News - Lifestyles

Sunday, Sep. 16, 2007

Will Tega Cay woman's "Survivor: China" adventure rank among top 10?

As a full-fledged "Survivor" fanatic, I'm proud to say I know a Survivor.

Well, sort of.

Leslie Nease of Tega Cay joins the cast of "Survivor: China," premiering at 8 p.m. Thursday on CBS.

Nease was a columnist for our sister publication, Lake Wylie Pilot, at the same time I was a writer. I never actually met her, but I spoke with her numerous times and even interviewed her when she was named a finalist for a guest co-host spot on "Live with Regis and Kelly." I discovered she's easy to talk with, bold in her faith and full of personality.

But does she have what it takes to outwit, outplay and outlast 15 other castaways in the ancient south central province of Jiang Xi?

She'll be walking in the footsteps of some of reality TV's greatest characters. To give you a taste of what she's up against, I've compiled this list of the top 10 Survivor contestants.

This retired Navy fighter pilot found Survivor's first hidden Immunity Idol early in "Survivor: Panama, Exile Island," but he kept it in his shorts pocket the entire game. Turns out, he never needed it. He dominated competitions and made it to the final three before Danielle's loyalty to Aras sent him packing. In doing so, Terry joined the growing list of Survivors who should have won, but were ousted because of the threat they posed.

Colleen Haskell was the "girl next door" in the original Survivor. Everybody liked her -- including rival tribe members -- because of her easy-going attitude and bubbly personality. She was the last remaining original Pagong member after the merge. When she was voted out in the 11th episode, her final words were, "Be nice, play fair." Colleen went on to co-star with Rob Schneider in the 2001 comedy "The Animal," and later was asked to return for "Survivor: All-Stars." She declined.

As one of America's all-time favorites, this Harley-riding Texan dominated "Survivor: The Australian Outback" by winning eight individual challenges (reward and immunity). He played a flawless game until, in a surprise move, he chose Tina over Keith to take to the final two. This mistake in judgment likely cost him the game when the jury gave its votes, and the $1 million prize, to the mom from Tennessee. Colby got a second shot in All-Stars, but was the seventh person voted out. No reason to pity the guy, though. In a 2004 CBS online poll, Colby was named the sexiest male castaway of all.

This Midwestern truck driver may not be the greatest player, but she deserves a nod for her impassioned "rats and snakes" tirade against the top two in the final tribal council of the inaugural "Survivor." She called Richard a snake and Kelly a rat, then urged jury members to obey the laws of nature by letting the snake eat the rat. Then, she told Kelly that if she ever saw her in a desert, dying of thirst, she wouldn't even stop to give Kelly a sip of water -- she'd rather see the vultures get her. Ouch!

This guy was made for "Survivor." In the first episode of last fall's controversial "Survivor: Cook Islands," which divided tribes by race, Ozzy scaled tall palm trees like a monkey, collecting coconuts to feed his tribemates. He spearfished like a pro, swam like a dolphin and dominated challenges. He won five Immunity Idols to earn a spot in the final tribal council, where he lost to Yule in a 5-4 vote.

Better known as Jonny Fairplay, this obnoxious professional wrestler will always be known for masterminding the greatest lie in Survivor history. Before leaving to join the castaways on the Pearl Islands, Jon came up with a plan to have his friend Dan tell him that his grandmother had died if they made it to the family and friends reward challenge. All went as planned and Dan delivered the line in an Oscar-worthy performance. Others took pity on Jon and let him win the challenge. Later, he told the camera, "My grandmother's sitting home watching Jerry Springer right now." For the next few weeks, Jon milked the lie and swore on his dead grandmother as he played both sides of the game. His lies took him to the final three, where ironically Boy Scoutmaster Lillian gave him the boot.