Cirie Fields says “Survivor 50” was her best game ever, as well as her last
Cirie Fields says “Survivor 50” was her best game ever, as well as her last
Dalton RossThu, May 14, 2026 at 2:45 PM UTC
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Cirie Fields on 'Survivor 50'.
Credit: Robert Voets/CBSKey Points
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Survivor nation is very, very sad right now, for Cirie Fields was on the receiving end of a Survivor 50 torch-snuffing.
The fan favorite delves into the emotions surrounding her latest defeat.
Cirie also explains why this was her best game ever, as well as her last.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
That was the simultaneous reaction across Survivor nation at approximately 9:25pm ET when fan favorite Cirie Fields had her torch snuffed on Survivor 50. Easily the most popular Survivor player to never win the game, Cirie came up short in her fifth (and final?) attempt.
However, the fact that the most dangerous social and strategic player in the game was even able to make it to the final six is remarkable in itself, and one could argue this was her most impressive outing yet. Every single player thought they were aligned with Cirie, and nobody had a clue she was locked in with Ozzy Lusth and Rizo Velovic, enabling the mastermind to subtly work behind-the-scenes to keep them safe… at least until Ozzy had a brain freeze and willingly disclosed to Aubry Bracco all about the secret alliance.
Ultimately, Cirie was done in after Tiffany Ervin won immunity, leaving her as the biggest target worth taking out since nobody stood a chance of beating her in a final Tribal Council jury vote.
How did Cirie process her latest Survivor disappointment? What does she make of Rizo turning against her? And is this truly the last time she will ever play? We asked juror number nine all that and more, and you can now watch or read the entire interview below.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Tell me about the feeling as you went up to get your torch snuffed by Jeff for the fifth time.
CIRIE FIELDS: You know what, Dalton? Maybe it's because I'm older now. 20 years in, I had zero regrets about the game I played. I felt like I did everything I could. I felt awesome about just being there for season 50. Obviously, $2 million is $2 million. I didn't wanna leave without that. However, I left again with more than I bargained for. I met new people. I've learned more things about myself.
Listen, I'm gonna have failures, but I'm also gonna have successes, because that first episode was like, oh my God, mind blowing. It was hard for me to watch. But then to pick up the traction after that and remain in the game all the way to the end, it's like, you know what? Stop underestimating yourself. Because when I was asked for season 50, I said to my husband and my children, "It's an honor to be asked, but I know they're gona get me. I know they're gonna come for me. I don't think I'm gonna make it past the first or second episode.” And here I am at the end again. So I felt humbled and honored.
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What was your reception like when you got to Ponderosa?
Oh, it's always the same when I get there, Dalton. Like, "Damn, we didn't want you to come here, but we are happy to see you. We love you." That was my reception at Ponderosa. And that's always been my reception at Ponderosa. “We never wanted it to be you, but we love you.”
What did you think your chances were walking into that Tribal?
Oh, goose cooked. I knew my goose was cooked. That's why I tried to throw a Hail Mary and implicate Aubry. That was my only game. I had nothing else. If you noticed last night, I said to Rizo [befofe the challenge], "So what happens if Tiffany wins?" And he was like, "I don't know. " I'm like, "What do you mean you don't know? " Because I knew then if Tiffany were to win, they would come for me.
Cirie Fields on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS
People would have been insane to bring you to the final three. I guess Ozzy would have done it…
And Tiffany would've done it! I believe Tiffany. She told me she would've. Absolutely. We had conversations in the game and out of the game and she was like, "I know I will lose to you, but I will go all the way. I'm telling you." And I believe her. I believe Tiffany would've, I believe Ozzy would've, and maybe Christian. I'm not sure because of the conversation we had, but I believe those people would have sat next to me in the end. And that's why I tried so hard to keep Ozzy in the game because I knew he meant what he said and I tried also for Tiffany. I was never gonna vote for Tiffany.
You and Ozzy started on the same tribe, and this was your third time playing together. How did you manage to keep that so under wraps where nobody seemed to realize how locked in you two were?
You know why? Because I didn't vigorously dispute when they said, "Let's vote Ozzy." I listened to it and you heard me say, "Okay, yeah, Ozzy has an idol, we should get him." While in the background coming up with a plan on how not to get him. I've learned from playing this game a lot of times. In Heroes vs. Villains, I fought so hard to keep Candice, it cost me the game. So I know not to fight upfront, just to fight in the background.
Ozzy Lusth and Cirie Fields on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Gail Schulman/CBS
We saw Jenna Lewis on day one trying to get you out. You went in with this massive target on your back coming into this game. And in many ways, it could be argued this was your best performance to get as far as you did and be controlling things from the shadows anyway. If you were gonna analyze this performance against some of your others, what would you say?
Oh, I definitely think it's at the top of the ladder, because of the target that I had, like you said, and the fact that they were after me. I felt like I was on roller skates from the second the game started. It was Jenna, it was Savannah, it was Jonathan. Every turn somebody was after me and I was able to deflect that and stay in the game to this point. Yeah, like I told you, Dalton, I truly told my family, like, "Ugh, I'm gonna go because it's season 50 and it's an honor to be asked, but don't expect much."
Ozzy will be the first one to say he's not the master strategist out there, right? He'll tell you himself. And we saw certain points, like when you get back from the coconut challenge and you have to tell him who to vote for, and then we saw him blabbing to Aubry. What was it like having to play with him, but also teach him and manage him a little bit?
So I'd rather play with someone and teach and manage them who is going to be loyal to me than play with someone who is not. As you can see, I'm loyal to a fault. If I think and know that I can trust you and I've seen nothing other than that, I will ride with you till the wheels fall off. So I don't care that I have to do a little bit extra to keep us in the game, but it paid off because [early on] whatever pull Ozzy had, he used it to keep me in the game. He also gave me an extra vote. So I think it was a perfect match, actually.
