Get the scoop on Rachel LaMont from the latest season of Survivor.
On the enduring reality series Survivor, a group of contestants are placed on a tropical island where they must outwit, outplay, and perhaps even outlast one another. Episodes typically end with a cast member becoming voted off of the island by their peers.
4 Fun Facts About Rachel LaMont From Survivor 47
Rachel Lamont Was Born in Thailand
Despite having partly grown up in Dexter, Michigan, Rachel LaMont was actually born in Thailand and spent her first few years in the country. As she explained to Entertainment Weekly, she feels her ability to “assimilate” gave her a leg up on Survivor:
“I was born in Thailand and lived there until I was seven, but I never spoke Thai. Then I moved to the U.S. and didn’t understand American culture. I was the youngest in my family by nine years. I’ve always been forced to understand social dynamics to assimilate from a young age, and I think I’m pretty good at it as a result.”
Parade Magazine asked LaMont if she had any particular life experiences that would help her stand out of the pack on the hit reality show. She cited her ability to “blend in” and “pick up on the vibe” as a distinct advantage:
“So I feel like I've always been around people that I didn't actually fit in with, whether it was age or culturally or whatever. And so I think that, throughout my life, I've moved a lot. And I just feel like all of those things have just made me really able to kind of blend in with a group and just pick up on the vibe, and just be that vibe too. [Laughs].”
Rachel is Married With Two Pets
Speaking again to Entertainment Weekly, Southfield, Michigan resident Rachel LaMont expressed joy and gratitude for the life she’s been able to build When asked about her biggest accomplishment:
“I’m honestly just so proud of the life my husband Derek and I have built together. So many incredible friends and family loving and supporting us, good jobs, traveling adventures, a home with our dog Eva and cat Maeby. I just couldn’t ask for more and that makes me so damn proud.”
She also described her husband Derek as “the absolute foil” to her quirky personality, emphasizing that she and her spouse serve to “really balance each other out” to GoldDerby:
“I’m weird and I’m quirky and just a little neurotic and a little too much at times. And I think my husband Derek is the absolute foil to my personality. We just really balance each other out. I hope that I can find somebody out here that has similar characteristics and is able to keep me in check.”
Rachel Was Introduced to Survivor by Her Husband
Speaking of LaMont’s husband, he is partially responsible for his wife winding up on Survivor, as it was Derek who first got her into watching the show (via The Oakland Press):
“I had never seen ‘Survivor’ before, but as soon as we started watching it, I couldn’t stop. I thought, ‘How have I never seen this show?’ I was hooked,”
Rachel LaMont was almost a player on the previous season of Survivor (Season 46) as well, as an alternate, but was ultimately not called up to the big leagues.
She detailed, to Parade, the process that went into winning a spot in Season 47, including an untimely derailment, courtesy of the pandemic:
“And within a couple of months, I had submitted my first audition video. And, over the years, got a call, then ghosted, blah, blah, blah. And then, in 2020, I got the first real call that kind of started to get my foot in the door. And COVID happened, all this stuff. And then, two years ago, I was pitched, and then kind of kind of went silent. And then, last year, I got through everything and ended up being the alternate. So I came out here on Survivor 46 as the female alternate and didn't get to play. But now I'm here, and it's great to be here. It's been a long time coming.”
Rachel Is Ready To Challenge Herself on Survivor 47
Rachel LaMont noted to The Oakland Press that the cash prize awarded to the Survivor 47 contestant who emerges victorious was far from her only consideration in wanting to be on the series. The 34-year-old takes great enjoyment in “pushing myself to new limits:”
"I love people, I love games, and I love pushing myself to new limits. And let’s be honest, I love money,"
She also mentioned that her time on Survivor inspired a new fondness for the great outdoors:
"I’ve never been a big camper, but after 'Survivor' wrapped, I went glamping with some friends, and it gave me a new appreciation for being outdoors.”
After getting back home from filming the series, LaMont was also able to finally satisfy a yen for a spicy chicken sandwich, which unfortunately was not a meal option on the island. She told the outlet that she now fully understands why food has been such a big concern for previous Survivor participants:
"You hear past contestants talk about food all the time, and now I understand why. When you're out there surviving, all you can think about is that first meal when you get home."
How To Follow Rachel Online
Rachel LaMont can be found on Instagram at the handle @rachel.a.lamont and X (formerly Twitter) @rachelalamont.
Survivor 47 airs on CBS. The next new episode arrives on Wednesday, November 6.
