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Survivor 50's Jonathan Young Shares Insight Into Training With Boston Rob
Survivor only crowns one winner each season, but not all contestants leave the island alone.
Because while the island and its lack of hygienic amenities may not seem like the perfect setting for finding love, there’s no shortage of showmances that have emerged from the reality competition. Take Rob "Boston Rob” Mariano and Amber Mariano, perhaps the series most well-known pair, who saw their strategic season 8 alliance turn into a genuine romance. Rob proposed to Amber during the season finale, and the couple tied the knot in 2005.
More than 20 years later, their love has outlasted several other reality TV romances, with the duo growing their family with daughters Lucia, 16, Carina, 15, Isabetta, 13 and Adelina, 11. Although they met in an untraditional setting, Amber thinks that crossing paths on Survivor allowed them to find an authentic connection, free from superficial distractions.
“The way our relationship started out is so different than what anybody ever experiences with dating," Amber told Entertainment Tonight in 2020. "When you’re on Survivor, you can’t even brush your teeth, you can’t even brush your hair, you don’t even change your clothes."
"So we didn’t have this, like almost fake way to impress each other," she added,"...it was the most real as it gets.”
Coincidentally, Rob’s close friend Ozzy Lusth also found romance on the island, developing a relationship with fellow season 8 contestant Amanda Kimmel. The pair left the island as a couple, with Ozzy even breaking things off with his then-girlfriend to pursue the romance, but they only dated for a few months before calling it quits.
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“The passion of the island, the jungle love, the fighting our way for a million dollars was amazing, and I just didn’t see our personalities sync up correctly,” Ozzy explained on a Drop Your Bluffs podcast episode released Aug. 2021. “It didn’t end up working out.”
Ozzy’s fellow season 50 contestant Dee Valladares also found herself in a showmance during her time on season 45, when her alliance with Austin Li Coon became increasingly romantic.
The flirty duo never confirmed if they were in a relationship after Dee won the competition in 2023, with Austin telling Entertainment Weekly in December that they wanted to keep things “private.” As it turned out, he was busy forming a new alliance with his now-girlfriend Amanda Probst, who happens to be Jeff Probst’s niece.
Keep reading to see the Survivor romances that continue to outlast their time on the island and those that were snuffed out not long after that final tribal council.
Instagram/Frannie Marin
Frannie Marin and Matthew Blankinship
It was pretty much love at first sight for Matt and Frannie when they stepped on the beach for season 44. And their showmance continued beyond Fiji and they are still dating.
On their one-year anniversary, Frannie shared a blurb she wrotein her journal on the first day of Survivor.
"I have already developed a mild affinity for [Matt]. This is problematic as I want to be best friends with him and will likely a) trust everything he says and b) tell him every thought in my head," she shared. "Halt, emotional being! Enough with reaching your wretched tendrils! Steel yourself!"
Jaclyn Schultz & Jon Misch
After competing on Survivor: San Juan del Sur, the couple said "I Do" in August 2015 near Detroit. In June 2022, Jaclyn and Jon welcomed their son Logan Samuel.
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Parvati Shallow and John Fincher
Parvati Shallow, a fan-favorite from multiple iterations of Survivor and the Sole Survivor of Fans vs. Favorites, started dating John Fincher of Survivor: Samoa in 2014. They married in 2017 and welcomed a daughter in 2018, with Parvati returning to compete in Winners at War just months after giving birth. In August 2021, the couple would file for divorce.
Joe Anglim & Sierra Dawn Thomas
These two Survivor lovebirds met in 2014 during Worlds Apart. Although they didn't start dating immediately after the show, they became a couple a few years later and announced their engagement on April 9, 2019. Just before Thanksgiving 2019, the couple said "I Do" in a magical Utah wedding ceremony.
The couple are parents to daughter Della Dawn, 3, and son Vander Joseph, born in August 2022.
Michele Fitzgerald & Dean Kowalski
They dated! Despite competing on different seasons, the pair turned their friendship into something more during quarantine. "Summer lovin'," Dean shared on Instagram back in August 2020. The couple would ultimately part ways before Michele appeared on MTV's The Challenge.
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Elizabeth Beisel & Jack Nichting
One day after reuniting for Survivor season 39's finale, the two contestants confirmed on Instagram that they were dating. "WOAH. Did you guys hear the news?" Elizabeth wrote on Instagram. "I've got a curly haired boyfriend named Jack and he is simply the most wonderful human being I know. And yes, we share hair products."
And the Island of the Idols pair announced theit engagement in November 2022.
Jenna Bowman and Sebastian Noel
These Survivor: Ghost Island contestants were so intertwined that they started a vlog and a couples Instagram account: Tarzan and Jen.
Alas, they broke up, with Sebastian going on to enjoy a brief showmance with Tori Deal on The Challenge: USA season two.
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Whitney Duncan and Keith Tollefson
This pair from 2011's Survivor: South Pacific had almost instant sparks. Their relationship took them on The Amazing Race together, and they wed in 2014 and have a 14-month-old-son, Duncan.
Alec Merlino & Kara Kay
After competing on Season 37 or Survivor: David vs. Goliah, the two contestants formed a romantic relationship in San Diego, Calif. "We shared so much chemistry and friendship on the island," Kara explained to E! News. "And then we got home and we both knew."
Unfortunately, the pair privately split with Alec telling Entertainment Weekly in 2021 that it was "the most normal and amicable breakup."
