As Survivor 48 kicks into high gear, spoiler-filled rumors of the show's eventual winner and finalists have begun to swirl online.
The latest season of the long-running reality staple marks its 16th consecutive to be filmed in the Fijian Mamanuca Islands, introducing audiences to a new cast of characters all vying for the title of "Sole Survivor."
Season 48 sees another batch of 18 contestants (this time including notable additions like a firefighter, stunt performer, and surgeon) undergoing various physical and mental challenges all in the hopes of winning $1 million.
Who Will Win Survivor 48?
Several prominent rumors and supposed spoilers have started to permeate online, seemingly revealing Survivor 48's finalists as well as the season's grand-prize winner.
Rumors such as these seem to pop up online with every ensuing season of the hit CBS reality show to varying levels of success. Last season, leakers suggested weeks before it happened that the show's eventual winner would be Rachel Lamont, which ultimately came to pass.
Season 48 started the Survivor spoilers machine once again, as some names have begun to bubble to the surface thanks to alleged leaks from later in the seasons.
See below for all the latest Survivor 48 winner and finalist rumors:
An All-Female Final Three
One particular bit of speculation from the latest season that caught fire is the idea of an all-female final three set for Survivor 48's batch of finalists.
This leak stems from a post from reputable insider LifetimeRobot on Reddit. The comment seemingly leaking this information has been deleted, but that has not stopped fans from grabbing hold of it and running.
The rumor came with the supposed word that the season would include a full-on fistfight at a tribal council late in its run, a medevac for a contestant, and a rock draw elimination.
As for who this lady-led final three could be, it remains to be seen, but there are a few names fans seem to think could go the distance.
Mary and Shuahin Pegged As Contenders
Two names that have continually come up in conversations about potential finalists are Philidelphia native Mary Zheng and Californian debate professor Shauhin Davari.
Both cast members have been pegged online as lasting long into this season, thanks to a few reasons.
Shuanin's case mainly has to do with his presence in promotional material for Season 48 that seems to come from later in the show. One particular moment sees the 38-year-old having seemingly undergone a tribe swap at some point—something that is typically done later in the series rather than sooner.
This could potentially put him on the same side as Mary, as she has been seen on social media (via Reddit) coming to the defense of her fellow castmate over critiques from fans.
One would assume Mary would not make such a move if the pair had not had time on the show to develop such a rapport, the kind of rapport one would expect for former tribe mates.
That means if this tribe swap does put Mary and Shaunin on the same team, and it happens later in the season (like it is likely to do), then both of them have to be in consideration to make it deep into the competition. And thus, this would put both of them in contention to be the potential Survivor 48 winner.
The Final 15 Seconds Theory
Another popular theory so far this season that has started to pick up steam online has been dubbed by some as the "Final 15 Seconds Theory."
One eagle-eyed fan (known as Tabstis online) noticed that in the "New Era" of Survivor (seasons since 2021), the eventual winner was included in the last 15 seconds of that particular season's first promotional trailer.
Each of the last six seasons have all followed this trend, so by looking at the trailer for Survivor 84, fans may be able to sus out who will outwit, outplay, and outlast the competition.
Season 48's trailer included four names in its final 15 seconds: Joe Hunter, Shauhin Davari, Stephanie Berger, and Eva Erikson. Seeing as Stephanie has already been eliminated, that narrows the list down to three.
Among those names is Shauhin, who (as mentioned above) is being eyed to potentially make it far this season.
Like any potential Survivor spoilers, this should be taken with a grain of salt, but this trailer inclusion could be yet another hint that Shauhin will be the one to make it out of this season as its eventual winner.
Survivor 48 continues on CBS, with new episodes being released every Wednesday at 8 p.m. before streaming on Paramount+ as well.
