Among the 750+ contestants who have played Survivor through nearly 50 seasons, when it comes to notoriety going into the game, Lisa Whelchel is in the upper echelon. The actress is known for appearing on TV weekly on NBC for nine years as part of The Facts of Life. But in 2012, she popped back up on our screens in a very different way, as one of 18 contestants on the 25th season of Survivor. After some initial struggles, she went on to make it to the Final Three and tied for second place, also earning the audience Fan Favorite prize.But while Lisa's reality TV debut came as a surprise to us, it wasn't to her. Prior to becoming a Survivor castaway herself, she was a huge fan of the show. Even after her time in the Philippines, she served as a frequent guest and even temporary co-host of Jeff Probst's short-lived talk show. Unfortunately, the Collector's Call host revealed toEntertainment Weekly that she was not contacted for the highly anticipated returnee season of Survivor 50. But that certainly doesn't stop her from having some opinions about the cast.
? SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox ? "I am a huge Survivor fan," she tells Parade exclusively. "I still have not missed a single episode in 48 seasons. I am very excited to see Season 50. I have to say, [though], my reactions to the cast. Some of them are like, 'Oh my gosh, I love them. I cannot wait to see them.' Some of them, it's like, 'Oh, I've seen enough of them.' And then others, it's like, 'Why did they get invited back? That doesn't make sense.' So I mean, it's all over the place."While Lisa isn't out on the island, there is someone repping it for the celebrity Survivor players on Season 50: Mike White. Like her, he came to the show's 37th season as a known quantity, most remembered then for his work on School of Rock and Nacho Libre, as well as two prior seasons of The Amazing Race. He was able to put together a dominant game, only to finish in a similar second place. So, of course, when we talked with Lisa weeks after the announcement that the Emmy-winning White Lotus creator would be going back to the island, we had to ask what she thought the chances were of a fellow celeb winning.
Related: Lisa Whelchel Reveals She's Started Collecting 'Facts of Life' Set Pieces After 'Collector's Call' Hosting Gig (Exclusive)
"The very thing that I was concerned about when I was on there, and I would think Mike should be concerned about, and that is, he plays a great game," she answers. "He's very social, and he's brilliant strategically. But if he's sitting next to somebody, all they have to say is, 'Hey, look, he's a great player, and I'm going to give him that. But I'm also a great player, and I'm not a multi-millionaire.' I think that is a valid point."While Lisa won't be returning to the island anytime soon, the reality TV floodgates have opened in the past few years with plenty of other opportunities. From Dancing with the Stars to The Masked Singer to Deal or No Deal Island, we've seen many reality stars recently showcase their talents on other unscripted series. The most popular as of late, though, is The Traitors. So, despite swearing off a trip to Fiji anytime soon, how would Lisa feel about a trip to Scotland?"It's so funny you said that, because my kids have been after me to do Traitors," she reveals. I mean. And I was like, 'Ugh!' But I have to say I started watching it because of the Survivor cast, Carolyn and Boston Rob and Parvati and Cirie. And so I am intrigued. And, coincidentally, I saw that they announced the next [cast]. And so I showed it to my husband, and I said, 'There's a couple of Survivor people on there.' You never know. I mean, between Facts of Life and Survivor, that might be a good fit."Between her strategic experience from Survivor, and the outfits the woman behind Blair Warner would bring to the castle, we're already manifesting a trip to the turret for Lisa Whelchel in Season 5.
Related: Meet the Full Cast of 'Survivor 50'
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