Chrissy Hofbeck Is Coming Into 'Survivor 50' With Less Fear: 'I Really Want to Have Fun' (Exclusive)
For 16 years, Chrissy Hofbeck sent audition tapes to CBS, refusing to let go of her dream to play Survivor. When she finally stepped onto the beach in Season 35 for Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, she didn’t just play—she dominated, tying the record for female individual immunity wins.
While many fans still argue she was "robbed" of the win, the Florida-based actuary, 54, remembers that first experience being defined by fear. "I was so afraid," she admitted during a preseason interview with Men's Journal on set in Fiji. "I finally got my dream, and then I was lonely…it wasn't fun. What I want to do now is play a fun game."
Now, eight years later, Hofbeck is returning for the milestone Survivor 50 with a completely different mindset—and a very specific hit list. In fact, she's already calculated the 26-day versus 39-day divide. Her conclusion? To win the million dollars, the players who have only experienced the shortened 26-day format have to go.
"Certainly my strategy is to try and take out as many 26-day people as possible early on," Hofbeck said, citing a theory on jury legitimacy. She believes those who played the shorter game will vote for their own at Final Tribal "regardless of game, because that legitimizes their own game."
From spotting the players who "sneak a smile" at Ponderosa to her excitement about playing with legends like Jenna Lewis-Dougherty and Benjamin "Coach" Wade, Hofbeck is coming into this season as her own winner pick. She's ready to stop playing with fear and prove why she is "well-positioned" to finally claim the title of Sole Survivor.
Below, Hofbeck opens up more about the "scar tissue" of being fired after her first season, why Christian Hubicki is her biggest threat, and the Season 49 rookies who are already "crawling under her skin."
Men’s Journal: I’m so excited to see you. I always thought we’d see you sooner, but they didn’t bring people back for a while.
Chrissy Hofbeck: Yeah, I mean, I was in the mix for 40 right before they went all-winners, and then that was it.
Men’s Journal: After your season, were you definitely wanting to play again?
Chrissy Hofbeck: Realistically, I was asked to go out for Edge of Extinction, and I declined it. I just wasn’t ready. The call came in three months after I lost on that live show, and I’m glad that I declined it. I knew myself, and I knew I wasn’t ready at the time, so I waited. And then, of course, I got the call for 40, which then didn’t happen. And then as time goes on, you’re thinking, "Man, we’re getting further and further away from 35, right?" At some point I become irrelevant. Then 50 came up. This is like a dream. This is the best-case scenario. It seriously is the best-case scenario.
Men’s Journal: I’m not gonna say you are my winner pick, but you might be...
Chrissy Hofbeck: Oh my gosh. I’m not kidding you, I’m my winner pick. I legitimately think I could win this season, and especially seeing where I’m positioned and all the people that are back.
Men’s Journal: That middle "30s" group might be a nice place to be.
Chrissy Hofbeck: Yes, because both sides need us a little bit. I think old cchool needs us, and I think new era needs us. I think we can play both sides. I think that I’m well-positioned in the 30s also. I think my biggest competition is Angelina [Keeley] and Christian [Hubicki]. I think I would rather work with Angelina and vote out Christian. No reason other than—I mean, Christian is unbeatable.
Men’s Journal: At the end, yeah. Who doesn’t like Christian?
Chrissy Hofbeck: He just talks and you’re just obsessed with him. Anyway, look, so there are only three of us who are here who have never played with any other people: me, Genevieve [Mushaluk], and Jonathan [Young]. Everybody else has played with someone. I think it is a disadvantage to have played with someone else. So I think from the outside, you look at it and go, "Oh, they have an automatic ally," but I actually think there could be beef, unresolved beef, right? Who made it further than the other person? The other thing is, sometimes they're lumped in together and you just got to get rid of somebody. "Let's just get rid of somebody from 48, I don't care who it is. We need to get rid of those numbers." So break up that alliance. I don’t have that because there is no one else from my season. So in a sense, I think that’s probably a benefit to me. Would I have loved to see Devon [Pinto] here? Yes, but I think that would have been worse for my game, probably.
