“They all love the RizGod or they hate the RizGod. That’s why I’m kind of here.”

The RizGod says he was put on Survivor 50 be both loved and hated

"They all love the RizGod or they hate the RizGod. That's why I'm kind of here."

By Dalton Ross

Dalton Ross is a writer and editor with over 25 years experience covering TV and the entertainment industry. *Survivor* is kind of his thing.

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February 21, 2026 9:15 a.m. ET

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Sometimes when you are chatting with the fourth-place finisher of *Survivor 49*, it’s hard to know with whom you are speaking. Is it Rizo Velovic, a thoughtful, introspective, and emotional young man who places family above all else and can be reduced to tears on a moment’s notice? Or is it The Man The Myth The Legend R-I-Z-G-O-D RizGod Baby, a brash, self-mythologizing cartoon character of a goofball perfectly constructed for the social media influencer age?

Contrary to what people may believe watching the latter on television screens, Rizo *is* self-aware enough to acknowledge that the RizGod is pure “shtick” he employs for fun. Which is why he was shocked to learn that another colorful character he will be sharing the island with on *Survivor 50* (premiering Feb. 25 on CBS) was completely the same both on and off camera.

Rizo also knows that the RizGod persona most likely falls into either love it or loathe it camps among fans — and that those strong reactions are exactly what got him cast on back-to-back seasons. We spoke to both Rizo *and* RizGod — neither of whom was allowed to reveal his placement or any specifics about his earlier game during pre-game press since it had not yet aired — in Fiji just days before filming on *Survivor 50* began, and the 26-year-old came out firing.

*(This is one of 24 deep-dive, on-location interviews with the *Survivor 50 *cast. Links to the other interviews will be posted at the bottom of this article as they become available.)*

Rizo Velovic of 'Survivor 50'.

Robert Voets/CBS

**: Alright, Rizo, tell me why you're going to win *Survivor 50.***

**RIZO VELOVIC**: Honestly, I think if I can replicate what I did on 49 and do it with some of the greats, I can not only win *Survivor 50*, but hopefully cement myself as one of the greatest to ever play. I think my charm and my ability to do whatever it takes to win is going to come in handy, especially with all these connections and everybody knowing everybody out here. So I feel like I got the drive and the heart to win *Survivor 50.*

**How does it feel mentally, emotionally and physically to be back out here just a few weeks after playing?**

To be exact, it's been nine days for me. And I think honestly, in a weird way, I'd actually prefer this. I'd prefer doing *Survivor* back-to-back with nobody seeing me play. I can't imagine how Kyle and Kamilla feel coming out here after everybody just watched them play, and without giving anything away, I feel like if people watched me play, they wouldn't want to play with me now.

So I am excited to do this because I think this would be the only opportunity that I wouldn't be a “threat.” I mean obviously we're all threats because we're all on *Survivor 50,* but I'm super pumped mentally. I don't think my mind has left the game. Physically, I feel good. I did lose a lot of weight. And I was already a skinny guy, if you remember [from meeting before *Survivor 49*], and I didn't have a lot to lose, so I didn't gain that back.

And then emotionally, I'm super blessed and super excited. I remember when we talked on 49, I told you how big of a fan I am, and I literally remember the premiere of 48 voting as a fan. I didn't even know I was on 49 at that point. I'm literally voting on what I want on 50. I then play 49 and then now I'm on 50! I mean, I'm still a fan, but I'm no longer a fan. I am that player that essentially the fans voted for what they wanted. I essentially put myself in this position to vote the game that I wanted to play. So I'm super excited, truthfully.

Rizo Velovic on 'Survivor 50'.

Robert Voets/CBS

**What are you going to tell your new tribe mates about your game in 49 when they inevitably ask you?**

I honestly think it hurts me more to lie about it than be truthful. Because with everybody knowing everybody on this cast, besides the three people that haven’t played with someone. Those three people are Chrissy, Genevieve, and Jonathan. So essentially everybody has somebody that they know. So for me as an unknown commodity, the only thing that make me more threatening is to lie about how I did on 49.

Because I'm on *Survivor 50* for a reason, so I'm going to be truthful for how I did. Now, am I going to go into intricacies of what I did in the game? Absolutely not. Not important. But in terms of my placement, in terms of my play style, I think it'd be silly for me to lie because if I just say, “Oh my God, I'm a super fan! I'm so glad to be here! I can't believe they picked me!” — that's all bullsh---!

