Survivor 43 Cast: Meet the 18 Contestants Who Competed in Season 43

Survivor 43 Cast introduced 18 new castaways to the long-running reality competition series. Premiering on CBS on September 21, 2022, the season sent contestants to Fiji, where they competed in challenges, built alliances, searched for advantages, and voted one another out while pursuing the title of Sole Survivor and a $1 million prize.

The Survivor 43 cast featured people from a wide range of careers and backgrounds, including a Paralympian, pharmacist, teacher, clinical psychologist, UX designer, event planner, and heart valve specialist. The cast was initially divided into three tribes: Baka, Vesi, and Coco.

Survivor 43 Cast at a Glance

The 18 contestants who began Survivor 43 were:

• Cassidy Clark
• Cody Assenmacher
• Dwight Moore
• Elisabeth “Elie” Scott
• Geo Bustamante
• James Jones
• Jeanine Zheng
• Jesse Lopez
• Justine Brennan
• Karla Cruz Godoy
• Lindsay Carmine
• Mike “Gabler” Gabler
• Morriah Young
• Nneka Ejere
• Noelle Lambert
• Owen Knight
• Ryan Medrano
• Sami Layadi

CBS confirmed all 18 castaways before the season began, along with their original tribes and occupations.

Baka Tribe: The Yellow Tribe

The Baka tribe started the game with six castaways: Mike Gabler, Owen Knight, Sami Layadi, Elie Scott, Morriah Young, and Jeanine Zheng. Their professional survivor 43 cast backgrounds ranged from medicine and psychology to education and design.

Mike “Gabler” Gabler

Mike Gabler entered the game as a 52-year-old heart valve specialist from Meridian, Idaho. His medical background was quite different from the typical reality-TV contestant profile, and survivor 43 cast he quickly became one of the season’s most recognizable personalities.

Gabler ultimately made it all the way to the Final Three and won Survivor 43, becoming the season’s Sole Survivor.

Owen Knight

Owen Knight was a 30-year-old college admissions director living in New Orleans, Louisiana. He entered the competition with an interest in the strategic and social elements of Survivor.

Knight reached the Final Three alongside Gabler and Cassidy Clark and finished as the second runner-up.

Sami Layadi

Sami Layadi was the youngest member of the Survivor 43 cast at 19 years old. He was from Las Vegas, Nevada, and worked as a pet cremator.

His youth contrasted with several older contestants, giving the season an interesting age range. Layadi survived into the jury phase before being voted out.

Elisabeth “Elie” Scott

Elie Scott, often referred to as Elie, was a 31-year-old survivor 43 cast clinical psychologist from Salt Lake City, Utah. Her professional background gave her experience in understanding people and interpersonal behavior, although the unpredictable social environment of Survivor presented its own challenges.

She became the sixth contestant voted out of the season.

Morriah Young

Morriah Young was a 28-year-old teacher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the first contestant eliminated from Survivor 43, leaving the game on Day 3.

Jeanine Zheng

Jeanine Zheng was a 24-year-old UX designer originally from South survivor 43 cast Hamilton, Massachusetts, and living in San Francisco, California. She progressed beyond the early portion of the competition and became the first member of the jury after being eliminated.

Vesi Tribe: The Red Tribe

The original Vesi tribe consisted of Cody Assenmacher, Jesse Lopez, Dwight Moore, Nneka Ejere, Justine Brennan, and Noelle Lambert. The tribe included contestants with backgrounds in elevator sales, political science, graduate studies, pharmacy, cybersecurity sales, and Paralympic athletics.

Cody Assenmacher

Cody Assenmacher was a 35-year-old survivor 43 cast elevator salesperson from Honolulu, Hawaii, originally from Preston, Iowa. His energetic personality made him one of the season’s memorable castaways.

Cody advanced deep into the competition and became the 13th contestant voted out, serving as a member of the jury.

Jesse Lopez

Jesse Lopez was a 30-year-old political science PhD from Durham, North Carolina, originally from Venice, California. His academic background was particularly relevant to the strategic and social aspects of the game.

Lopez reached the final stages of the competition but was eliminated before the Final Three. He finished as the eighth member of the jury.

Dwight Moore

Dwight Moore was a 22-year-old graduate student originally from Palo Alto, California, and living in Collierville, Tennessee. He was one of the younger members of the cast.

Moore was voted out shortly after the season entered its individual phase.

Nneka Ejere

Nneka Ejere was a 43-year-old pharmacist from Weatherford, Texas. She was one of the older contestants in the cast and brought a professional healthcare background to the island.

Ejere became the third contestant eliminated from Survivor 43, leaving on Day 7.

Justine Brennan

Justine Brennan was a 29-year-old cybersecurity sales professional from Marina Del Rey, California, originally from Sunnyvale, California.

