Survivor’s Elizabeth Beisel & Jack Nichting Are Now a Couple

Despite neither of them walking away with the $1 million prize money, Survivor: Island of the Idols contestants Elizabeth Beisel and Jack Nichting are still winners because the pair managed to find love while on the show.

Even if you’re not a Survivor fan, you probably heard a story or two about the 39th season while it was airing as it was not without its controversy. Even long-time fans of the show might have struggled with season 39, which featured a racially insensitive comment made by Jack towards fellow contestant Jamal Shipman. There was also, of course, the controversy surrounding contestant Dan Spiro, who was removed from the show due to multiple inappropriate touching incidents involving contestant Kellee Kim and a female producer. Regardless of the scandals, it seems that the season left a lasting impression on Olympian Elizabeth and graduate student Jack, as the pair took to Instagram to make an announcement.

Beisel, 26, shared a photo to her Instagram (via Us Weekly) to announce that she and Jack were dating, writing “WOAH. Did you guys hear the news? I’ve got a curly haired boyfriend named Jack and he is simply the most wonderful human being I know,” along with a sweet photo of the couple. Elizabeth also added, “and yes, we share hair products,” joking about the pair’s similar hairstyles. Neither Elizabeth nor Jack were present at the pre-taped reunion show, which aired on December 18, which is why they turned to social media to share the news of their relationship. Jack shared a series of photos of the couple to his Instagram as well, writing that he is “beyond proud to call this curly headed, exuberant, and compassionate woman my girlfriend/twin.” 

Elizabeth was voted out on Day 30 of the season, and Jack had been evicted many days prior on Day 19, so the pair would’ve had lots of time while staying in Ponderosa to get to know one another. The pair haven’t given any details on when their relationship started during their time on the show or how the logistics of their relationship work (since Elizabeth lives in Saunderstown, RI, and Jack lives in Newport News, VA), but it’s likely that they’ll share more information about their relationship in the upcoming weeks now that it’s out in the open. At the time of her eviction, the Olympic medalist said that she’d “made new friendships that will last an entire lifetime. So, I think the pros outweigh the cons of me getting voted out right now.” She was certainly looking at the positives.

Elizabeth and Jack are certainly not the first couple to find love while on the competitive reality series, and while it doesn’t seem like the most conducive environment for finding love (what with the lack of toothpaste, deodorant, or showers), at least they know the person has seen them at their worst. Survivor fans can all agree that they’re ready to move forward from this season of the show – as is the network, which has already released the contestants for the upcoming 40th season – but it’s nice for the happy couple that some positives came out of the controversial season.

Source: Us Weekly, Elizabeth Beisel, Jack Nichting