Meet Kaleb Gebrewold, the 1st-ever British Columbian to compete in 'Survivor'

Kaleb Gebrewold, 29, will be the first B.C.-born Survivor contestant when the CBS reality show's 45th season premieres on Sept. 27, 2023. (Credit: Robert Voets /CBS)

Season 45 of “Survivor” will include a contestant from British Columbia, marking a first for the CBS reality television show.

The cast of the upcoming season was revealed on Wednesday and includes 29-year-old Kaleb Gebrewold, who was born in Port Coquitlam and normally resides in Vancouver.

For the 45th season of Survivor, however, the software salesman’s home base will be Fiji, where he and 17 other “castaways” will compete for the title of Sole Survivor, which comes with a $1-million USD prize.

The series breaks contestants up into three tribes of six players, who then go on to navigate a social game rife with mental and physical challenges, forming alliances along the way.

In a promotional video released ahead of the Sept. 27 season premiere, Gebrewold claims he’s never been qualified to do anything he’s done.

“Why wouldn’t I come here and win Survivor as well?” Gebrewold said.

He describes himself as a Black Huckleberry Finn, adding he wants to give off “Golden Retriever energy.”

“Like ‘he loves games, he loves people—energetic!’ And what they don’t realize is this dog was raised by wolves,” said Gebrewold.

CTV News has reached out to Gebrewold and will update this article if a response is received.

CANADIAN CASTAWAYS

The show’s inaugural B.C. castaway isn’t the first Canadian to appear on Survivor.

Season 39 featured Brampton, Ontario native Tom Laidlaw, a then 60-year-old retired NHL player.

More Ontario-born contestants joined the show for its 41st and 42nd seasons—Shantel Smith, Erika Casupanan, Maryanna Oketch and Omar Zaheer.

Casupanan, who is from Niagara Falls, ended up winning her season, while Oketch scored the $1-million prize the following year—becoming the second Black woman to do so.

Kane Fritzler was Saskatchewan’s first Survivor contestant and only Canadian to compete in Season 44.

The new season will kick off with a 90-minute premiere on Sept. 27.

Since its debut in 2000, 648 episodes of Survivor have aired—including six specials.