Sonja Christopher, who was the first person in Survivor Season 1 to be voted off the show, has died at 87, according to a current contestant. No cause was revealed.
Liz Wilcox, who stars in the current season 46 of Survivor, posted the news on X. She met Christopher over Christmas and shared a photo of the two talking on FaceTime on her account.
“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.”
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.
Sonja competed on Survivor: Borneo in 2000, and was voted out after several missteps led to her team losing that first week.