Rhode Island contestant attempts to vote for himself in 'Survivor' first
Rhode Island contestant attempts to vote for himself in 'Survivor' first
Catherine Messier, USA TODAY NETWORK - New EnglandThu, October 1, 2026 at 1:31 PM UTC
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A Rhode Islander just made history on "Survivor."
The reality competition show is back in a new "Open Era" filled with "permanent uncertainty" and the chance for $2 million. In Episode 2, aired Sept. 30, Rhode Islander Rob Antonson made franchise history by trying to vote for himself at Tribal Council – the first time a self-vote has been attempted on the show in all 51 seasons.
"It might be groundbreaking tonight," Antonson said in his confessional shown before Tribal Council. "You never know what I'm going to do."
Before the vote, Antonson encouraged fellow Rhode Islander and elimination target Eric Macksoud to play his shot-in-the-dark advantage, promising to play his immunity idol on Macksoud to save him from elimination if the advantage did not land on "safe."
In the voting booth, Antonson said he wanted to give Macksoud another shot at the game before surprisingly writing his own name down, though a producer quickly stepped in and told him he cannot vote for himself.
"That screws up everything," responded Antonson, who admitted earlier in the episode that he missed his family and wanted to leave.
If everyone voted for Macksoud and his shot-in-the-dark protected him, Antonson could have sent himself home with the only successful vote. However, unbeknownst to Antonson, the Savu tribe had other plans.
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Who was voted off 'Survivor 51' in Episode 2?
Canadian voice actress Ana Sani was ultimately voted out by the Savu tribe in Episode 2 of "Survivor 51." Sani was blindsided by her fellow tribe members, who discussed eliminating Macksoud for days leading up to Tribal Council.
However, after hearing that Sani was naming other women in the group as potential targets, Sharonda Cox, Alexis Levine and Linnea Capobianco decided to vote for Sani due to her untrustworthiness.
With a 6-4 vote, Macksoud narrowly escaped elimination. Despite Antonson telling Macksoud he would protect him with his idol, Antonson ultimately did not play his idol and pivoted to vote for Macksoud after his plan to vote for himself did not work.
How to watch 'Survivor' Season 51
Season 51 airs every Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBS, starting with a special two-hour premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Episodes can also be watched live on Paramount+ with a premium plan, and all episodes are available to stream on Paramount+ with any subscription plan the day after airing.
Watch 'Survivor' on Paramount+
Lori Comstock and Anthony Robledo of the USA TODAY Network contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island contestant attempts to vote for himself in 'Survivor' first
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