Rizo Velovic reveals that nobody on the “Survivor 50 ”jury greeted him at Ponderosa

Dalton RossThu, May 21, 2026 at 9:11 PM UTC

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Rizo Velovic on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Robert Voets/CBSKey Points -

Rizo Velovic relives the highs and lows of his Survivor 50 run and why he ultimately came up short.

Rizo compares his Survivor 49 and Survivor 50 outings and why he cried so much less this time.

Rizo also reveals the finalist that was surprised and upset to not get his winner's vote.

Rizo Velovic loves to put on a show. But there was no audience when the Survivor showman arrived at Ponderosa after being eliminated from Survivor 50. Why was there nobody from the jury to greet the R-I-Z-G-O-D with open arms (or at least a drink!) after Rizo lost the final four fire-making to Jonathan Young? The man who went back-to-back in eerily similar games explained all while chatting with Entertainment Weekly the morning after the finale.

How does Rizo compare his two Survivor outings? Why did he cry less on Survivor 50? How does he think he would have done with a jury vote had he made it to the end? And why was one finalist upset with him for the winner’s vote he did cast? We got into all of that and even more regarding the big live finale spoiler mishap, and you can either watch or read the entire interview below.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You said the one thing you did not want to happen again was going out in fire? Is that true? I mean, that’s still better than being voted out, right?

RIZO VELOVIC: For sure. I think for me, I kinda had, like you said, deja vu where it's like, damn, I felt like if I won fire in 49, I would've won. And I thought to myself, I'm gonna do everything I could to avoid fire. And I felt like I did that in this case. The worst case scenario was Aubry winning immunity, and that's what happened. I felt that if I, Joe, or Jonathan won, Joe or Jonathan were taking me to the end, I was taking Joe to the end, Aubry wasn't taking me, and that's what happened.

What was Ponderosa like with that many people when you got there. Were there cliques already?

So it's funny. The jurors say they weren’t alerted about me coming. Nobody was there to welcome me with open arms. It was very cold reception. And then everybody was like, "Wait, Rizo's here? What the heck? Let's go show him some love?" So they did a good job bouncing back, but my reception at Ponderosa was very, very quiet. Nobody was there to welcome the RizGod, so it was kind of sad.

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What happens if you win at fire? How do you do with in a final three next to Aubry and Joe?

Honestly, I maybe get one vote for sympathy to get second place. I don't think I had any shot at Aubry. And not that I don't think I have a very good case. I just feel like some of the jury, whether they believed the moves I were making were truly my moves or they just didn't like me for whatever reason — they thought my work ethic was terrible or they thought that I didn't deserve it because I was the new kid on the block — I felt my best shot at winning this game was against Joe and Jonathan. And once Aubry won, I didn't feel like I had a winning chance. But I would say maybe I get one vote.

Rizo Velovic on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

There’s something I don’t understand about your two back-to-back games. From what viewers saw, you played two really strong games out there, but the players while they were playing didn’t seem to always feel the same way. Lots of 49 folks said that essentially you were not seen as someone that would pull a lot of votes had you made it to the end, and I kind of heard the same thing from some 50 folks as well this season. Why is that, that your game translated on screen, but maybe not on the island as much in terms of getting that same respect?

Yeah, I think 49, you know, I get a lot more respect now because they watch it back and see what I was really doing. I think everybody is the hero to their own story and I feel like as someone that always had the information in the game a lot, also adding my bravado and my confidence kind of rubs people the wrong way. I do feel like 49 I had a good shot at winning, but I think 50, some people think that me calling myself the RizGod or me saying I wanna cement my legacy as a legend is kind of off-putting, but I feel like that's just the various perceptions of generations. You know, these legends that are legends were kind of anointed legends. The new era people have to earn that title, and I wanted to earn that title.

I think the people that really aligned with me rode for me. Like you see Savannah and Sophi, they will do anything for me. You see Dee and Cirie talking so highly of me. The people that work with me get it, and I feel like the people that don't work with me just don't get it.

You voted for Aubry to win. Did you ever consider voting for Joe after he helped you with fire?

