“Survivor 50” star Rick Devens explains why he is a lunatic who wants to play with other lunatics
- - “Survivor 50” star Rick Devens explains why he is a lunatic who wants to play with other lunatics
Dalton RossFebruary 7, 2026 at 7:45 PM
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Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Robert Voets/CBS
Lost in all the controversy about Chris Underwood coming back from the Edge of Extinction to win Survivor is the fact that had he not made it to the end, the winner of Survivor season 38 would have been another player who was voted out and came back: Rick Devens.
Devens (as he was known on the show) was voted out on day 11 of the game, yet won his way back into the game and then proceeded to become the biggest personality on the season — finding idols, delivering BREAKING NEWS reports, and cracking jokes along the way. But while the then-newscaster may have projected an air of unbridled confidence, the now-41-year-old says a lot of that was a false front he used to shield himself from the uncomfortable uncertainly laying just below the surface.
But no more! Rick says he is a different man with a newfound confidence that he is bringing back to his return performance on Survivor 50 (premiering Feb. 25 on CBS). Well, not completely different. The certified goofball says he is still a lunatic, and a lunatic that may find comfort in the lunacy of others on the island.
Two days before Survivor 50 began filming, EW spoke with "Uncle Rick” (whom, full disclosure, I used to host the Surviving Snyder podcast with before he got all fancy and started podcasting with Jeff Probst) in Fiji and he took us through all the breaking news heading into his big return.
Rick Devens of 'Survivor 50'
Robert Voets/CBS
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Alright, Rick. Tell me why you're going to win Survivor 50.
RICK DEVENS: I'm going to win Survivor 50 because it's been destined. It's been written in the Fijian stars. That's the reason that I didn't win 38, obviously, was so that they can bring me back for the most epic season of Survivor they've ever had with the biggest cast they've ever had — for me to rightfully make my claim as one of the greats.
Give everyone the quick update of what you've been up to since you last played Survivor, including a change in profession.
Yeah, I left the news industry and its crazy, awful hours. And then I stayed home with two tiny kids during the pandemic, and then after that I got a gig as director of communications at Middle Georgia State University. Go Knights! And it's been amazing.
Why come back and do it again? You didn’t win, but you were a super popular player and got a great edit. So why tempt fate?
There are so many reasons to come back and do it again. Obviously, unfinished business. I was so close to winning, I'm here to win. But on the other hand, you and I are big Lost fans — obviously, my kids named Jack and Juliet — and that scene of “We’ve got to go back!” It calls you back, and there's something about Fiji that really is a spiritual place. [Starts to choke up] I've been getting a little emotional thinking about it, but it really is a spiritual place. [Beginning to cry]. Sorry…
No, don't apologize. Take your time.
I've had it in my head that the people I've lost in the last seven years, that I'm going to feel them out here, and that's kind of like an extra bonus outside the game.
How have you changed as a person since the last time you played, and will that impact at all how you play?
I think I've kind of grown into the confident guy that I was putting out there last time, but I was also making my dad bod jokes before someone else could make fun of me. And so there were a lot of insecurities under there, and there still are.
But I do feel like as my kids are growing up, I have to show them what it's like to be a good person and to be a strong person and what Survivor gave me and what I found in myself out here the last time. I feel like I've grown more into that confident person that was a little more of a front before. It's still a little bit of a front, but I think I have grown into it a little bit.
Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Robert Voets/CBS
Anything you regret on a personal level from the last time you played?
From a personal level, I can be very surface level. And I love that a lot of my friendships are just based on joking, sports, stuff like that. And that's how all my relationships were on the show, except maybe David Wright. I think for my game and for myself, it would be better to maybe when it's appropriate dig a little deeper, not strategically, but just to open up a little bit more like I did just here with you. If I find those chances.
Is that from a strategic perspective, is that for a just human level connection perspective, or both?
It's both, because I wish I had had stronger alliances that had carried me through when I was a threat, but at the same time, just I think on a human level I really want it to be authentic. I don't want it to be just strategy because it can easily backfire. If you connect with someone and go deep and vote 'em out, that's a bitter jury member. That's exactly how you make a bitter jury member.
Whereas I didn't have any of the jury upset. We hadn't gone to that level. But knowing now what you can take away from Survivor, it's like: Well, here's maybe something I can take away this time. And it could be harder with returning players. I don't think people are going to want to go as deep in the relationship thing is my guess, and that people are going to be here more to play strategically. And that's fine, but I'll look for my spots.
Rick Devens of 'Survivor 50'
Robert Voets/CBS
Now that you're not a newsman, does that mean no more breaking news reports?
