Baltimore fans of the long-running hit reality TV show “Survivor” will have a new reason to watch: One of the castaways on this season is a Charm City native.
CBS announced the slate of 18 new “Survivor” cast members on Wednesday in advance of the show’s 47th season, which begins Sept. 18.
Gabe Ortis, a 26-year-old Baltimore radio host and Ravens fan, is the latest castaway to hail from Maryland, which has seen nearly a dozen residents participate in the reality TV series, including Brian Heidik, a Burtonsville native who was the winner of Survivor Thailand Season 5. More recently, last season’s Emily Flippen was a Texas native who lives in Laurel. In season 45, Hannah Rose, a Connecticut native who was a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University, joined the competition.
Watchers of the sometimes cutthroat but always conniving reality TV competition hosted by Jeff Probst, will find that Ortis is ready to play the game.
“I am not here to make friends,” he says in an introductory clip released by CBS, detailing his understanding that sometimes it’s necessary to “lie, cheat and steal” to get ahead in the competition.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ortis was asked to name three words that describe himself. He said: “opportunistic, resourceful, blunt.” He told EW that he left his job to be on the show, which he called the “best sad decision I ever made.”
He also describes himself as a cat lover — he has two, Chachi and Saba — whose hobbies include live sporting events, poker and snowboarding.
Ortis will be joined on the show by Terran “TK” Foster, a 31-year-old marketing manager who is from Prince George’s County and lives in Upper Marlboro.
Another cast member who is bound to shake things up is Jon Lovett, a co-host of “Pod Save America” who was once a speechwriter for former President Barack Obama. Other players include a flight attendant, an ER doctor and an AI researcher.
As usual, this season’s competitors will be divided into three tribes as they compete in physical and mental challenges on a beach in the remote islands of the South Pacific. Castaways are voted off the island one by one (most often) with the sole remaining player winning the $1 million prize.
“Survivor” airs at 8 p.m. on CBS and on the subscription streaming service Paramount+.