If we think about the people that are *not* here, they picked me over Malcolm, they picked me over Jerri, you know what I mean? It'd be stupid to say, “I just got lucky to be here.” So I will be truthful and that is my plan.

**All that the other players have seen of you is you calling yourself the man, the myth, the legend. How do you think you getting such a prominent edit in that 49 trailer impacts you here?**

Yeah, so I wish I can show you the video because I didn't know if I was going to even *be* on the trailer, but I invited all my family and my friends over. I was like, “Yo, let's record this.” Literally as soon as I saw myself on the TV, we all just started screaming. I didn't even know what I said. And then I play it back and mind you, I know I'm going to be on 50 at this time, I'm like, “Holy f---! I just got my whole shtick as a super fan!”

I don't recall a time someone ever name dropped themselves in the preview, and I did my whole shtick and I'm like, “This is great!”* * But then I was like, “F---, all these people that are going to be on 50 are going to know that I call myself this!” To be honest, I'm really not as worried about it as it might seem because when I look at the players here, I can bet my bottom dollar that Ozzy didn't watch the preview, Colby didn't watch the preview — half of these people didn't watch the preview.

The only people that I'm worried about is all the new-era people. And to be quite honest, those are the people I don't want to align with anyways. I want to align with pre-new-era people because I feel like all the new-era people are so intermingled with each other at these charity events and these meet and greets — I haven't had the opportunity to do that. So when you ask me about my edit in the preview, I'm honored because it's like, dude, that preview was all about me! If you see the discourse online, it's either they all love the RizGod or they hate the RizGod. That's why I'm kind of here. Honestly, I'm really not worried about it.

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'.

Robert Voets/CBS

**When did they approach you about going back-to-back?**

After the game wrapped up, we were going to leave Ponderosa and literally two hours before we left for the airport, I get pulled to the side by production and Jeff Probst is on the computer and I'm like, *Oh my god, Jeff Probst just checks on everyone. This is normal.* I'm like, “What's up, Jeff?” We're best friends at this point.

And then he does this Jeff Probst spiel about “Blah blah, blah, blah, blah, it's very rare that we do this but how would you like to do it back-to-back on *Survivor 50?”* And I literally thought he was joking. I was like… because I'm going to go with my RizGod shtick here… of course after the season wrapped up, I'm like, *They got to ask me for 50!* But at the same time, to actually have it happen is unreal. So when he asked me, I started crying because I was like: *Holy f---, Jeff Probst is asking me to…. It's one thing to come back on *Survivor*, but *Survivor 50* is the most anticipated season of all time.*

I did 49, and the reason why I came on to *Survivor* was to represent for my family, to inspire my brother, and to play for a country where we were never represented, and now there's going to be a year full of Rizo on TV! So I was super pumped, super stoked.

I remember going home and all my family's crying at the airport, and I'm like, “F--, now *I'm* crying!”  And then I tell them to stop crying because I'm leaving in nine days again to play *Survivor 50.* And it was such a surreal moment.

Rizo Velovic on 'Survivor 50'.

Robert Voets/CBS

**Anything you regret about your first time playing?**

Honestly, Dalton, not at all. I swear to God, not at all. In the nine days home, I reflected on my experience and what I came to do, and I felt like I did that. And for me, 50 is literally just for fun, you know what I mean? I'm here with people I idolized growing up and I'm here to stamp my legacy because I told you this in 49: I wanted to play *Survivor*, not just to play it, but to be one of the greatest of all time. And I feel like *Survivor 50* is going to give me that opportunity to do that. So I leave 49 super happy and now I'm hopefully going to leave *Survivor 50* even happier.

**What's your biggest weakness in this game?**

I think my weakness is I didn't anticipate how deeply I cared about strangers playing this game the first time.

**How do you navigate that the second time?**

I think the second time for me might be a little bit easier because I grew up watching these people and I know their stories. When you play *Survivor*, or anything for the first time, and you share that experience with people that also have never done it, you bond over that.

I remember going home and telling my girlfriend about this, that and the third, and she's like, “I don't care.” We've been together for six years. I'm like, “Babe, I'm telling you, that time on the island, it really bonds you with people.” And I think for me, the lore of bonding with Colby Donaldson, where I grew up watching you and I know what your story is…. Granted, for some people it's been 20 years since they played, so obviously a lot has changed, but I think I can kind of balance that out a little bit this time around.

