Sonja Christopher, the first person to ever get booted off the island in Survivor’s first season, had died at 87.
Liz Wilcox, who stars in the current season 46 of Survivor, posted the news on X. She shared a picture of them talking over FaceTime at Christmas.
“Today, the legend herself Sonja Christopher of Season One passed away. I had the pleasure of meeting her on Christmas. She had so much spunk + love for Survivor and what the show brought to her life. I hope you’re singing + playing your heart out somewhere beautiful, Sonja.”
No cause of death was given.
Wilcox said people shouldn’t send flowers, but advised donations to Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church in Walnut Creek, California, the Cancer Support Community in SF, or the Sjogren’s Foundation.
Christopher appeared on Survivor: Borneo in 2000, and was voted out first despite getting along well with her teammates due to some missteps which led to her team losing that first week.
Survivor contestant Front row, from left: Gretchen Cordy, Kelly Wiglesworth, Jenna Lewis, Sean Kenniff, Rudy Boesch and Stacey Stillman. Back row, from left: Greg, Gervase, B.B., Sonja, Richard, Dirk, Joel, Ramona, Susan and Colleen.
CBS Photo Archive
The breast cancer survivor told EW in 2020 that she was grateful that the platform of being on Survivor allowed her to raise money for causes she supported.
“If I hadn’t tried out for Survivor, I never would’ve got to go around the country speaking and raising money for causes and trying to inspire people with breast cancer that they could not only survive, but thrive. And that’s been amazing,” she said.
