TW : This article discusses eating disorders.
Season 49 Survivor winner Savannah Louie may have been a villain in her first season playing the game. However, when she jumped into filming Season 50, back-to-back, she faced some hidden hardships. Sadly, when she failed to bond with her Cila tribe members, she was the second player voted out.
In addition, Savannah brought up pregaming in Survivor Season 50. “So I’m not saying everybody here hopped on a Zoom call and formulated a plan. But you do have pre-existing relationships …,” Savannah explained. Meanwhile, Savannah was struggling with binge-eating after her stints on the show.
The Survivor 49 winner felt she “had no control”
Before playing Survivor, Savannah had a “normal” relationship with food. However, once she returned to her regular life, Savannah began to binge eat. “I felt like I had no control over what I was eating,” Savannah told PEOPLE. “I physically felt like I couldn’t stop. I would eat until I was physically in pain. My stomach would be killing me, but I felt like I still needed to consume, so I did consume.” She added, “I would go into the grocery store, and I felt so ashamed because I felt like I looked like I had gained a lot of weight, which I had.”
The Season 49 winner explained that she experienced “binge and restrict cycles” where she would consume a large meal, and then “punish” herself by not eating. Savannah credits the support of her co-stars and working with a therapist in her recovery journey.
“So they set me up with an eating disorder therapist,” she recalls. “I worked with her every week, sometimes a couple times a week,” Savannah explained. “I’m so grateful for her and the help that CBS gave me to heal.” She added, “There are still some days where I struggle, but for the most part – like nine out of 10 days – I’m usually really good.”
Survivor Season 50 airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS. It streams the next day on Paramount+.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully-staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups.
TELL US – PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A POSITIVE MESSAGE FOR SAVANNAH.
