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Only a few players in Survivor history have matched the impact of Rob Mariano, known to fans as Boston Rob. As the record-holder for the most seasons played, he’s found a good balance when it comes to strategy.
Mariano has competed on Survivor five times, leaving a lasting impression. He debuted in Marquesas finishing 10th place and returned for All-Stars, where he lost in the finale to his future wife, Amber Brkich. After finishing 13th in Heroes vs. Villains, he dominated Redemption Island, winning the $1 million prize. His final competition was Winners at War where he finished 17th place, but he returned as a mentor on Island of the Idols.
In an interview with People, Mariano looked back on his journey and admitted that he was ruthless, especially in All-Stars. “I legitimately did everything that I needed to do to get to the end. I cut throats, I killed friendships and I expected them to give it to me at the end,” he shared. His strategy was enough to make it to the final voting, but it failed to get the jury’s votes. While he didn’t claim the title, he still scored a major win by proposing to Brkich during the live finale and leaving with a fiancee. The two have been together ever since and are parents to four girls.
He took what he learned from that season and used it to find a balance between playing the game and understanding that other players aren’t “game pieces,” adding that a good strategy is to focus on being the Sole Survivor while maintaining good relationships with other contestants. “You have to understand they’re people, they have feelings, and act accordingly,” he stated.
Boston Rob has since appeared in other reality competition shows
Beyond Survivor, Mariano has also competed alongside Brkich in two seasons of The Amazing Race, where the couple finished 2nd and 8th place. He was also a contestant on the first season of Deal or No Deal Island, where he was eliminated at the final four challenge. Mariano said he went into the game having a strategy, but his history of playing in reality competition shows made him a target. Despite not winning, he said he was “really happy with my place in the history of all of it.” Now, he’s returning as the host of the after show for season two of Deal or No Deal Island.
As for returning to Survivor, Mariano is interested in coming back if the show’s format makes some changes in terms of the competition, as he feels like he will be voted out early just because of his history on the show. Survivor host Jeff Probst has announced that season 50, which will start filming this year, will consist of past players, and many fans want Boston Rob back. As of now, Probst remains tight-lipped about potential cast members for the milestone season.
Meanwhile, Mariano will be appearing as a contestant on The Traitors season 3, where he will go up against other former Survivor contestants including Carolyn Wiger, Jeremy Collins, and two-time Sole Survivor Tony Vlachos. While foraging for food in the wilderness won’t be a concern this time, the cloak-and-dagger dynamics of the game is the kind of challenge he excels at, and he shared, “It’s going to be frigging awesome.” The Traitors season 3 premieres on Jan. 9 on Peacock.