Men’s Journal: Also, the fact that your season was a little while ago at this point, could bode well for you if people forget the details of your run.
Chrissy Hofbeck: The other thing is, it’s so insane that people call me like the "challenge beast," right? And how do I mitigate that? But now I'm like, I’m an "old lady"—eight years since my season, you know? Eight years. So I have to somehow be like, "Gosh, it’s been so long," and then turn on the gas at the end. But I mean, that’s my biggest fear. I think I’ll be okay in the pre-merge, but my biggest fear is right when the merge hits. Really, I cannot win challenges, because I think if I win a challenge, I will be out the next. But then when does my competitive spirit kick in? And then you just got to do it.
Men’s Journal: Do you feel like you're also just going to see how the tribes play out and adapt, or do you have a strategy in mind?
Chrissy Hofbeck: Oh, definitely go in and adapt. I mean, certainly my strategy is to try and take out as many 26-day people as possible early on. That has to be the play, because I have this theory that people on the jury vote for the person they are least embarrassed to lose to. And any 26-dayers on the jury are going to vote for a 26-dayer in the Final Three, regardless of game, because that legitimizes their own game. Whereas the 39-dayer is going to vote for a 39-dayer. So the play has to be to get rid of as many 26-day people pre-jury, so there just aren't that many sitting on the jury. While also thinking about that thing of who's going to vote for an older mom...I’m already thinking about those demographics.
Men’s Journal: How’s Ponderosa been? Are you picking up observations from people?
Chrissy Hofbeck: We’re not allowed to talk. But certainly, I would say about three-quarters of people sneak a smile in there, sneak looking at somebody a little longer. Some people, nope. They’ve got their head down the entire time, which is so interesting to me. And part of me thinks, "Oh, that’s so awesome, you’re following the rules," and part of me thinks, "Don’t you know that the pre-merge is actually the game?" The game has started, my friend.
Men’s Journal: Oh, for sure. Also, the cast is already announced, so you’re already on the cast. You can’t really be kicked off.
Chrissy Hofbeck: As soon as Jeff [Probst]—literally, we were on lockdown when the cast was announced. I set my alarm for 5:15 a.m. and I was watching that. And the second Jeff pulls my name out of the urn and says, "Chrissy," I was like, "Okay, now I know I’m really going." Now I know the cast. But truly, up until even being in lockdown, you never know what’s gonna happen. They could replace you with an alternate anytime.
Men’s Journal: Was the casting process stressful for you, or were you like, "If it happens, it happens"?
Chrissy Hofbeck: Mostly the second part of what you said; however, I’m not going to pretend that it didn’t matter. It really mattered. Because everybody wants to feel wanted. But see, I also have a job still, right? So I had work to do, I have family. My son got married two months ago. My daughter just graduated from college. I had a lot of other great things happening in my life that could distract me. But of course, every day, I’m waiting for the text to go off. And then Jeff is going out publicly talking about the numbers—the numbers were 200, then 100, then 70, and now we’re down to 50. Every time he went out and talked about the lower number, I was like, "Okay, I really made the cut." It was like a Zoom call. Literally, this was my face the entire time—I don’t think I took my hands off my head. I was like, "Oh my gosh, Jeff." I was in absolute shock. I couldn’t even believe it. I just kept saying, "Oh my gosh, Jeff, thank you so much."
Men’s Journal: Do you think it helps or hurt you that people say you were "robbed" your season?
Chrissy Hofbeck: I mean personally, which I think helps me in the Final Three, honestly, I do. I feel like if I can get to the Final Three, the jury might correct past mistakes. I don’t know. But the fact that I got to the Final Three—looking at this cast, most of them got fourth and above. I think that the people who are going to have trouble are the people who were further down. Heck, some of these people played a freaking great game, but how do you pick people to vote out? You have to look at the tiniest thing, especially in the beginning.
