During the latest episode of Survivor: Island of the Idols, it was revealed that Dan Spilo was removed from the game. It marked the first time in the show’s history that a contestant was removed from the game due to their behavior which was described as only “a report of another incident, which happened off-camera and did not involve a player.”
Dan had previously received a warning for touching female contestants and making them feel uncomfortable.
But since there was so little information, fans of the show were left speculating on the reason for why the decision was made to finally pull him out of the game. While CBS is not publicly commenting on the matter at this time, a report suggests the incident involved a member of the production team.
From PEOPLE:
PEOPLE has spoken to multiple people involved with the show’s production, who confirmed that the incident in question — which involved a member of the show’s production team — happened after an immunity challenge as Spilo and other contestants were getting into a boat to transport them back to the camp. The incident was not caught on camera, but at least one other contestant witnessed it.
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Kellee Kim, another contestant who previously raised concerns about Dan’s inappropriate touching which led to his warning, issued a statement on social media after the show aired.
“While Dan’s dismissal has validated the concerns that I raised from the beginning of this season, I wish that no one else had to be subjected to this type of behavior,” she wrote on Twitter. “CBS and Survivor were on notice of Dan’s behavior from the very first days of the game. And, as Survivor fans know, shortly after I spoke up on camera, I was voted off the show. Since then, I’ve accepted genuine, heartfelt apologies from fellow castaways, but I’ve continued to feel disappointed by how this pattern of behavior was allowed to occur for so long.
“While I wish many things had gone differently, I’m glad that my decision to speak up made a difference. What is most important to me now is how all of us — CBS, Survivor, other organizations, and all of us as individuals — decide to learn from this story and commit to take action.”
We will have to wait and see whether additional information is eventually revealed.
The season finale of Survivor: Island of the Idols airs December 18 on CBS. It will be taped in front of a live studio audience, but for the first time in show history it will be pre-recorded and aired on a tape delay.