7:23 The Cast of ‘Survivor 50’ Reveals Who They Want to Vote Out First

**How much pre-gaming were you able to get done in those nine days?**

Dude, none. Well, so what I will say is, I mean, I'm a fan, so I don't give a f--- on Twitter. The whole cast was leaked literally 48 hours before we got here. So in terms of digging, I went on people's Instagram followers and Twitter followers and see who followed who. But for me, I had no luxury of pre-gaming because I didn't tell anybody I was on 50.

And then 24 hours before I fly out, my name leaked and I'm like, “Dude, they're going to kick me out of 50! How the f--- does this guy know?” And I was shaking in my boots, so I then go on Reddit because I was like, “Well, if I'm leaked, then everybody else that has been leaked has to be right.“ And lo and behold it's true. So I didn't do any pre-gaming. I'm sure other people have.

**How do you handle that?**

I am hoping that a FaceTime call that these people had over the last year means nothing when we're on the island.

**You said you grew up watching these people. Who are you fanboying over?**

I told you last time that *Survivor: Tocantins* was my first love, and it is. And the fact that I'm on an island of Fiji with Coach Benjamin Wade is unreal to me, because watching that Exile episode as a kid and seeing Coach just deteriorate in the desert of the Brazil, and then I'm going through LAX and Coach is just randomly doing Tai Chi and I'm like, *Dude, he's actually like this!* I thought it was a joke. RizGod is a joke. He's actually… I don't know what the word is. He's insane. He's crazy. I didn't expect Coach to actually be how he was on the show. What you see is actually what you get with him. It's f---ing unreal!

When Jenna Lewis first played *Survivor*, I didn't even know how to walk yet. But honestly, I'm not fanboying where I'm like, “Oh my God, let me bow down to you.”

Charlie Davis, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, Dee Valladares, Savannah Louie, Rizo Velovic, and Tiffany Ervin on 'Survivor 50'.

Gail Schulman/CBS

**Who do you want to work with and who are you a little apprehensive about?**

I said earlier I want to work with more of the pre-new-era people personally. I'll give you two men and two women that I want to work with. At the top of the list is Chrissy Hofbeck and Genevieve, which I guess kind of counteracts that, but I'll tell you why. Out of everybody on this cast, there are only three people that have never played *Survivor* with somebody else. Those are Chrissy, Genevieve, and Jonathan. Jonathan, I have no interest of working with. So we'll X him out. That leaves Genevieve and Chrissy.

Not to go much into how I played 49, but how I view *Survivor*, I feel like I can relate a lot more to Genevieve and Chrissy. And with a lot of pre-gaming and relationships that stem 20 plus years, I need to go to people — and granted, Chrissy and Genevieve are probably intermingled in the alumni — but they probably are looking for people to work with. And if I can make myself as a hot commodity to them, we can do damage.

I look at Chrissy and I think she was robbed, to be honest. And I know people throw that s--- around everybody like saying Sam was robbed. Chrissy was genuinely robbed. I look at this cast, it's people that are trying to get a second chance. It's people that are trying to correct their mistakes. It's people that don't want to ruin their *Survivor* reputation. And then there are people who are trying to cement themselves as one of the greatest. I think Chrissy is trying to probably correct some of her mistakes. And granted a lot of the mistakes she had wasn't really her fault.

She can't control Ben finding all these idols. She can't control the final four fire-making. So I think Chrissy has a fire under her ass, and I want to help Chrissy light that fire. And I think we would do really well together. Not like I played anything like Ryan Ulrich, but I think we can have that same similar dynamic because even though I have this RizGod shtick, my ego isn't as big as a lot of these people's egos out here. Like, f---ing Q still thinks he won 46. And I'm thinking “Q, what the f--- world are you talking in? What world do you think you're this great player?” I love Q, just not to play with. So Chrissy is somebody I really want to work with. She's the top. And then Genevieve is just someone strategically that I would have a lot of similarities with.

Rizo Velovic of 'Survivor 50'.