Men’s Journal: Are you worried at all about those first few boots?
Chrissy Hofbeck: I really don’t think so, because in that sense, I’m harmless. Who I think needs to be worried is winners. Winners, I think, need to be worried.
Men’s Journal: What about someone like KyleFraser? He just won last season.
Chrissy Hofbeck: I mean, yeah. The problem is, though, here’s what Kyle has going for him: you also have to win those early challenges. We’ve seen in the new era one tribe repeatedly get decimated. So if you get rid of someone like Kyle, who’s strong and good in challenges, then does your tribe lose every time? Now, if there are four new eras, two old cchool, and two 30s—as long as you just get that first balance of power, who cares if you lose all the time? You just knock them all out. The question is, how do you get that first balance of power? If you’re on a tribe where somehow New Era gets the balance of power, that’s trouble.
Men’s Journal: I mean, I don’t know how they’re splitting it, but I would assume they’re going to be splitting it up enough?
Chrissy Hofbeck: I’ve run the numbers. There’s 12 pre-40 and 12 post-40, and then of the old school/new school, it’s six and six. I imagine it is three tribes of eight. I imagine it is, because two tribes of 12... that’s a lot on two beaches, production-wise.
Men’s Journal: What do you think about these 49 players?
Chrissy Hofbeck: Okay, well, I might have heard a few rumors coming into this. Like one of them won and the other one was their partner in crime running the post-merge. So they’re both people to be on my hit list. The word on the street that I heard—and this might be totally wrong info—I heard that Savannah [Louie] won. Now this tracks, if there are three tribes and there are three winners, one on each tribe. And a partner in crime was this Rizo [Velovic], who I kid you not, I look at him and he looks like Ryan [Ulrich]. I’m like, "Oh my gosh, we have to just get rid of him already." He’s crawling under my skin. I feel like I dragged Ryan through that entire game, and then he does kind of give that same exact vibe.
Men’s Journal: Do you think they’re going to be targets early on?
Chrissy Hofbeck: Yeah, I think they’re going to be targets early on. One of the things that bodes poorly for them is—I’m going to pull out like a Russell [Hantz] in Samoa example. He played Heroes vs. Villains and no one had seen him play, and he got all the way to third place because you can lie to everyone about what happens. They absolutely can. I think, though, how many people on the season have seen all the seasons? I don’t know that there’s that many people that have watched it all.
Men’s Journal: I was wondering who’s watched your season and who hasn’t.
Chrissy Hofbeck: I don’t know. I feel like some of the older school people maybe haven't kept up with it in the 40s. Certainly, we know that some of the 40s people have not watched the older seasons. Are they looking at Colby being like, "Who’s that dude?" I don’t know. Does Survivor history work in my favor? Maybe not in this crowd.
Men’s Journal: Do you do any prep to come out here? How do you prepare?
Chrissy Hofbeck: I watched the seasons in real time, so I didn’t rewatch anything like that. But I’m a bad exerciser. Not my thing. But I decided I was going to join pilates, and I did "101 Pilates Club." Where’s that going to get me? Probably nowhere. It just gets in my brain and tells me that I did something, right? I do always like to brush up on my swimming. You probably learned how to swim as a kid, right? And your parents made you do swim team and you hated it, but then you become an adult and when was the last time you actually swam a lap? Never, right? So I would go to the pool and swim like 10 laps and be like, "Okay, that's fine. I can do that." What else? I practice slide puzzles. A lot of the prep for me, honestly, was getting time off of work. I got fired from my job the last time I played, so I have a lot of scar tissue around that. I really love my job right now.
Men’s Journal: Well, 26 days maybe makes it a little easier to get off work?
