One of the most iconic contestants on on the “Survivor” reality series, Kim Johnson, has passed away at the age of 79. Her death was confirmed by her friend, costar, and “Survivor: Africa” winner, Ethan Zohn. Zohn, who is 50, made the announcement on his Instagram account on July 29.
“Rest in peace Kim Johnson. It was a blessing to call you my friend and a privilege to experience the final tribal council with you,” Zohn stated in a caption for a reel of clips of the two together on the show.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-A6duBRcBY/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=fc5249e7-dd5b-49a7-bd43-26883b624c0c
via The NY Post:
“Survivor” Season 44 winner Yam Yam Arocho wrote, “Kim J, Rest in Peace 🙏.” One fan called Johnson “underrated.” Another thanked Zohn for “this amazing tribute.” Johnson’s cause of death is not yet known.
Johnson was a 56-year-old retired teacher when she began her journey on “Survivor: Africa” in 2001. She was a fan favorite during the season, only the third in the show’s long history, and also the oldest woman to compete in the season. Johnson was a fierce competitor, winning a total of seven challenges and two immunity necklaces, one of which she snagged in the show’s final immunity challenge.
To earn her seat at that last tribal council, she bested Zohn and fellow contestant Lex Van den Berghe in a competition that required them to balance on a log while keeping one hand on the coveted immunity idol. As the trio struggled to keep going, Johnson said she was picturing herself holding a planter’s punch cocktail in her hand rather than the immunity idol.
Clearly, Johnson had a magnificent sense of humor and seemed like a really fun person to be around. She ultimately went on to hold onto the idol for three hours. Yes, you read that correctly. Three. Hours. The incredible feat made her the oldest person to win the challenge.
And with that victory, she nabbed another record. She was the oldest woman to make it to the final tribal council vote. However, Zohn was the victor. The jury voted against Johnson 5-2, sending her home the runner-up.
The final vote also earned her a less desirable record, marking her as the first “Survivor” finalist to garner fewer than three votes from the jury. In her final tribal council speech, Johnson told her fellow contestants, “You all made me feel important without exception.”
She added, “Each one of you has helped me be the best that I can be and so I’m leaving here like a winner big time.”
Unlike many previous contestants, Johnson never returned for future seasons of the program. She still holds the record for being the oldest woman to compete on the show.
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