Joe and my relationship is something that I was kind of sad that didn't really make the edit. Honestly, Joe was my final two. Like Joe was my ride or die for the entirety of the game. He meant so much to me. We saw it in a secret scene at the merge where I thanked him for basically being a good representation for the autistic community and he meant a lot to my family and I wanted to thank him. And not only did we have a good personal relationship, but I could always trust Joe and Joe could always trust me. We see it in the edit where we talk about, “I got a clue in Rizo, I got a clue in Joe.”

And the fact that Joe went out of his way to possibly give himself a worse shot of winning, putting me at the end meant a lot to me. And honestly, I was going into final Tribal wanting to vote for Joe because I wanted to repay him for everything that he did for me. But then when I came to Ponderosa and hearing the votes were between Jonathan and Aubry, I felt like giving Joe one vote when a possibly very close vote could happen, I didn't wanna do that. So I shifted my perspective to who between Aubry and Jonathan I felt played the best game. And I just felt at that moment Aubry did.

Rizo Velovic on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS

Have you talked to Joe about that? Was he hurt that you didn't give him your vote?

Yeah, right out the island, Joe and I had a conversation where he did feel hurt, and rightfully so. We had such a tight relationship on the island that he felt that ... I don't wanna say he felt that, but, like, I should've given him my vote. But ultimately, after some reflection and both of us having a conversation, I think he realized that I did the right thing and he doesn't fault me for it.

Tell me about that moment during final Tribal Council when Steph is making her pitch for Jonathan, and Tiffany and Cirie are clearly getting a bit annoyed, but you’re like “Let her have her turn.”

For me, the way I look at it is in 49, I did everything to help Savannah win. So, I'm all for people pitching their allies to win the game. While do I think it was a little much glazing, sure, but ultimately, I can't fault Stephenie. Cirie was doing the same for Aubry. Everybody had their own agendas. I just wanted everyone to kind of have their TV time, right? I wanted them to all pitch their case. We are all jurors that deserve that moment. Like I said, it was a little much, but I don't fault her. She wanted her friend to win.

Rizo Velovic on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS

Why did you not cry as much on Survivor 50 as you did on Survivor 49?

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I had something to prove, Dalton. I think 49 was so raw for me. It was my first experience. I gave everything. aAnd not that I didn't give everything to Survivor 50, but I came to Survivor 50 as a man on a mission to prove that…. I was so meta, Dalton. Like, I could already see going into 50 what the fans were gonna say. They're like, "Oh, this kid is lucky. This kid is annoying. He got lucky with the idol." I was like, "You know what? I'm gonna do that s--- all over again." And I think I just was so much more confident. I was on a hot streak. I was riding the momentum.

So I didn't really have much to cry about because I knew everything that was happening. I mean, I cried in the love letters, but we didn't see that. But besides that, I thought the RizGod was pretty well contained, until the end.

Rizo Velovic and Savannah Louie on 'Survivor 49'
Credit: CBS

Your games were so similar. Sat on an idol for the entire season, absolutely terrible in individual challenges, go out in the four spot at fire. But one was your first time with all newbies and the other was with returning all-stars. Which was the more sort of satisfying experience?

So I'll answer this in two ways. Personally, the one I enjoyed more was 49. I think the friendships that I came out with Savannah and Sophi and how raw playing Survivor for the first time is, I enjoyed that experience more. But in terms of what game I am more proud of is 100% percent 50.

And you saw it in preseason. You were there. I was a dead man walking coming into the game. My first impression with everybody was, "We gotta get this guy out." We had Coach writing letters to Colby in Ponderosa to take me out and my arc was, "This kid's annoying, but I really like this kid." Then I aligned with Cirie and Ozzy, two icons of the game, and I pretty much knew everything that was happening.

And in many ways, I played similarly, but in many ways I was different. In 50, I played the middle. I flip-flopped back and forth. I think I did a really great job. 49, I was really much in the you're either with me or you're against me. So I had more fun playing Survivor 49, but I'm more proud of my Survivor 50 game.

Rizo Velovic and Jeff Probst on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS

What was your body like after the back-to-back?

So I walked into Survivor 49 day one at 174 pounds. I leave day 25 of Survivor 50, at 128. I lost 46 pounds. I really had a Spencer Cambodia-like transformation and it was hard, honestly. Like. I had no camping experience, but I was a trooper, man. I wanted to cement my legacy. I don't care. If Jeff was crazy enough to do three seasons back-to-back and said, “Rizo, let's go out there and do you another one,” I would've done it because I love the game so much.

