New Englanders Account for a Quarter of ‘Survivor’ Season 45 Players

The 45th season of Survivor is underway on CBS and as usual, New England is well represented. There are castaways from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut competing for the $1 million prize and title of "Sole Survivor."

Survivor, hosted by Jeff Probst, began 23 years ago, launching a reality TV craze. That craze continues today.

Survivor has churned out three Massachusetts winners. Ethan Zohn from Lexington, Jeremy Collins from Foxboro and "Boston Rob" Mariano of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston have all won the million-dollar prize.

The first-ever Survivor winner was Richard Hatch of Newport, Rhode Island, who won the prize in 2000.

This year's competition features four competitors with New England roots.

They include 46-year-old Bruce Perreault, an insurance agent from Warwick, Rhode Island. Perreault was a castaway on Survivor 44 but suffered a head injury on the first day and had to leave the game.

Perreault began Season 45 as a member of the Belo tribe.

Jake O'Kane is from Boston. The 26-year-old O'Kane is an attorney and also began as a member of the Belo tribe.

Kellie Nalbandian, another member of the Belo tribe, hails from Weston, Connecticut. The 30-year-old Nalbandian is a critical care nurse in New York City.

Kendra McQuarrie is a 31-year-old bartender from Haverhill, Massachusetts. Also starting the season as a member of the Belo tribe, McQuarrie currently lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Is it coincidental that all four Survivor 45 castaways with New England roots began the season with the Belo tribe? Hmmm.

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The objective of Survivor is to "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast" the competition.

When Season 45 ends in November, we'll know if another New Englander will take the title of "Sole Survivor" and the $1 million check that goes with it.