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Wendell Holland & Michele Fitzergald
The two winners off-camera romance was revealed during an episode of Survivor: Winners at War when the tribe swap resulted in the exes being placed on the same tribe.
"How the heck did I get stuck stranded on an island with my ex-boyfriend? [Laughs.] Wendell and I dated briefly which is a saga in itself," Michele revealed in an episode after a tribe swap went down. "Even though our relationship didn't necessarily work out, I'm hoping this can work a little better than our dating."
Spoiler alert: Neither won the season.
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Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich
Oh, Boston Rob and Amber. These two took showmance to the next level. They met in 2003 while on Survivor: All-Stars, got engaged in 2004, and had a TV wedding in 2005. They competed on The Amazing Race in season seven and returned for The Amazing Race: All-Stars in 2007. They have four daughters together and both competed for the title of Sole Survivor on season 40.
Instagram/Rachel Foulger
Tyson Apostol and Rachel Foulger
After competing on Survivor: Blood vs. Water together, which Apostol won, the couple got married 2015 after getting engaged on the finale of Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars' second season.
They've since welcomed two daughters and Tyson most recently competed on Winners at War.
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Mary Sartain and Ryan Opray
The couple were introduced by Johnny Fairplay and were engaged, but the relationship didn't last.
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Jeff Probst and Julie Berry
After production on Survivor: Vanuatu wrapped, Probst, the longtime host of the CBS series, reached out to Berry. The two started dating, but kept the relationship a secret until after Berry's season aired. They were together for a few years, but eventually split.
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Spencer Duhm and Todd Herzog
Todd Herzog, the winner of Survivor: China, met Survivor: Tocantins contestant Spencer Duhm in 2009. The couple eventually split, and Todd later appeared on Dr. Phil for an intervention with his alcohol addiction.
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Stephen Fishbach and Courtney Yates
Courtney Yates of Survivor: China and Stephen Fishbach of Survivor: Tocantins never competed on the series together, but met in 2009 and struck up a romantic relationship, but it didn't last. Stephen got married in 2018.
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Ethan Zohn and Jenna Morasca
These two Survivor winners met during the finale of Survivor: The Amazon. They started dating in 2003 and were together for 10 years, even appearing on The Amazing Race.
"It is with much consideration and a heavy heart that we are announcing that after 10 years of a loving relationship, the decision was made to move on without each other," a rep for the couple told E! News in 2013. "We will carry with us the memories of a relationship grounded in love, laughter, support and friendship."
"We have experienced some of life's greatest joys and toughest challenges together, and our decision to be apart can never diminish that. We want to thank everyone for their support and we ask that our privacy be respected as we move forward." Ethan is now married and is one of the 20 winners back for season 40.
Erik Huffman and Jaime Dugan-Huffman
The Survivor: China contestants met on the show in 2007 during the competition. They married two years later and have since welcomed a son.
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Alex Bell and Kim Powers
Alex Bell, from Survivor: The Amazon, and Kim Powers, from Survivor: Africa, met through the show and got married in 2006.
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David Murphy and Carolina Eastwood
Carolina Eastwood, a Survivor: Tocantins contestant, and David Murphy, a Survivor: Redemption Island contestant, got engaged on TV during the Redemption Island reunion. However, the marriage didn't happen and they later split.
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Ozzy Lusth and Amanda Kimmel
Lusth and Kimmel met on Survivor season 16, Survivor: Micronesia, where a showmance quickly developed. They continued dating after cameras stopped rolling, but eventually split.
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Dee Valladares and Austin Li Coon
While competing on season 45 together, Dee and Austin had major chemistry and started to develop feelings for one another. However, after Dee was crowned the season’s Sole Survivor and filming wrapped, the duo parted ways.
Austin was initially coy about sharing their relationship status post-filming, telling Entertainment Weekly in 2023 they wanted to keep things “private.” The reason: The pair had actually split before the finale aired, as Austin met his now-girlfriend—Jeff Probst’s niece, Amanda—in November 2023.
“I know that this might be a surprise to some given how 45 ended,” he captioned the September 2024 Instagram post announcing their relationship, “but the season finished filming last spring and everything since happened in a respectful way.”
Austin Li Coon and Amanda Probst
Though Austin had a showmance with Dee while filming season 45, he ended up with a different member of the Survivor family.
He and Amanda met in Chicago for a “casual meet-up to talk about Survivor” back in November 2023, according to his 2024 Instagram post announcing their relationship. Since they crossed paths, the pair has been going strong, and just celebrated their two-year-anniversary in December 2025.
“2 years + 5 Survivor finales with the most amazing girl in the entire world,” he captioned his anniversary post. “Life is better with you.”
Katurah Topps and Sabiyah Broderick
The season 45 contestants hard-launched their relationship in June 2025, more than two years after their season wrapped filming.
“On Survivor, we both struggled with fire. I couldn’t make it and she went a week without it. But what we’ve built together? That’s a fire that finally lit itself,” Katurah captioned a joint Instagram post announcing their relationship. “From Players to Partners, from Castmates to Co-dreamers… Meet Survivor’s FIRST Black Queer Woman Couple.”
Like all good fires, the pair’s slow-burn romance took some time to build.
"We realized that our friendship—being 'besties' who talked every single day—was turning into something more last fall, around August 2024, and we decided to explore it casually,” Katurah told Out in an interview published June 2025. “But, by January of this year, we knew we needed to make it official."
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