He’s coming back!
On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, news surfaced about the return of White Lotus creator Mike White to the Survivor franchise. White previously competed in the reality competition series’ 37th season in 2018, coming in second place. Since then, he’s served as a screenwriter for Disney’s The One and Only Ivan, Migration, and Despicable Me 4. Now, he’ll return for the 50th season of Survivor on CBS to compete against fan favorites, villains, and winners from previous seasons, including Jenna Lewis-Dougherty of season one and four-time returning contestant Ozzy Lusth.
“Mike, after he finished playing, said, ‘I want to play again,’” Survivor Host Jeff Probst said. “When White Lotus hit, and I thought, ‘Well, he’ll never play again.’ But he kept texting and saying, ‘Look, I’m serious. If you ever do anything where you have returning players, I want to play again.’ So we’re happy to have Mike.”
White is no stranger to reality television. Not only did he appear in season 37 of Survivor, but he also appeared in two seasons of The Amazing Race. White competed alongside his father in The Amazing Race and The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business, finishing sixth and tenth. In the spring of 2026, he’ll make his grand return on Survivor as he attempts to bring home the gold.