I told myself I'm not bringing it out here, but if they ask for it, of course I'm a people pleaser and I'm going to give 'em what the people want! And between you and me, they've already asked for it. So yeah, I'm excited. But I also understand there's another newscaster out here according to Reddit. So if Savannah starts doing news reports, she's obviously a better reporter than I am. She's working in Atlanta, so yeah, I got to up my game maybe.
Did you connect with Sam Phalen from Survivor 47 after he did his news report?
I remember I sent out something on Twitter that was like, “He just stole my shtick!” But no, it was very cool.
Are you hoping for an Edge of Extinction this season? They did it last time they brought back returning players for Winners at War.
Dude, we were on the Edge of Extinction yesterday for a shoot, and of course they would not confirm it, but I know Extinction. And everyone here is having a good time except Aubry and I, who are living in our trauma.
I don't know. At first, I kind of thought they would do Edge of Extinction to keep everyone's favorites around. But there are so many people that if you're bringing back people, I think it'd be really hard. I don't know how they're doing 24 in 26 days anyway. It would be tough to do that with the Edge of Extinction.
How do you think the other contestants see you as a player? What are they telling me about you if I ask them, “What's your take on Rick Devens?”
I think everyone remembers that I played idols a lot, and maybe that I won challenges, but I don't think any of these egos and challenge beasts are going to be worried about me. Despite my record in challenges, I've been trying very much to put off just goofy vibes. I'm looking at animals. I'm wearing my Superdad shirt now.
Every shirt I have is strategic to play into the fact that I'm just a goofball out here and not much of a threat. I showed up with a Lion King shirt, and I have a Dead Coconut Club shirt from Halloween Horror Nights, and a Hawaiian vacation shirt. I also have these bright-pink gecko shorts that I wear around. I go out of my way to be fascinated with the birds and geckos, with this dumb look on my face. Anything I can do to put that in their head that, "Oh my God, this is like my Uncle Rick, I'm into it!"
What's your biggest weakness in this game?
My biggest weakness in the game is thinking long-term strategy. I play by the seat of my pants and I kind of don't think thinking long-term strategy is as helpful in this game as it is. I am reading a book called Range and it was talking about chess and how chess players really just see patterns from studying past chess games. They're not really seeing ahead, and when you move that into the real world, it doesn't work at all.
That being said, David Wright was such a beautiful person to have out there because he played the game differently, and I really would like to have that person who I get along with great, but who looks at the game differently so that we can kind of compliment each other.
Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
How much pre-gaming did you do with the other players?
Dude, I didn't do any pre-gaming.
He says while on the record.
I'm serious! I'm not attached to any of these folks and I kind of looked at it as because I was so unattached, any pregaming would hurt me more than help me. It's better to come in completely unattached.
Well, let's talk about that. You've gone to some events, but do you think it puts you at a disadvantage at all that these very recent new-era players all know each other really well and, you would have to assume, have been talking?
Oh, absolutely. I think in Survivor every advantage is a disadvantage, and every disadvantage is an advantage. So if I'm voted out first because they come in with prior relationships and I'm just the odd man out, yeah, that sucks. And absolutely in this era of the watch party, they're always talking and knowing each other. And that wasn't even a thing in season 38, a short time ago.
But on the other hand, it makes my target a lot smaller. I mean, if I'm sitting next to Kamilla and Joe and Kyle, it's like, “Are you going to get rid of me or one of these three people who know each other?” And we all know I'm a fan. I've watched these things. I see how it falls apart. Sometimes it carries you to the end, but sometimes as soon as you have to turn on one of those people who's a real friend or who you pre-gamed with, stuff gets nasty and feelings get real hurt. And so if I can just stay above that, I think it could work to my advantage.
Rick Devens of 'Survivor 50'
Dalton Ross
As a fan, is there anyone you’re geeking out over seeing out here?
I'm geeking out over so many of the different people, obviously the old school ones, because that was before I ever dreamed of playing Survivor. They're the ones who made me want to play. I mean, Jenna, Colby, Coach…. Dude, can I tell you a Coach story?
Do you even need to ask me that question?
I've never met Coach, never met him at all. And so they have us sequestered in the hotel in L.A., we haven't seen each other yet at all. And they bring us all down into this room, and this is the first time we're seeing each other and we're all waiting in this room. And keep in mind we're going from our hotel room to a conference room, never going outside.
Coach comes walking in with sunglasses on looking like the Terminator. Just walks straight by all of us to the front row and sits down and I'm just like, This is the dude! This is the guy I dreamed of!
