Todd Herzog
Encyclopedia
Todd Herzog is the $1,000,000 winner of the 15th season
of Survivor
, Survivor: China
. He is also the second openly gay
male contestant to win Survivor, following Richard Hatch
's win in Survivor: Borneo
.
in episodes one and two. During those first few days, Herzog made an alliance with Amanda Kimmel
and Aaron Reisberger. In episode three, the tribe faced tribal council, where Leslie Nease was voted out. Prior to her elimination, Nease had given Herzog a clue to the hidden immunity idol, which she had received from Jaime Dugan. Fei Long then enjoyed another immunity win in Episode Four. In the subsequent reward challenge, the two tribes learned that each would send two members to the other. Fei Long received Michael "Frosti" Zernow and Sherea Lloyd. However the swap deprived Herzog and Kimmel of their alliance member Reisberger and strong man James Clement. The Zhan Hu Tribe then threw the following immunity challenge, thus evicting Reisberger.
In the following episode, Herzog and Kimmel had found the immunity idol and Zernow, Denise Martin, and Courtney Yates were informed of the discovery. When the Fei Long Tribe won the reward challenge and kidnapped Clement, Herzog gave Clement the immunity idol and told him to throw the immunity challenge, in an attempt to eliminate Dugan. However, the plan backfired when Martin was unable to swallow a chicken fetus in the immunity challenge. Zhan Hu won immunity and Fei Long was sent to Tribal Council where Lloyd was eliminated. Clement found the second immunity idol at the Zhan-Hu camp later, before the two tribes merged. The original Fei Long members, both old and new, planned to vote out the new arrivals: Peih-Gee Law, Jaime Dugan, and Erik Huffman. They voted as a bloc, and Dugan was sent to the jury.
In Episode Eight, Herzog deviated from the plan to eliminate Law and got his alliance to vote out strategic threat, Jean-Robert Bellande
. Law was targeted in the next vote, but her immunity win forced Herzog and his alliance to eliminate physical competitor Zernow. With seven survivors remaining, Kimmel was able to get Clement and his two immunity idols eliminated from the game. In the final six, the four Fei Long members vowed to stay together and voted out Huffman (since Peih-Gee had immunity), and eventually Law. With four remaining, Martin was eliminated and became the final juror.
At the final Tribal Council, Herzog was confronted for his actions by every jury member. While Kimmel was criticized for apologizing too much and not giving direct answers and Yates for riding on coattails, he was seen as the most deceiving and manipulative of the three. Jean-Robert, in particular, interrogated Herzog on why he betrayed their alliance, to which Herzog admitted his fear of being eliminated by him. Although he had lied, the jury felt that he was the most honest about it and was playing the game since day one, unlike Courtney. In a 4-2-1 vote, he defeated allies Yates and Kimmel to win the million dollars.
Subsequent to winning Survivor: China
, Herzog was on the cover of December 2007's issue of Instinct magazine, advertised as the "Million Dollar Man". According to the interview, when Herzog was fifteen, the first Survivor
had just begun to air. "I knew immediately that I wanted to do the show! It was so different than anything I had seen at the time."
. Before appearing on Survivor, he worked as a flight attendant
for SkyWest Airlines
. Herzog is openly gay, and as of 2009 is dating Survivor: Tocantins contestant Spencer Duhm.
Herzog had both American and Canadian citizenship when he was on Survivor, however, for legal reasons, he had to renounce his Canadian citizenship in order to claim his million dollars.
Survivor: China
Survivor: China is the fifteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 20, 2007. Host Jeff Probst claimed the show was the first full American TV series to be filmed entirely within China...
of Survivor
Survivor (U.S. TV series)
Survivor is an American version of the Survivor reality television game show, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson originally created in 1997 by Charlie Parsons. The series premiered on May 31, 2000 on CBS...
, Survivor: China
Survivor: China
Survivor: China is the fifteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 20, 2007. Host Jeff Probst claimed the show was the first full American TV series to be filmed entirely within China...
. He is also the second openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
male contestant to win Survivor, following Richard Hatch
Richard Hatch (reality TV)
Richard "Rich" Hatch is the $1,000,000 winner of the first American Survivor series, and was a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice 4.-Early life:...
's win in Survivor: Borneo
Survivor: Borneo
Survivor: Borneo is the first season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was originally broadcast under the name Survivor but its official title was changed to Survivor: Pulau Tiga to distinguish it from subsequent installments of the series, and then changed again to Survivor: Borneo to...
.
