie emerged victorious in Season 49, also in 2025.

The Invitation Dispute:

Despite CBS's statement about inviting all past winners, Richard Hatch—the original champion from Season 1 in 2000—has stated that he did not receive an invitation to the live finale. The network has publicly denied his claim.