Courtney Yates
The sharp-tongued non-fan who expected to go first, feuded her way through China and narrowly lost it to Todd.
Known for
Courtney had never watched Survivor, and it showed in the best way: she spent China roasting Jean-Robert Bellande, bonding with fellow outsiders like Leslie Nease and Sherea Lloyd, and twice voting against Jean-Robert before the merge. She joined Todd Herzog and Amanda Kimmel's alliance mostly because she liked them better than the alternative, then stayed remarkably loyal, even voting out her showmance buddy Frosti. A surprise individual immunity win and Jean-Robert's exit the same night were her high points. At Final Tribal the jury liked her honesty but faulted her strategic back seat, and Todd edged her for the title.
Heroes vs. Villains put her on the Villains, where Rob Mariano's alliance kept her around and she formed a tight bond with Sandra Diaz-Twine. Once Russell Hantz's side took Rob out, she and Sandra were stranded at the bottom. Sandra's scheming bought her one reprieve, but her friendship with Amanda over on the Heroes made her too risky, and she was voted out just before the merge.
Background: Survivor Wiki
Season by season
Photos and logos: CBS
Seasons played, finishing positions, day counts, jury status, ages and hometowns come from the contestant table in each season's Wikipedia article, cross-checked against the series overview before publication.
Sources (4)
- “Survivor: China,” Wikipedia, accessed September 28, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_China.
- “Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains,” Wikipedia, accessed September 28, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Heroes_vs._Villains.
- “List of Survivor (American TV series) episodes,” Wikipedia, accessed September 25, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Survivor_(American_TV_series)_episodes.
- “Courtney Yates,” Survivor Wiki, accessed September 28, 2026, https://survivor.fandom.com/wiki/Courtney_Yates.