$1 million ‘Survivor’ winner to make guest appearance on Planet 105.1

ST. GEORGE — Planet 105.1 FM listeners are in for a treat Friday, as special guest Wendell Holland, winner of the most recent season of the popular CBS television show “Survivor,” joins morning show personalities Colleen and Buckner to share insights on his experience.

Holland, who earned $1 million for winning “Survivor: Ghost Island,” said the show was filmed in Fiji in June and July 2017, meaning he had to keep the outcome a closely guarded secret for several months until the season’s 14 episodes were aired earlier this year.

“Survivor: Ghost Island” winner Wendell Holland rehearses in Planet 105.1 studio, St. George, Utah, July 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

A longtime fan of the “Survivor” show, Holland said he’d sent in numerous videotapes and went to two live auditions before being selected.

Holland, a 34-year-old resident of Philadelphia, said he worked on building social relationships with the other players as part of his strategy.

“That’s me in real life. I genuinely connect with people,” he said. “But usually those players don’t necessarily win on Survivor.”

The ordeal was physically grueling as well, Holland said, noting that he lost 26 pounds from his already slender 6-foot-1-inch frame during the filming of the show. He and the other participants subsisted for more than a month on meager rations of rice plus whatever else they could harvest, such as coconuts and fish.

In the dramatic season finale that aired May 23, the final tribal vote was deadlocked 5-5 between Holland and chief rival Domenick, so the tie-breaking vote fell upon third-place finisher Laurel, who cast the deciding vote in Holland’s favor.

“Survivor: Ghost Island” winner Wendell Holland receives a bottle of Utah fry sauce from Planet 105.1 on-air personalities Colleen and Buckner in the studio, St. George, Utah, July 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Listeners who tune in to Planet 105.1 between 7:30-9:30 a.m. Friday will hear the answers to the following questions and more:

  • Which actor does Holland frequently get mistaken for? 
  • Where do Survivor contestants go to the bathroom? 
  • Where can you buy the best Philly cheesesteak sandwiches in Philadelphia?
  • Which, if any, of the names on a list of odd-named Utah towns can he correctly pronounce on the first try?

The answers to the above questions, as revealed on Friday’s show, were as follows: Donald Glover; in the ocean; Dalessandro’s; and Scipio was the only town out of four on the list that Holland correctly pronounced on his first guess.

Planet 105.1 is transitioning from its previous spot on the radio dial. It’s currently broadcasting on both the 94.1 and 105.1 frequencies, but listeners are encouraged to “make the switch” as soon as possible

Colleen and Buckner both said they are thrilled to have Holland as a guest on their show, billed as the “Best Morning Show on the Planet.”

Canyon Media videographers film as “Survivor: Ghost Island” winner Wendell Holland joins Planet 105.1 on-air personalities Colleen and Buckner in the studio, St. George, Utah, July 11, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Holland agreed to stop by the Planet 105.1 studio during his first-ever trip to Utah. He’s here at the behest of TallSlim Tees owner Dan Deceuster, who invited him to St. George to shoot a commercial.

Back in Pennsylvania, Holland operates his own furniture company called Beve Unlimited, where he designs and builds custom beds, tables and other furniture.

“I’m just living my dream now,” he said, adding that he’ll soon be heading to Jamaica’s Treasure Beach, where he helps operate a basketball camp for hundreds of local kids each summer.

As a thank you for agreeing to appear on Friday’s morning show, Colleen and Bucker presented Holland with a gift bag containing some Utah foods to take home to Philly, including fry sauce, green Jell-O and funeral potatoes.

Holland said Wednesday morning he hadn’t gotten much chance to see Southern Utah yet, as he had driven in from Las Vegas after missing an earlier connecting flight.

“But what I have seen is beautiful,” he said. “I love the mountains. St George is an amazing city and I’d love to get back out here.”

Updated July 16, 7:30 a.m. to include the answers to the on-air questions.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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1 Comment

  • JOSH DALTON July 12, 2018 at 11:33 am

    If brother man has a million. Why does he dress like a bum? I don’t have a million dollars, but I can tell you I don’t have jeans with holes in them. I only have one pair of jeans mainly because I wear slacks. Jeans fit to tight now a days. GO FALCONS!

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