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Survivor fans undoubtedly get excited when CBS announces that some of their favorite castaways will return to play the game again. It all began with Survivor: All-Stars in 2004, and there have been many different iterations of that format ever since. But with 43 seasons under the show’s belt, how many have had returning Survivor players?

Natalie Anderson, Tony Vlachos, and Michele Fitzgerald, who all won respective seasons of 'Survivor' on CBS, attend the Final Tribal Council in 'Survivor: Winners at War.' Natalie wears the brown 'Survivor' buff as a shirt and dark blue leggings. Tony wears a brown long-sleeved shirt and cargo pants. Michele wears a yellow camisole and floral pants.
Natalie Anderson, Tony Vlachos, and Michele Fitzgerald | Photo by CBS via Getty Images

Thirteen ‘Survivor’ seasons have included former castaways

As mentioned above, Survivor: All-Stars was the first season to feature returning contestants. Eighteen players from the show’s first seven seasons gathered on the Pearl Islands of Panama to see who was the best.

Following Survivor: All-Stars, the series produced 12 more seasons with returning castaways. They are:

  • Survivor: Guatemala
  • Survivor: Micronesia, aka Fans vs. Favorites
  • Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
  • Survivor: Redemption Island
  • Survivor: South Pacific
  • Survivor: Philippines
  • Survivor: Caramoan, aka Fans vs. Favorites
  • Survivor: Blood vs. Water
  • Survivor: Cambodia, aka Second Chance
  • Survivor: Game Changers
  • Survivor: Edge of Extinction
  • Survivor: Winners at War

Technically, Sandra Diaz-Twine and Rob Mariano starred in Survivor: Island of the Idols, but they didn’t compete as castaways. Instead, they advised newbies when they came to the ‘”Island of the Idols.” And out of all the returning players, Rob has been on the most Survivor seasons — six, including Island of the Idols.

Since Survivor: Winners at War, CBS has yet to ask former castaways to play again. So fans have watched three straight seasons of new players.

When will the next returning players season air?

Although there is no confirmation regarding when Survivor fans can expect to see returning players next, host Jeff Probst informed Entertainment Weekly that it’s in the cards.

“As Survivor superfans know, there have only been two casting producers in our 22-year history,” Probst shared. “Lynne Spillman was the first. She was there from day one and found some of the most iconic Survivor players of all time. She’s a legend and the first inductee into the Unscripted Casting Hall of Fame.”

He added, “Then Jesse Tannenbaum took over and with his team has found some of the most electric, likable, diverse, layered players of the modern game. So many of them are on our list for a second shot at some point.”

“To your question about a season of returning players, the truly honest answer is we don’t know,” the host explained. “We are definitely open to returning players from any era, but we don’t plan that far ahead. Right now, we like the excitement of new players. But you never know when an idea will spark, and we’ll be picking up the phone to start calling former players, hoping they say yes!”

So Probst claims that there is currently no plan for former Survivor castaways to return in a future season. However, he also revealed that it’s bound to happen. And hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later. How does Survivor Season 45 sound to everyone?

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Everything we know about ‘Survivor’ Season 44

Survivor Season 44 premieres on Wednesday, March 1, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. And according to the preview and spoilers, it will feature 18 new castaways.

The rumored cast list is as follows:

  • Brandon Cottom
  • Bruce Perreault
  • Carolyn Wiger
  • Carson Garrett
  • Claire Rafson
  • Danny Massa
  • Frannie Marin
  • Heidi Lagares-Greenblatt
  • Dr. Joshua Wilder
  • Kane Fritzler
  • Helen Li
  • Jaime Lynne Ruiz
  • Lauren Harpe
  • Maddy Pomilla
  • Matthew Blankinship
  • Matthew Grinstead-Mayle
  • Sarah Wade
  • Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho

All seasons of Survivor are available to stream on Paramount+.

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