Competing on a reality television show can grow a person's social media presence overnight. Contestants on shows like The Bachelor will go from a couple of hundred Instagram followers to hundreds of thousands after a single episode. This makes them instant influencers, allowing them to partner with brands and sponsors and interact with fans in real-time.
Not every player who appears on Survivor has the same overnight success -- or sometimes at all -- but they can still gain thousands of more followers than they originally started out with. However, the most popular players can earn a decent number of followers, which leads to them making money off social media and sharing exclusive content with their fans.
Elizabeth Biesel (Island Of the Idols) - 78K Followers
Survivor: Island Of The Islands. While she did okay on the show (she made it past the merge and met her boyfriend in the process), she has gained most of her following from her time representing the U.S. as an Olympic swimmer.
On her Instagram, Elizabeth posts a lot of different swimming-related content, including partnerships with brands like Speedo. Most recently, she published a book, Silver Lining, and promoted it to her followers.
Ethan Zohn (Africa/All-Stars/Winners At War) - 79.1K Followers
Ethan Zohn first appeared on the third season of Survivor and has remained a fan-favorite ever since. After his time on the show, he continued to run the Grassroots Soccer organization and has raised lots of money for cancer research, as he himself had a long bout with the disease.
On his Instagram, Ethan primarily posts about his various foundations, as well as his "Old School Survivor" brand, where proceeds benefit Grassroots Soccer. He also shares many pictures with other famous Survivor alum like Parvati and Boston Rob, giving his followers a treat whenever the OG Survivors reunite.
Michele Fitzgerald (Kaoh Rong/Winners At War) - 97.6K Followers
Michele Fitzgerald got a lot of backlash after winning her first season of Survivor, but she gained a lot of fans (and Instagram followers) to make up for it. Despite not being everyone's winner pick, she has become a fan-favorite on social media for her authentic posts, documenting her travels, and Wine Wednesdays featuring other Survivor contestants.
A lot of from Michele comes from the fact that she interacts with the Survivor fanbase and frequently takes over the official CBS Survivor . Michele's close friendships with other players make her feed interesting and full of familiar faces, making her a worthwhile follow.
Natalie Anderson (San Juan Del Sur/Winners At War) - 104K Followers
Before she was a Survivor winner, Natalie Anderson was famous for appearing on another reality series, The Amazing Race, with her twin sister, Nadiya.
Natalie already had a decent following on her Instagram prior to her Survivor appearances, and that following only grew as she made it farther on both seasons of the show. Additionally, she returned to reality television when she competed on The Challenge last year, which once again made her a popular contestant to follow. On her page, she posts about her television appearances and provides workout videos and tips for her followers.
Joe Anglim (Worlds Apart/Second Chance/Edge of Extinction) - 134K Followers
Joe Anglim was everybody's Survivor crush when he first appeared on season 30 of the reality series. He returned two more times and made it to the merge both appearances, however, his game was much more subdued and overshadowed by the more dominant players.
Those who crushed on Joe upped his social media engagement by following him on Instagram after his first season. He remains one of the most followed Survivors, despite not posting a lot of Survivor-related content. Instead, he shares pictures of his newborn daughter with fellow Survivor alum Sierra Dawn Thomas-Anglim and lengthy motivational posts.
Jay Starrett (Millennials Vs Gen-X) - 165K Followers
Jay Starrett was one-half of one of the greatest Survivor bromances, alongside Adam Klein, on the 33rd season of the show. Fans watched him go from a member of the Cool Kids Alliance to becoming one of the most empathic, charming underdogs in the game.
After his elimination from the show, Jay competed on The Challenge. He was the first Survivor alum to compete and was followed by Natalie Anderson, Michele Fitzgerald, Michaela Bradshaw and Tommy Sheehan in doing so. Jay's social media presence grew from there, and now he has lots of Instagram brand deals and documents his travels on his page.
Parvati Shallow (Cook Islands/Micronesia/Heroes Vs Villains/Winners At War) - 170K Followers
Parvati Shallow is one of the most famous players to ever compete on Survivor and has remained one of the greatest to ever play after her four attempts and one win. Many of her fans followed her on Instagram when she ed, and look forward to her live yoga sessions and pictures of her young daughter, Ama.
Parvati also uses her Instagram to promote her coaching business, where she partners with other motivational speakers to create classes that lead individuals to become their best selves using lessons she learned while playing Survivor.
'Boston' Rob Mariano (Marquesas/All-Stars/Heroes Vs Villains/Redemption Island/Winners At War) - 199K Followers
When people think of Survivor, they think of 'Boston' Rob Mariano. The five-time player met his wife on the show after a whirlwind showmance, became one of the most notorious villains, and finally emerged as a winner on his fourth attempt at the game.
Despite being a villain on the show, Rob's Instagram is much more wholesome. He mostly shares pictures of his four daughters and his wife Amber to his nearly 200k followers, as well as Italian recipes and updates on his construction work.
Bi Nguyen (David Vs Goliath) - 724K Followers
Bi Nguyen wasn't on Survivor for very long. She was the second person to exit David Vs Goliath after suffering an injury in one of the first challenges. Bi decided to remove herself from the game, further weakening her tribe and sending her on the pre-jury trip.
While she isn't known for her Survivor legacy, Bi is very popular in the MMA world under the name "Killer Bee." Her injury healed, proving that her decision to quit Survivor was a wise one. On her Instagram, she posts pictures and videos preparing for fights and still acknowledges her Survivor days from time to time.
John Hennigan (David Vs Goliath) - 802K Followers
The most followed former Survivor player is none other than the Mayor Of Slamtown himself. John Hennigan was a delightful part of Survivor: David Vs Goliath, but wasn't among the most memorable among that cast of players.
However, John has made a name for himself in the wrestling world. He has gained a large following because of this, and it only grew when he competed on Survivor. John is the closest player to a million followers on his Instagram, frequently posting wrestling content, as well as pictures with his dog and his wife.