Survivor: Ghost Island cast and opening twist revealed

Twenty all new contestants will face-off against both each other and the mistakes of Survivor past when Survivor: Ghost Island premieres with two back-to-back episodes Feb. 28 at 8pm on CBS. And the identity of those contestants has now officially been revealed by CBS.

A marine animal trainer, a teacher of Jewish music, a fishing guide, an Army veteran, and an EMT are among the 20 fresh faces that will be vying for the million dollars in a season that was filmed last June on Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands. (See the full cast list below). “We have a stellar group,” says host Jeff Probst. “Everything really lined up. They are almost all super-fans and really know the show and its history, which adds a lot to a season like this. I think the audience will find a lot of very likable people to root for and probably a couple that you may actively root against.”

This season is all about decisions — ones from the past that haunted contestants, and new ones that may be able to reverse the curse. “Ghost Island represents all the bad decisions made by former players,” Probst tells EW. “Think of it as the graveyard for Survivor mistakes. We found a really creepy island that serves as Ghost Island and we designed it using actual Survivor items from previous seasons.”

Contestants will be sent to Ghost Island much in the same way they might have been sent to Exile Island in other seasons, but this time they will be surrounded by items from the past (an exclusive full list of which can be found here, as well as exclusive photos of the island itself right here). “Every idol or advantage in the game will be from a previous season,” says Probst. “These are the actual, authentic items from past seasons. And every item is famous for being played incorrectly. The conceit is those items are haunted and have been living on Ghost Island. The new players will have the chance to reverse the curse and play them properly… or suffer the same fate.”

And this season of big decisions will start with one right off the bat. Within minutes of the game’s kickoff, the teams will be informed that they both will be starting the game with only a machete, a pot, some rice, and a fishing kit. Then, each tribe will have to choose a leader, who will then, in turn, have to pick one athlete and one puzzle solver for an immediate reward challenge. The winning tribe gets a massive shelter building kit, while the losing tribe does not receive their fishing gear. But then comes the twist.

If one of the designated tribe leaders forfeits the challenge by a certain time during the puzzle because he/she believes they are in danger of losing, then they (as losers) get to keep the fishing kit. However, that also means the winning tribe receives 20 eggs and a flint (for making fire) in addition to the shelter building kit. So the leader will need to judge not only whether they are in danger of losing, but whether it is worth giving up, and worth making the other tribe even stronger to keep some of their own supplies.

So do you show faith in your puzzle solver and ride it out, or cut your losses to get something instead of nothing, even if it helps the competition? It’s a big immediate decision that could make or break a tribe — as well as someone’s position in the game. And unlike some of the reusable artifacts that will show up later at Ghost Island, there will be no redo opportunities if someone makes the wrong call on this one.

We’ll have plenty more coverage leading up the Survivor: Ghost Island premiere on Feb. 28, so follow me on Twitter @DaltonRoss to stay on top of all the latest developments. Check out our first cast video at the top of the post with each contestant telling you why they are going to win Survivor: Ghost Island, and also make sure to peruse our cast photo gallery. Now look below for tribe photos and bio information on all the contestants before they go out and suffer for our enjoyment.

Full Cast List for Survivor: Ghost Island
MALOLO Tribe

Name: Brendan Shapiro
Age: 41
Hometown: Herndon, Va.
Current Residence: Herndon, Va.
Occupation: Physical Education Teacher

Name: Donathan Hurley
Age: 26
Hometown: Phelps, Ky.
Current Residence: Kimper, Ky.
Occupation: Caretaker

Name: Jacob Derwin
Age: 22
Hometown: Merrick, N.Y.
Current Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Occupation: Music Teacher

Name: James Lim
Age: 24
Hometown: Los Angeles
Current Residence: New York, N.Y.
Occupation: Business Analyst

Name: Jenna Bowman
Age: 23
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
Current Residence: Venice Beach, Calif.
Occupation: Advertising Account Executive

Name: Laurel Johnson
Age: 29
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Current Residence: Minneapolis, Minn.
Occupation: Financial Consultant

Name: Libby Vincek
Age: 24
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Current Residence: Houston, Texas
Occupation: Social Media Strategist

Name: Michael Yerger
Age: 18
Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.
Current Residence: Los Angeles
Occupation: Real Estate Agent

Name: Stephanie Gonzalez
Age: 26
Hometown: Aguada, Puerto Rico
Current Residence: Ocala, Fla.
Occupation: Graphic Sales

Name: Stephanie Johnson
Age: 34
Hometown: Boise, Idaho
Current Residence: Chicago, Ill.
Occupation: Yoga Instructor

NAVITI Tribe

Name: Angela Perkins
Age: 42
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Current Residence: Cincinnati, Ohio
Occupation: Army Veteran

Name: Bradley Kleihege
Age: 26
Hometown: Haslett, Mich.
Current Residence: Los Angeles
Occupation: Law student

Name: Chelsea Townsend
Age: 24
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah
Current Residence: Los Angeles
Occupation: EMT/Pro Cheerleader

Name: Chris Noble
Age: 27
Hometown: Florida Keys, Fla.
Current Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Occupation: Male Model

Name: Desiree Afuye
Age: 21
Hometown: Newark, N.J.
Current Residence: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Occupation: Student

Name: Domenick Abbate
Age: 38
Hometown: Nesconset, N.Y.
Current Residence: Nesconset, N.Y.
Occupation: Construction Supervisor

Name: Kellyn Bechtold
Age: 31
Hometown: North Manchester, Ind.
Current Residence: Denver, Colo.
Occupation: Career Counselor

Name: Morgan Ricke
Age: 29
Hometown: New Albany, Ind.
Current Residence: Orlando, Fla.
Occupation: Marine Animal Trainer

Name: Sebastian Noel
Age: 22
Hometown: Melbourne, Fla.
Current Residence: Satellite Beach, Fla.
Occupation: Fishing Guide

Name: Wendell Holland
Age: 33
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Current Residence: Philadelphia, Pa.
Occupation: Furniture Company Owner