She was the second castaway voted out of the season, departing on Day 5.

Noelle Lambert

Noelle Lambert was a 25-year-old U.S. Paralympian survivor 43 cast from Manchester, New Hampshire, originally from Londonderry, New Hampshire. Her participation was notable because she became one of the few amputee contestants in Survivor history.

Lambert made it well into the season and became the fourth member of the jury.

Coco Tribe: The Blue Tribe

Coco started with six contestants: James Jones, Ryan Medrano, Geo Bustamante, Lindsay Carmine, Karla Cruz Godoy, and Cassidy Clark. Their occupations included event planning, warehouse work, project management, pediatric nursing, educational project management, and design.

Cassidy Clark

Cassidy Clark was a 26-year-old designer from Austin, Texas, originally from Plano, Texas. She proved to be one of the season’s longest-lasting contestants.

Clark reached the Final Three and finished as the runner-up, receiving votes at the final Tribal Council.

Karla Cruz Godoy

Karla Cruz Godoy was a 28-year-old educational project manager from Newark, Delaware, originally from San Diego, California. She became an important part of the season’s later survivor 43 cast game.

Cruz Godoy reached the final stages and was voted out shortly before the finale, becoming the seventh member of the jury.

James Jones

James Jones was a 37-year-old event planner from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was one of the original Coco tribe members.

Jones became the ninth contestant eliminated and the second member of the jury.

Ryan Medrano

Ryan Medrano was a 25-year-old warehouse associate from El Paso, Texas, originally from Savannah, Georgia.

He survived into the post-merge portion of the competition and became the third member of the jury after his elimination.

Geo Bustamante

Geo Bustamante was a 36-year-old project manager from Honolulu, Hawaii, originally from Miami, Florida.

His time in the game ended on Day 11, making him the fifth contestant voted out.

Lindsay Carmine

Lindsay Carmine was a 42-year-old pediatric nurse from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, originally from Greensboro, North Carolina. Her healthcare career added another medical professional to a cast that already included Gabler and Ejere.

Carmine was the fourth contestant eliminated from the season.

Who Won Survivor 43?

Mike “Gabler” Gabler won Survivor 43. He reached the Final Three with Cassidy Clark and Owen Knight and ultimately received the votes needed to become Sole Survivor.

The season therefore ended with Gabler in first place, Clark as survivor 43 cast the runner-up, and Knight finishing third. The final three represented three different original tribes: Baka, Coco, and Baka respectively.

What Made the Survivor 43 Cast Interesting?

One of the defining characteristics of the Survivor 43 cast was the variety of professional and personal backgrounds. The group included healthcare professionals, educators, designers, academics, athletes, and business professionals.

The season also continued the show’s newer format, with contestants facing difficult decisions, limited supplies, physical and mental challenges, and rapidly changing alliances. CBS described the season as a faster and more intense version of the competition.

Another notable feature was the diversity of ages. Sami Layadi entered at 19, while Mike Gabler was 52, creating a 33-year age gap between the youngest and oldest castaways.

Survivor 43 Cast FAQs

How many contestants were in Survivor 43?

There were 18 contestants in the original Survivor 43 cast. They were divided into three tribes of six: Baka, Vesi, and Coco.

Who won Survivor 43?

Mike “Gabler” Gabler won Survivor 43 and became the season’s Sole Survivor. Cassidy Clark finished second, while Owen Knight finished third.

Who was the youngest Survivor 43 cast member?

Sami Layadi was the youngest contestant. He was 19 years old when the season was announced.

Who was the oldest Survivor 43 contestant?

Mike “Gabler” Gabler was the oldest cast member at 52 years old when the season began.

Where was Survivor 43 filmed?

Survivor 43 was filmed in Fiji, continuing the series’ use of the country’s islands as the setting for the competition.

Who was the Survivor 43 runner-up?

Cassidy Clark finished as the runner-up behind Mike Gabler. Owen Knight finished in third place.

Was Noelle Lambert on Survivor 43?

Yes. Noelle Lambert, a U.S. Paralympian, competed as a member of the original Vesi tribe. She reached the jury stage before being eliminated.

When did Survivor 43 premiere?

Survivor 43 premiered on September 21, 2022, with a special two-hour premiere on CBS.

Conclusion

The Survivor 43 cast brought together 18 contestants with very different careers, personalities, ages, and life experiences. From Paralympian Noelle Lambert and political science scholar Jesse Lopez to designer Cassidy Clark and heart valve specialist Mike Gabler, the season featured a broad mix of backgrounds.

The competition ultimately came down to Gabler, Clark, and Knight, with Gabler winning the title of Sole Survivor. For fans looking back at the season, the cast remains an survivor 43 cast important part of what made Survivor 43 distinctive within the show’s modern era.