**And the men you most want to work with?**

For the men, my number one — which is going to be super funny and I know the online community hated him — is Joe from 48. And the reason is very simple, Joe is predictable and loyal to the soil. Why would I not work with that? Joe literally went on 48 and said, “I'm playing for Eva.” Play for *me*, Joe! Please play for me! And I feel like me and Joe can also relate on many levels and I would love to work with Joe. And then for the next man I would've said Christian Hubicki, but honestly, the fact that there's three *David Vs. Goliath* people here, and I know they're all friends and Mike White put them both on *The White Lotus* and they are diehard for each other [changes that].

So I would say the next man is honestly Charlie. He's another person that has three people from his season, and granted, I don't know the inner workings, but he seems not connected to Tiff and Q. He's more friends with Liz, Kenzie, Venus, whatever. So I feel like Charlie and I have a lot of similarities. We're also the two youngest people on this cast. And strategically, we also see a lot eye to eye.

And I also think he's kind of in the Chrissy boat where he has a lot to prove, because I don't want to say Charlie was robbed, but he mismanaged Maria and that cost him the game. I feel like he thinks he was robbed and he wants to prove that he should have won. So the reason why I want to work with Chrissy is the reason why I would want to work with Charlie. A lot of parallels there.

**Who makes you wary?**

If I had to pick one man and one woman, the man I wouldn't want to work with is Q, because I can handle a lot of egos — ego management is what I'm calling *Survivor 50* for me — but I just don't know if I can handle Q's ego for that long. Revisionist history to me is something I can't do. And I think Q has a lot of revisionist history.

And then for the women, honestly, and it could be recency bias, but it's Kamilla. Kamilla played a great game in 48. I had a binge watch of 48 before 50. I saw how she played. The edit showed that Kamilla was loyal to Kyle, but then watching press and everything, it doesn't really seem that way too much. Kamilla was kind of loyal to nobody. And I need someone that's loyal and I need people that I can predict their movements. And I don't think I could predict Kamilla, she's kind of everywhere. She was like a secret assassin and was very open in her confessional saying, “I'll throw anybody under the bus. I don't care.” I don't want to work with that. So if I had to say two people I wouldn't want to work with, it's Kamilla and Q.

**You didn't mention Savannah at all. What's your relationship like with her?**

I don't want to go too much into it. I can't really say much, but what I will say is I am not shocked to see her here on 50 with me.

***Want to be kept up with all things Survivor? Dig deep and sign up for 's free Survivor Weekly newsletter to have all the latest news, interviews, and commentary sent right to your inbox. ***

**Other *Survivor 50 *deep dive player interviews:*****• Survivor 50* star Ozzy Lusth opens up about hitting 'rock bottom of my life'**• *Survivor 50* star Aubry Bracco opens up about the 'freedom when you fall from grace' **• Colby Donaldson reacts to playing *Survivor* for the first time without Jerri**• Angelina Keeley refused to do *Survivor 50* unless they gave her a jacket**• *Survivor 50*'s Coach goes deep on evolving from an 'arrogant ass' into the… Tide Walker?** • *Survivor 50* star Jenna Lewis-Dougherty is 'here to f--- you over in every way, shape, or form'** • Cirie Fields says winning *The Traitors *does not take sting out of *Survivor* loses** • Mike White on how he is handling *Survivor 50 *castmastes angling for *White Lotus* cameos** • Chrissy Hofbeck opens up about controversial season 35 finish and being bashed by previous cast** • Rick Devens explains why he is a lunatic that wants to play with other lunatics** • Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick wants to prove that 'mom really is a badass'** • Christian Hubicki wanted to tell Survivor 50 pre-gamers to 'f--- off'** • Genevieve Mushaluk on why watching *Survivor 50* will be more terrifying than playing it** • Dee Valladares welcomes being one of *Survivor 50*'s biggest threats: 'I want them to come for me'** • Q Burdette reveals ridiculous things he did to prep for *Survivor 50*** • Kamilla Karthigesu feared she would be cut from *Survivor 50* for pregaming** • Emily Flippen says 'If I win *Survivor*, something crazy has happened'** • Jonathan Young shares the *Survivor* lessons Boston Rob gave him before season 50** • Tiffany Ervin reveals her plan to manipulate Q's ego on *Survivor 50*** • Charlie Davis says he will 'in some ways never get over' his shocking *Survivor 46* loss** • Joe Hunter reveals his wife helped him scout the *Survivor 50* competition** • Kyle Fraser thinks constantly about joining the *Survivor* two-time winner club** • Savannah Louie wants to expose pre-game alliances on *Survivor 50***

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