Rhode Island’s Rob Antonson Vows to ‘Rip $1M Out of Everyone’s Hands’ on CBS’s ‘Survivor 51′

One Rhode Island man is ready to outwit, outlast and outplay the competition on Season 51 of the hit CBS show Survivor.

"I think a lot of people should be worried. I think a lot of people should be scared...this is like a new era now," Rob Antonson said. "I'm here for the chaos, baby."

The 40-year-old Cumberland resident who works at Logan Airport is more than confident to take on the challenge. "I'm ready to take it all. I'm ready to rip the one million dollars out of everyone's hands and take it back to my kids," he said.

He'll be leaving his wife and three kids to travel to the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji. "One day I was watching Survivor with my six-year-old and he told me, 'You know, dad, you can't do that.' As a 40-year-old and with a 24-year-mind frame, I'm still thinking I'm this jacked young guy that can do anything," Antonson said.

Making it on the show has been Antonson's dream for a while now. "When I was younger, I wanted to be on Survivor when I was 21, 22 years old. I would have been horrible," he said. "I would've been this cocky, young kid, think I could win every challenge and then running people over. But as a 40-year-old now, I understand that you want people to like you. You want people to trust you, even though at the end of the day, you might backstab."

READ MORE: Why Rhode Island Native Elisabeth Hasslebeck Won't Return to Survivor

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Strategic "Bromances" and Backstabbing in Fiji

His strategy: win them over with the gift of gab. "I would love to have friends for life from this experience," Antonson said. "I'd love to have a bromance. If you can have a solid relationship with anybody, even if you betray them and stick a knife in their back, you could still win them over."

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Three Rhode Island Connections on Season 51

Not only is Antonson competing for the title of Sole Survivor, there are two other contestants with ties to the Ocean State battling for the big prize. Aaliyah Puglia, a 24-year-old chef from New Jersey, now calls Providence home. Then there's mental health counselor Eric Macksoud, who grew up in Lincoln and now resides in Connecticut. Is there something in the Rhody waters?

READ MORE: Survivor Winners From New England

A total of 21 contestants will be competing throughout Season 51, all tapping into their unique skill sets to avoid having their torch put out each week. "I'm kind of like a lasagna," Antonson said. "You're gonna look at me and think I'm like this sports jock guy, but there's so many different layers to me. I am a loving guy to my wife and kids. I'm caring, extremely competitive, I hate to lose."

How to Watch the Survivor 51 Premiere

You can watch Rob Antonson during the special two-hour premiere of Survivor 51 on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 8 p.m. on CBS.