To be clear, did you ask for that extra vote or he just gave it to you?
No. I did not. I didn't even know he won the extra vote. When he came back, he said, "You know, Cirie, I wanna play this game with you and I want you to know that I'm serious and that you can trust me and I got an extra vote out there on the island."
He told me everything that happened with him and Q and he said, "And I wanna give it to you just in case we get broken up." And I was like, "Ozzy, you don't have to give it to me now. I appreciate it because maybe you'll change your mind later." And he was like, "No, I want you to take it." It was right before we went to the next challenge and we got separated. So it was perfect timing. So no, I didn't ask for it, but I appreciated it.
Ozzy Lusth and Cirie Fields on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Dalton Ross
Let's talk a little bit about Rizo. I remember talking to you before the game started, and you were definitely wary of this kid, the RizGod. You guys end up becoming allies and then he leads the charge to get you out. What'd you make of him out there, and at the end as well?
You know what? Rizo is a kid, like one of my sons. I think Rizo's younger than most of my sons. I have three sons. I think Rizo's a smart Survivor player, and he's like me 20 years ago. I just wanted to win the game so badly, and Rizo was loyal and he rode as long as he could until he thought it got to a point where he was right! He would never win against me. You can't be mad at him.
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So I just think Rizo did what he thought he needed to do for his game. And I look at Rizo like when your children do something bad, you don't turn on them, you don't hate them. You might scold them or have a conversation with them, but you still love them, and that's how I feel about Rizo.
Cirie Fields and Rizo Velovic on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS
Stephenie said in our exit interview that before you all voted her out that she went up to you and Ozzy and said if you all did that, that you two would be next. Tell me about that interaction.
I don't recall none of that. And you know, I don't do the drama. There's so much drama related to her, and I'm old enough now to know that people's perceptions are their reality and you can't argue with people's reality or their perceptions, so I don't.
What’s something else that happened out there that didn’t make it to TV that you wish we had seen?
I am so upset that they did not show my prowess when it comes to preparing meals. I cooked the hell out of them chickens. And they were so good, as Jonathan will tell you. And they showed none of that! I mean, finger licking good chicken on the island! And none of it was shown.
Yeah, they didn't show whatever happened to those chickens you guys won. They were there and then they weren't there.
Oh my goodness. And they were delicious. Ask anybody on my tribe.
Cirie Fields on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS
You told me last summer after playing this was it for you as a contestant on Survivor. You still feel that way?
I absolutely feel that way. I'll be 56 in July. I have received so much more than I'll bargain for from this 20, 21 year experience, Dalton. I don't really need to prove anything. When I get the title of “the best to have never won,” all I hear is those first two words, the best. And that's good enough for me.
What does that mean for you in terms of reality competition shows in general? You've done a bunch of other ones. There are a bunch of other ones always coming out. Are you still open to those possibilities?
There may be a couple of things. [Laughs]
Cirie Fields and Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS
You agreed that it was your best performance ever considering everything stacked against you. How did the experience as a whole stack up for you?
Oh my God, it was awesome. First of all, I'm a fan, right? So from a fan standpoint, being there and seeing MrBeast, um, chicken fry……… Zac Brown! Seeing other people outside, that whole experience just blows your mind because of all my other Survivor experiences, we were the only ones allowed to be on the island to participate in the game.
To see the game opened up to outside individuals is mind blowing and to be there to experience this first ever on Survivor — so many first evers on Survivor — I feel honored to be a part of that and I feel like it was awesome to be a part of it.
Cirie Fields on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS
Yeah, you are a fan and I've watched Survivor with you before and I love watching your reactions to it. So if you were just a fan or a viewer, hit me with what would have been your favorite twist or wrinkle this season and maybe what was one that you didn't like that they put into this season?
Oh, hands down, Devens and the coin flip to go from a million to two million. I bet everybody's mind just, they're still picking up pieces off the floor as we speak. You go from a million to two million on a coin flip and you have MrBeast come on? The only thing he could have done better was bring some chocolate with him.
Was there anything you didn't like in terms of the, the twists or wrinkles they put you guys through?
Me and Billie Eilish gonna have to have a talk because I like the Billie Eilish Boomerang idol, except for the fact that you can't use it on other people. Why not? Why is it only specific to that person? Yeah, that's the only part I didn't like.
Cirie Fields on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Gail Schulman/CBS
Have you cashed the $100,000 Sia Fan Favorite check yet?
I have not, Dalton. You don't cash checks until you have them in hand. You old enough. We’re the same age, you know better.
You're going out for the finale and the live reunion om L.A. If you're saying this is your last time playing Survivor, that will really be your last Survivor event as a contestant. What do you think about heading out to have that final moment with the whole cast and Jeff and everyone?
I think it's gonna be awesome — an awesome closure to a beautiful life journey that I received that was so unexpected. And to go out in such a way that I don't feel sad, I don't feel regretful. I think it's a culmination of everything that I've learned and received over 20 years, so I look forward to it. I'm ready today! I said to my husband and to my son, I was like, "You know what? After last night, I'm excited." I usually am sad to go to the finale and have mixed feelings, but for this one, I'm excited to go. I can't wait. It can't come soon enough.
Cirie Fields on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS
I've said it before. I'll say it again. I heard you before I met you back in Survivor Panama as you were guffawing and laughing to Shawna Malcom of TV Guide from another room, and you guys were having such a ball. I'm like, "Who is that?" And to go on this journey with you the entire time has been amazing. You'll always be a winner in my book, Cirie.
Thank you, Dalton. Thank you. I appreciate it.
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