And then I'm a fan of Chrissy. I met her once and just knowing she's been through some stuff since the last time she played, she's a mom. I'm just a fan of her as a person. Hubicki is someone I hope wants to play with me. He's my David Wright. In my mind, he's that analytical guy that I'm like, if we could get together and he could use me popping off at Tribal and I could use him coming up with a big plan for me, I think it'd be a beautiful thing.
But on the other hand, I don't really know. We have Fishbach in common, but I've never met him in person. We've never talked on the phone. So I don't know if he’ll want to play with me. I want to play with him.
Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Robert Voets/CBS
Who are the folks you’re wary about?
At first, I was wary of the new-school people. They're half the cast, they know each other. [Season] 46 has three people, [season] 48 has three people. But then the more you think about it, it's like: Well, that's a big target on them. Maybe if I do vibe with Kamilla, or Kyle, or Q, maybe that's not such a bad thing to have a big target around that they're going to take out first.
I'm just trying to keep my options open. I could go with parents, like the moms. I would love to play with some of these women out here. It would be awesome top be with Angelina and Chrissy. It could be fun. I think I'm a kind of a lunatic. It would be fun to play with the lunatics. Can we get to Q and Coach and all these folks together? That could be a blast.
I am thinking of it partially that I do feel a duty to the fans on season 50 to not just play my game. I want to play a fun game. And that's a big strategy of mine going into this, is I want to have fun. If you want to have fun, come play with me. Even if it's not the whole game, if you want to have fun for a vote, come on over. And also I'd love to get with the big dudes, but I don't plan on sticking with a group. I want to be able to bounce around a little bit.
How do you handle the [season] 49 players that you know nothing about except watching the trailer?
So just based on the trailer and then again on Reddit, I heard that Savannah's a Georgia newscaster, which is just awesome. Go Georgia! Most entertaining newscasters in the biz. Clearly, they are such unknowns and that's scary in a sense. But on the other hand, this dude seems like a pleasant kid. Obviously, there's a monster inside of him, but he's RizGod! And I want to play with players that want to have fun. He seems like he fits the bill.
I relate totally to young dudes. I'm an immature man. Gavin was one of the youngest guys on our season. He's my best friend now. I work on a college campus. I think if I approach RizGod as a peer and not young man, he might be into it and we could maybe have some RickGod and RizGod getting it on. And then channel four news team assemble! That could work out.
Although I'm wary of a young person who's a reporter in Atlanta, because that means she's a lot better reporter than I am. That's intimidating, because that's cutthroat, man. Even if you're not a cutthroat person, you have to fight in that newsroom to get your story on. You probably put some headlines out there in your smaller market jobs that people did not like. You probably had to burn some bridges along the way, which might just be good reporting. But I'm wary of an Atlanta, big market reporter. They're tough.
Rick Devens of 'Survivor 50'
Scott Duncan/CBS
Really, the most important question is: Does being on Survivor 50 put you back in the running to host On Fire for season 51?
I would think absolutely. I'll have more stories to tell and I'll be able to relate to the new era. So yeah, Jeff's dreams can come true. You can bring me back! But I would definitely have to say Christian's got to be the leader of the clubhouse. Who doesn't want Christian as the co-host?
What about a possible On Fire alliance with all of his past co-hosts?
Dude, that's going to be an interesting thing, isn't it? I might be more scared of Dee than anyone. She's one person I've not once pictured myself playing with, and that's because I hosted her season and I said it on the podcast: I think she was the best winner of the new era. I think she's a total beast.
I could be totally shocked and get out there and that's my number one. But I'm very wary of her, and I'm also very wary of Charlie. He should have won. Maria didn't Kamilla him, she screwed him, in my opinion. I would've wanted her to handle that differently. And so I look at him as a winner, although he's hungrier than a winner and maybe a little less target in people's eyes. So I think he's a huge threat.
Those are people I don't see myself playing with, but I could be totally surprised. I met Ben Katzman and he and I have similar energy, so Charlie and I might be besties out there and then it all goes out the window.
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Other Survivor 50 deep dive player interviews:• Survivor 50 star Ozzy Lusth opens up about hitting 'rock bottom of my life'• Survivor 50 star Aubry Bracco opens up about the 'freedom when you fall from grace' • Colby Donaldson reacts to playing Survivor for the first time without Jerri• Angelina Keeley refused to do Survivor 50 unless they gave her a jacket• Survivor 50's Coach goes deep on evolving from an 'arrogant ass' into the… Tide Walker?• Survivor 50 star Jenna Leiws-Dougherty is 'here to f--- you over in every way, shape, or form'• Cirie Fields says winning The Traitors does not take sting out of Survivor loses• Mike White on how he is handling Survivor 50 castmastes angling for White Lotus cameos• Chrissy Hofbeck opens up about controversial season 35 finish and being bashed by previous cast
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