Chrissy Hofbeck: Well, it’s not 26, because then it’s the press beforehand and whatever. So it was probably five weeks. I had to say I need some "personal time." I was really glad Jeff announced it, because now I don't have to keep up the ruse. Now I can go back to work and they’ll love it. Now I don’t have to lie about it for eight months.
Men’s Journal: How do your friends and family think?
Chrissy Hofbeck: Excited! Yes. My husband, my kids, my family, my neighbors—they think it’s the coolest thing ever.
Men’s Journal: I would be remiss not to mention the mandatory fire-making that started with your season.
Chrissy Hofbeck: Yes, my favorite twist ever. Honestly, I think the fans are going to vote against it. I actually think they would like fire-making better if it wasn’t introduced the way it was. There was just such a backlash to my season; people said it was a really good season until the finale, and I think that was because of the switch. Now, shame on me, shame on all of us, because we saw the same thing with the Final Two versus the Final Three. But because of the way it was introduced, it sort of left a bad taste in people's mouths. Wouldn't it be hilarious—I was thinking about this actually yesterday—would it be hilarious if at the Final Four we had a deadlocked vote and two people had to go to fire? That would be poetic.
Men’s Journal: Anyone you’ve met in passing over the years?
Chrissy Hofbeck: I’ve met a lot of them in passing. Cirie and I were at a Christmas party together, but I talked to her for like a minute. Angelina and I met at an event like five years ago. I met Q [Burdette] in Nashville, but again, for like a minute. Is there anyone I've talked to extensively? Probably not. It could go either way. Honestly, I feel like the relationships that the new eras have, I think that could bode against them again. They’re just viewed as one tight unit.
Men’s Journal: Do you hope people underestimate you?
Chrissy Hofbeck: Honestly, I do. My biggest fear is getting booted out right after the merge when people are like, "We can't let her win immunity."
Men’s Journal: Anyone you wish was out here playing with you?
Chrissy Hofbeck: There are so many great names of great people out here. I think this is a great cast, and we’ll leave it at that. I’m glad I’m your winner pick. I’m gonna do you proud.
Men’s Journal: This is your second time and you played a great game last time. You don't really need to prove anything.
Chrissy Hofbeck: The first time I played, I was so afraid, and I played in fear and I was clawing my way to the end. And now I’m here and I’m actually having the most fun. When I was walking down here, I was like, "Oh look, that’s a banana tree!" I’m noticing things that I didn’t notice the first time because I’m finally now looking around and enjoying this. This is like fun for me now. And truthfully, let me tell you who I’m going to vote out: anybody who doesn’t want to go out there and have fun and play a kick-ass, fun, hard game. None of this, "Oh, we play with integrity around here, no lying, no backstabbing." Heck yeah, we do all that stuff out here! I really want this to be like a fun, really fun, playing hard season with good people.
Men’s Journal: If you do not win, what do you want to get out of this experience?
Chrissy Hofbeck: I would be really devastated if I was voted out before the merge. I tried for 16 years to get on the show. I finally got my dream, and then I was lonely. I loved it because I was finally doing my dream, but it wasn't fun. What I want to do now is play a fun game and have fun. I’ve been watching since Episode 1, Season 1. I sent in my first tape in March 2001, and then I finally played in 2017. My family thought it was insane, but I’m not going to go to my grave saying I didn’t try.
Men’s Journal: And now you’re playing with these people you watched back then.
Chrissy Hofbeck: I know. I actually can’t wait to play with Coach. I think he’s like "my people." I think I’m really going to get along with him. I think there’s just a little bit of crazy in both of us. Will I be singing a different tune five minutes after we start talking? Maybe.
Men’s Journal: How has he been in Ponderosa?
Chrissy Hofbeck: Perfect. Playing by the rules. But every now and then, you just get the little smile, saying, "I see you."
Men’s Journal: Everyone's ready to play.
Chrissy Hofbeck: Are you kidding me? I am so ready, man. I want to be day one.
The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.