But yeah, it was tough. I think it took me about three months to fully gain my weight back and really get acclimated. But you know, as a skinny guy with fast metabolism, I had the luxury of just eating a whole bunch of garbage just to gain my weight back. And I look normal and healthy to this day. So it was hard, but I wouldn't change a thing.

Rizo Velovic of 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

I know there was a portion of the game where you were pretty sick, but, other than that, were you lazy? And if you were lazy, was that intentional? Was it a strategic laziness or was it just being lazy?

I will say, I think I am very self-aware. And some people think I have a very big ego and inflated perception of my game. I think my biggest flaw is not realizing how much work ethic meant to the old schoolers, because back in the day, they had so many down days when they weren't doing challenges, they just built rapport on picking up firewood.

In the new era, on 49, somebody went home every single day. On 49, I slept in a boat. I could care less what the shelter looks like. I'm there to gain relationships, so I didn't really care about that. I was being lazy intentionally. It's like: Why am I gonna waste my energy? 'Cause I'm at a disadvantage and all these people have pre-existing relationships. Am I gonna focus on building a shelter in the first day or am I gonna hit the ground running trying to build these relationships?

So that was what I was trying to do. And ultimately, it pays dividends because I make it all the way to the end. But at the same time, it rubs a lot of the jurors the wrong way because they felt that this young kid, he should be working hard and he's not working hard. Screw this guy. So I think if I ever go back and I play with people from the old school mentality, that's something that I will be mindful of. But if I play with a crop of new era, I'm not gonna do Jack Diddly squat.

Rizo Velovic and Colby Donaldson on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

We talked a bit about this last night, but we all saw what happened last night with them putting your live interview segment in the wrong spot during the finale, which ended up spoiling the result. Jeff handled that very well after the error was made, having fun with it, making some jokes, turning it into a fun gag, but what was happening backstage in between where it was spoiled and then before you all came back out later to for part two?

Honestly, I blacked out. I didn't know what was going on. I tried to cue Jeff like “They're telling me you're about to do this, but try to pick up what I'm putting down.” But Jeff was such a professional. I feel like we both handled it well. Obviously, in the moment, it sucked because all my friends and family watching home are rooting for me and then the result kind of just gets spoiled. But I think we took it in stride and it was a funny iconic moment added to the résumé list of the RizGod. They gotta bring me back now because of that.

Rizo Velovic and Jeff Probst at 'Survivor 50' finale
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

What’s something that happened out there this season that did not make it to air that you wish we had seen?

I had so many great moments with so many great legends. I will say the one relationship that I had in the game that meant so much to me that we didn't see was my relationship with Genevieve. Genevieve was actually my final two alliance. That's why she gives me the idol. Obviously, you hear a snippet of her thinking she can blindside me. And to be honest, if we were at the merge, I was super loyal to her, she probably could've blindsided me with that idol, but I have built such a great friendship with Genevieve outside the game after playing it so closely with her and I wish we saw that in the edit. RizGod, and Mothervieve was gonna be cinema, but she unfortunately got out in the Blood Moon.

Colby Donaldson, Genevieve Mushaluk, Rizo Velovic, Angelina Keeley, Quintavius "Q" Burdette, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Kyle Fraser, Aubry Bracco of the Vatu tribe on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

Do you notice the age gap in your fans? It’s like anyone under the age of 25 loves the R-I-Z-G-O-D. And anyone over the age 25 might like you, but might also be like, “Uh, what's going on with this guy?"

Yeah, and then there's a group of 60-plus year olds that love me because I'm so endearing. I love it because people that get me, get me. I think I'm a very polarizing personality and not because I'm a crappy human being, but because of the confidence that I exuberate and a lot of the old school people think, like, "Why does he have this blind confidence?" But a lot of the 25 and younger Gen Z people are like, "I love this guy. I love his TikToks. I love the energy that he brings." And ultimately, you can hate me, you can love me, but you cannot deny the passion that I have for being myself and loving the game of Survivor, and that's the legacy that I wanna leave out there.

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