Survivor: China
On Survivor China, Herzog placed on the Fei Long Tribe. The tribe proved to be stronger than their opponent, Zhan Hu, winning immunityImmunity (reality television)
Immunity in reality television is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period...
in episodes one and two. During those first few days, Herzog made an alliance with Amanda Kimmel
Amanda Kimmel
Amanda Lee Kimmel is an actress, model and former beauty queen who has competed in the Miss USA and Miss Earth pageants. Kimmel gained international notoriety as a runner-up contestant on both Survivor: China and Survivor: Micronesia. She also competed on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains...
and Aaron Reisberger. In episode three, the tribe faced tribal council, where Leslie Nease was voted out. Prior to her elimination, Nease had given Herzog a clue to the hidden immunity idol, which she had received from Jaime Dugan. Fei Long then enjoyed another immunity win in Episode Four. In the subsequent reward challenge, the two tribes learned that each would send two members to the other. Fei Long received Michael "Frosti" Zernow and Sherea Lloyd. However the swap deprived Herzog and Kimmel of their alliance member Reisberger and strong man James Clement. The Zhan Hu Tribe then threw the following immunity challenge, thus evicting Reisberger.
In the following episode, Herzog and Kimmel had found the immunity idol and Zernow, Denise Martin, and Courtney Yates were informed of the discovery. When the Fei Long Tribe won the reward challenge and kidnapped Clement, Herzog gave Clement the immunity idol and told him to throw the immunity challenge, in an attempt to eliminate Dugan. However, the plan backfired when Martin was unable to swallow a chicken fetus in the immunity challenge. Zhan Hu won immunity and Fei Long was sent to Tribal Council where Lloyd was eliminated. Clement found the second immunity idol at the Zhan-Hu camp later, before the two tribes merged. The original Fei Long members, both old and new, planned to vote out the new arrivals: Peih-Gee Law, Jaime Dugan, and Erik Huffman. They voted as a bloc, and Dugan was sent to the jury.
In Episode Eight, Herzog deviated from the plan to eliminate Law and got his alliance to vote out strategic threat, Jean-Robert Bellande
Jean-Robert Bellande
Jean-Robert F. Bellande is an American nightclub owner, promoter, poker player and reality TV contestant.-Background:...
. Law was targeted in the next vote, but her immunity win forced Herzog and his alliance to eliminate physical competitor Zernow. With seven survivors remaining, Kimmel was able to get Clement and his two immunity idols eliminated from the game. In the final six, the four Fei Long members vowed to stay together and voted out Huffman (since Peih-Gee had immunity), and eventually Law. With four remaining, Martin was eliminated and became the final juror.
At the final Tribal Council, Herzog was confronted for his actions by every jury member. While Kimmel was criticized for apologizing too much and not giving direct answers and Yates for riding on coattails, he was seen as the most deceiving and manipulative of the three. Jean-Robert, in particular, interrogated Herzog on why he betrayed their alliance, to which Herzog admitted his fear of being eliminated by him. Although he had lied, the jury felt that he was the most honest about it and was playing the game since day one, unlike Courtney. In a 4-2-1 vote, he defeated allies Yates and Kimmel to win the million dollars.
Subsequent to winning Survivor: China
Survivor: China
Survivor: China is the fifteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 20, 2007. Host Jeff Probst claimed the show was the first full American TV series to be filmed entirely within China...
, Herzog was on the cover of December 2007's issue of Instinct magazine, advertised as the "Million Dollar Man". According to the interview, when Herzog was fifteen, the first Survivor
Survivor (TV series)
Survivor is a reality television game show format produced in many countries throughout the world. In the show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a system of progressive elimination, allowing the contestants to vote off other tribe...
had just begun to air. "I knew immediately that I wanted to do the show! It was so different than anything I had seen at the time."
Personal life
Herzog's hometown is Pleasant Grove, UtahPleasant Grove, Utah
Pleasant Grove, also known as "Utah's City of Trees", is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 33,798 at the 2008 census estimates.-History:...
. Before appearing on Survivor, he worked as a flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
for SkyWest Airlines
Skywest Airlines
Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline company based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia; servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory and Melbourne, Victoria; as well as charter flights to Bali, Indonesia....
. Herzog is openly gay, and as of 2009 is dating Survivor: Tocantins contestant Spencer Duhm.
Herzog had both American and Canadian citizenship when he was on Survivor, however, for legal reasons, he had to renounce his Canadian citizenship in order to claim his million dollars.
External links
- Todd Herzog's CBS profile