CBS Says All ‘Survivor' Winners Were Invited to Season 50 Finale-But 1 Is Pushing Back
If you were hoping to spot Richard Hatch at the live finale for Survivor 50, don't expect to see the show's first-ever winner in the audience.
Though it was announced on CBS Mornings on Tuesday, May 19 that all Survivor winners were invited to attend the finale in Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 20-Hatch says this isn't the case.
"CBS Mornings lied this morning saying all Survivor winners were invited to [tomorrow 's] Season 50 finale!" Hatch wrote on X. "I'm the Original Winner, and I WAS NOT INVITED!"
In a statement to Page Six, the network denied the claim Hatch wasn't invited, writing, "All winners were invited to the Survivor 50 finale to celebrate the show's legacy."
It was also confirmed on CBS Mornings that the previous winners in the audience will include fan-favorites Parvati Shallow, Boston Rob Mariano, Amber Mariano, John Cochran, Natalie Anderson, Tina Wesson, and Ethan Zohn.
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The three-hour Survivor 50 finale will see one of the final five castaways-Aubry Bracco, Jonathan Young,Joe Hunter, Tiffany Nicole Ervin, or Rizo Velovic-win the $2 million prize.
The historic episode will also feature the first live reunion since season 39 in 2019.
Though the season 50 cast featured all returning players, including Hatch's Borneo co-star Jenna Lewis and All-Stars tribe mate Colby Donaldson, the original winner hasn't been considered for a Survivor season in quite some time.
During his All-Stars appearance, Hatch sparked controversy when he rubbed up against Sue Hawk while he was naked during a challenge. He was voted out that same episode, while Hawk quit the game the next day due to the incident.
"Given his history on our show, it did not seem appropriate," host Jeff Probsttold Us Weekly about Hatch being left off the Winners at War cast in 2020. "We were in a different time and different culture back then and we would never let him run a challenge naked now. Looking back on it, it just didn't seem to fit."
The finale of Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans airs May 20 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.
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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 7:56 PM.