Survivor: Everything to Know About Three-Time Contestant Colby Donaldson

The reality show Survivor has had plenty of fan favorites emerge in its 40 seasons, but few have become as popular as three-time player Colby Donaldson, whom we’re going to share facts about today. In the early days of Survivor, many of the players achieved mainstream fame and became household names. Richard Hatch, Colleen Haskell, and “Boston” Rob Mariano are just a few of the Survivor alumni who made their mark in pop culture in the early 2000s. Colby Donaldson is definitely among their ranks.

Colby’s first appearance in the franchise was in Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001. This was Survivor season 2 and it’s still the show’s most popular season in terms of viewership. Colby was immensely popular with fans due to his Texas charm, memorable confessionals, and love-hate dynamic with fellow contestant Jerri Manthey.

In Survivor: The Australian Outback, Colby set the record for individual immunity wins in a season, winning five challenges on his way to the final two. This is a record that has since been tied by players like Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth and Survivor: Palau winner Tom Westman, to name a couple. Ultimately, though, Colby’s challenge strength wasn’t enough to earn him the title of Sole Survivor, as he lost the game to Tina Wesson after bringing her to the final two, in what many fans considered a major strategic blunder.

Colby Donaldson Played The Game Two More Times

Since first playing the game of Survivor twenty years ago, Colby (see him above in 2019) has played twice more. He appeared in Survivor: All Stars, where he was voted off pre-merge, and came in twelfth place. He also played in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, making it far in the game and placing fifth. He struggled with the pace of the season and the hectic strategy of his fellow contestants, including notorious Survivor villain Russell Hantz. Fellow member of the Heroes tribe James Clement even referred to Colby as “Superman in a fat suit” due to his lack of energy and passion for the game.

Colby Donaldson Has Dabbled In Acting

Between Survivor appearances, Colby also tried out acting, appearing in a few television roles. He most notably portrayed himself in a 2004 episode of Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, called, “The Survivor.” Since Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Colby has transitioned into becoming a television host for several shows on the History Channel, including Top Shot, which he hosted for five seasons. He also hosted The Butcher, a butchering skills competition show, and Alone, a survival-based reality show. Fans of Colby can keep with him on his Colby Donaldson Instagram page. At IG, he posts pictures of his adventures with his wife, Britt Bailey, as well as throwbacks to his time on Survivor and updates on his current projects.

Colby Donaldson May Appear On Survivor Again

Despite his performance in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Colby may be willing to play the game for a fourth time. In a 2017 appearance at a live podcast taping with fellow Survivor All-Star Rob Cesternino, Colby expressed his desire to play again, saying “Survivor is the best adventure anyone could ever, ever hope to experience.” It would be quite the surprise if Survivor producers don’t take him up on the offer considering he’s one of the show’s most popular players of all time. In the pic shown above, he poses with a furry friend in 2019.

It would be interesting to see Colby return to Survivor in the future. He’s certainly a legend of the show, but fans may think his Survivor story is complete after Heroes vs. Villains. He might struggle with the fast pace of the new-school era of Survivor. However, he could surprise people on a “Legends” or “Best-to-Never-Win” returnee season, provided that can adapt to the intense strategy and twists and turns of modern Survivor.

Survivor 41 premieres Wednesday, September 22, on CBS.

Source: Colby Donaldson/Instagram

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