Last month, fans saw Survivor return with a fan-focused new season. Since then, they’ve also seen the return of Colby Donaldson, marking his fourth season with the franchise. Recently, he’s opened up about his new plans to take things in a different direction.
Colby Donaldson First Joined The Survivor Franchise With The Second Season
Donaldson has quite a history with the Survivor franchise. He finished as a runner-up on the second season, Survivor: The Australian Outback.
Since then, the Texas native has competed on Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. Outside of the franchise, he has also hosted shows, including Top Shot and Alone. More recently, he joined the castaways on Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans.
Survivor 50 previously premiered on February 25, 2026. This season, which films in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji, celebrates the show’s 25th anniversary. Putting focus on the fans, some aspects of the games are determined by online public votes.
Having previously competed on three different seasons of the show, Donaldson recently shared that he hopes he will avoid the mistakes he’s made amid this current season. Speaking with People, he shared that he hopes to impress viewers with his gameplay, referencing his initial stint on the show.
During his original appearance during the second season, Donaldson won five Individual Immunity Challenges. However, during his later seasons, he found himself voting on the jury, voting for the winners of the $1 million prize.
Donaldson Also Shared That His Recent Time In Texas Might Have Given Him An Advantage Over Previous Seasons
As Colby shared, “It’s hard for me to reconcile the way I played the last two times. Not necessarily proud of the outcome, but I’m also not proud of just how I handled adversity in the game. A lot of why I wanted to come back was I wanted to right those wrongs for me.”
Donaldson noted that he was “trying to be relevant and needed exposure” during his second and third turns on the show. Looking back, he felt that these were “things that can cloud your ability to play this game full tilt.”
Recently, Donaldson’s been herding cattle and welding during his life in Texas. As he shared, this might have given him an advantage compared to earlier seasons. He shared, “I don’t think I would’ve ever been a consideration by [Survivor host Jeff Probst] and by the team if I weren’t back in Texas doing what I’m doing because my intentions for playing the game today are just as authentic as they were 25 years ago. ‘m not sure I could say that about the second and third time I played.”
Colby also alluded to this likely being his last Survivor season. As he shared, “I’m completely flattered and honored that they’ve allowed me one more time. You can bet this will be the last time.”
What is your reaction to Colby Donaldson’s recent share? Have you been keeping up with Survivor 50? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
