Season thirty-six of Survivor is set to premiere on Feb. 28 and will be a special two-hour episode. The season is called Survivor: Ghost Island, and the spooky theme speaks for the danger and mystery the twenty new contestants will face. Mistakes made in previous years of the show will come back to haunt the castaways, and the show is described as “the graveyard of bad Survivor decisions.” The season is sure to consist of many twists and surprises never seen before.

AHS student Emily Fugleberg has a special relation to the show. Her cousin, Sebastian Noel, will be competing on Ghost Island! He is a Survivor superfan who hopes to dominate the game and bring home the million dollar prize. Survivor host Jeff Probst made his initial thoughts on Sebastian, commenting, “I love Sebastian. I think he’s going to be a kids’ favorite. I hope so, at least.” Emily agrees with this and thinks her cousin will thrive on the show.

Interview with Emily Fugleberg:

Q: How are you related to Sebastian?
A: We are cousins.
Q: How do you think Sebastian is going to do on Survivor?
A: I think Sebastian is going to do really well on Survivor because he is very young and active. He is also a big outdoors person; he fishes for a living and would be able to use that as an advantage for surviving.
Q: From your point of view, what are his strengths for the show?
A: He’s got a great personality; he’s down to earth and super friendly. He’s very active, and his fishing experience will help him.
Q: Has he been able to mention anything about his time on Survivor to you, or has he had to keep things confidential until the show airs?
A: Nope. He’s only mentioned that he was on the show, but that’s all he’s released.
Q: Have you ever watched Survivor before, or will this be your first time watching a season?
A: This will be my first time watching it!
Q: If you would’ve been able to give Sebastian a piece of advice while he was out playing Survivor, what would you have said?
A: Try your hardest, be smart, don’t let people take advantage of you, and stay safe!
Q: What are your final thoughts about Sebastian being on this season?
A: I think it’s really neat having someone that I know on a TV show! I can’t wait to see what he brings, and hopefully he will win!

As a huge fan of Survivor, I also find it extremely exciting that Emily’s cousin will join a tribe and compete on the show. He will get the chance to see if he can “reverse the curse” by not making the same mistakes as past castaways. Season thirty-six will highlight many iconic moments in the history of the show, and fans that have been watching Survivor for years will recognize the correlations between past seasons, and those tuning in for the first time will be shocked by the thrill and intensity of the competition. Hopefully Sebastian will get to live out his superfan dreams while on the island and bring passion to the competition. We will be cheering him on here at Apex! Be sure to tune in to Survivor: Ghost Island on Wednesday Feb. 28!