Survivor’s Rick Devens breaks silence after show exit and reveals unexpected moment that didn’t make it to air
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity
Fresh from his second stint on Survivor; yet sadly no closer to the $2million prize pot he himself had helped to boost, contestant Rick Devens has lifted the lid on several key moments from the hit series - including what didn’t make it to air.
Devens was sadly voted out of the competition in episode 12, which aired on May 13, shortly after he had doubled the prize pot thanks to a lucky coin flip against Mr.Beast himself.
For much of the series, Devens was instrumental in keeping the show lively, from his fake idol hidden at tribal council right through to his on-screen rivalry and subsequent feud with fellow contestant Joe Hunter.
Sitting down in an exclusive chat with UNILAD, Devens lifted the lid on one particular day that fans didn’t see, which showcased what he got up to when there were no challenges left to occupy his time.
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He recalled: “There was a day where we had no challenges - we're just hanging out at camp the whole day. And so I really wanted to take the boat out because I'd never done that in all my time on Survivor.
“ So I ended up going out in the boat with Ozzy and Jonathan and Emily and then Ozzy and Jonathan were out there fishing trying to see who could come with the most fish and Emily and I were in the boats being like our chaotic selves laughing about how ridiculous the games we're playing are.
“It was really just like a fun time almost away from the game where the four of us were just having a good time and living that Fiji lifestyle and It was a really great memory that I'll hold on to.”
While the memory is one Devens can look back on fondly, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for him during his second stint on the Island for the show’s 50th season, as returning to the competition for a second stab at the prize meant revisiting some of the challenges that had previously bested him in the past.
“They brought back so many challenges for the season that I failed on my first season. I was so annoyed when I walk in and go ‘hey there's that challenge I'm bad at. They know I'm bad at it, why is that up here?’” He explained.
“Like the door one, the balancing the ball on my head one, the string on a rope one that we had last night - I failed all of those on my first season, so that was tough.
“During the first season, the way I got to the end was finding immunities, playing immunity idols, winning immunities. You know, I won four of them.
“And this time I got to seventh place and only had one real immunity idol in my hand the whole time. I had to use it right away because people don't let me slip through with immunities like that.
“So it was it was a whole different sort of challenge trying to find a new game and new ways to creatively get myself just through one vote.”
Devens first attempted the challenge 7 years ago, but was honoured to be invited to return as part of the show’s iconic 50th season, which brought with it more drama, intrigue and challenges than even he could have expected.
During his time on the show there were plenty of standout moments, but only one that stood out as his absolute favourite - securing a $2million prize fund for his fellow competitors.
“The best time was probably flipping the Mr. Beast coin because it doubled the pot to 2 million. So not only was I super ecstatic because I was safe and I had this big moment and Mr. Beast is there,” he confessed proudly.
“All of the people, even the ones that were after me, were also super excited and happy because the money just doubled to two million so it was just this fun moment that even the jury was into! It was awesome and will always stand out in my mind.”
The same however couldn't be said for the elimination of his pal Christian Hubicki, which came as a bitter blow in April 2026 after becoming the first player forced to vote for himself due to a "One in the Urn" twist.
“The worst moment was probably Christian getting voted out. Oh yeah. I hated to see Christian go. I was worried it might happen, but it was still kind of a surprise. And it was just such a bummer because I had so much fun up to that point playing with him.”
While the experience may not have seen Devens walk away with a cash prize, the experience hasn’t stopped him from hinting that the third time may well be the charm if he is invited back for another stab at victory.
“My first two seasons I kind of felt like I'd have a rough go out of it,” he admitted. “After my first season you never know and it's been such a gift - I think I'd go out one more time. I guess I love pain!”