Who will win 'Survivor' Season 50? A familiar name tops early fan predictions
With the return of 24 former contestants, anticipation is at an all-time high for 'Survivor' Season 50. Filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji, the milestone season will premiere with a special three-hour episode on Wednesday, February 25. Adding to the excitement, fans have already singled out a past contestant as a potential winner, and we can totally see why.
Fans nationwide are turning to Kalshi, a prediction market platform, to bet on which castaway is most likely to outwit, outplay, and outlast the rest, as per Entertainment Now. Kalshi's latest odds name Aubry Bracco as the frontrunner for 'Survivor' 50, giving the Kaoh Rong runner-up a dominant 69% chance of winning the Sole Survivor title. Bracco, a four-time Survivor player with appearances on 'Game Changers' and 'Edge of Extinction', is returning for Season 50 as a major threat.
Despite declining placements in past seasons, fans predict she could win, with Kalshi odds also naming 'Survivor' 42 standout Jonathan Young as a distant contender at 12%. To add more, the 'Survivor' 48 finalist, Joe Hunter, ranks third with a projected 7% chance of winning on his second appearance, while Christian Hubicki, Cirie Fields, Rizo 'Rizgod' Velovic, and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick each hold 3% odds heading into Survivor Season 50.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bracco said she was on "Survivor autopilot" and mentally lost during 'Edge of Extinction', explaining that after three seasons in four years, she was overwhelmed and struggling to process everything that had happened on and off the island. Notably, Bracco narrowly lost 'Kaoh Rong' in a controversial jury vote, returned to place fifth on 'Game Changers', and by her third run on Season 38 was mentally overwhelmed, worsened by being targeted early.
After her last appearance, Bracco deliberately stepped away from reality TV, fully disconnecting from 'Survivor' while she focused on building a family, making her return for 'Survivor' 50 both unexpected and compelling. Now 40, Aubry arrived in Fiji in a noticeably different mental and emotional state, shaped by years away from the spotlight and the perspective gained from past setbacks.
Talking about her journey, Bracco shared, "I've gone from being the prize piglet my season to being the opposite of that...there's some freedom when you sort of fall from grace," adding, "There's nothing America loves more than an underdog, and the only thing that America loves more than an underdog is tearing someone down when they're at the top." When asked about her biggest weakness, she admitted, "Anxiety is always there," explaining that she can be "a little closed off at the beginning" and wants to avoid seeming "forced friendly," which she sees as her main challenge heading into the game.
