Sean Edwards flew under the radar during Episode 1 of “Survivor 45.”
At this point in the competition, maintaining a low profile historically serves competitors well. As the yellow team (dubbed LuLu this season) fell apart, Edwards kept his cool — comfortably retaining his position on the team as a nonproblematic character.
As an elementary school principal in Provo, Utah, Edwards is used to keeping his cool and describes himself as a professional in human connection, a skill he thinks will help carry him to victory.
“My entire career is founded on the importance of human connection. I just finished my doctorate degree at the University of Utah as well, and my entire doctoral research was on human connection. And so that is something that I’m very well-versed in, that I feel very confident in,” Edwards told Parade.
“And those connections, they’re going to be real. We’re going to make friends; we’re going to have fun. But this is a game. This is ‘Survivor.’ And I’m not here sitting on a beach in Fiji to make friends. I’m here to win a million dollars.”
Edwards anticipates many of his co-competitors will make assumptions about his age and capabilities, but he warns fans not to underestimate him.
“When people first meet me, they often make assumptions. Almost everyone thinks I am younger than I really am,” Edwards explained to Entertainment Weekly. “There was a time in my life when I was a high school vice principal and parents and visitors thought I was the student body president. So, people are always surprised to learn that I am so accomplished in my education and career.”
Originally from Lawrence, New Jersey, Edwards now lives in the Provo-Orem area with his husband, Matt. Out of more than 660 “Survivor” contestants, Edwards is among just 17 contestants from Utah. The first Utah competitor to ever win “Survivor” was Todd Herzog, from Pleasant Grove, who won in Season 15 in “Survivor: China,” per the Deseret News.
Edwards has been looking forward to competing on “Survivor” since he was a teenager, he told Entertainment Weekly. As a longtime fan of the show, he compares himself to Herzog, and not just because “he lives in Utah.”
“I feel like he was able to go out there and create really strategic partnerships with people that he was able to leverage him further in the game,” Edwards told Parade. “And I feel like that’s totally something I’m going to be able to do. I’m totally going to be able to make and have those relationships to further myself in the game.”
For years, Edwards dreamed of claiming a position on “Survivor” but didn’t have the confidence to fill out the application. Now, he is confident he can win the whole thing.
“I just never had the confidence in myself to actually apply; I never thought I would get a chance; I never thought I’d be casted. I just wouldn’t get this opportunity,” he told Parade. “I finally have the confidence to say not only can I apply, get on the show, but I can win.”
The ‘Survivor 45’ cast
“Survivor” Season 45 premiered on CBS on Sept. 27. This year’s 18-person cast features competitors from ages 23 to 49, including three lawyers, a therapist and an investment analyst. Fans will also see a return from Bruce Perreault, who is back for a second chance after he got medically evacuated moments into the previous season.
Below is a brief look at the “Survivor” Season 45 cast list, per Entertainment Weekly.
Belo Tribe (blue):
- Brandon “Brando” Meyer, 23, from Seattle, Washington.
- Bruce Perreault, 47, from Warwick, Rhode Island.
- Jake O’Kane, 26, from Boston, Massachusetts.
- Katurah Topps, 35, from Brooklyn, New York.
- Kellie Nalbandian, 30, from New York, New York.
- Kendra McQuarrie, 31, from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Lulu Tribe (yellow):
- Brandon Donlon, 26, from Sicklerville, New Jersey.
- Hannah Rose, 33, from Baltimore City, Maryland.
- Emily Flippen, 28, from Laurel, Maryland.
- Kaleb Gebrewold, 29, from Vancouver, Canada.
- Sabiyah Broderick, 28, from Jacksonville, North Carolina.
- Sean Edwards, 35, from Provo-Orem, Utah.
Reba Tribe (red):
- Austin Li Coon, 26, from Chicago, Illinois.
- Dee Valladares, 26, from Miami, Florida.
- Drew Basile, 23, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Janani Krishnan-Jha, 24, from Los Angeles, California.
- Julie Alley, 49, from Brentwood, Tennessee.
- Nicolas “Sifu” Alsup, 30, from O’Fallon, Illinois.