Rick Devens reveals an absolutely wild “Survivor 50” fake Beware Advantage stunt he almost pulled

Dalton RossThu, May 14, 2026 at 4:17 PM UTC

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Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBSKey Points -

Survivor 50 fan favorite Rick Devens walks us through his elimination.

His wild ride included an aborted attempt at a crazy fake Beware Advantage stunt that would have had the entire tribe seeing red… literally!

The star talks about his very different off-island relationship with Joe.

Rick Devens was almost not even on Survivor 50. The Edge of Extinctionfan favorite was originally an alternate for the anniversary season, but once the cast was expanded to a record 24 people, the reality television chaos agent knew he had to make the most of his chance. Whether hiding (and later retrieving) a fake idol at Tribal Council, or volunteering to put his fate in the game up to a MrBeast coin toss, Tricky Ricky made the most of his return visit, setting out on a mission to make equal parts fun and mischief.

Alas, his luck finally ran out this week when Rick’s Shot in the Dark scroll read “Not Safe” and Devens was voted out by his castmates, the first of a brutal double elimination. How come Tiffany came up short in her efforts to save him? What happened after the cameras turned off?  And what else went down that we didn’t see? We talked to juror number eight to ask all that and more and you can watch or read the entire interview below.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Let’s get to the most important question first: Are jury members not allowed to wear ties or something?

RICK DEVENS: You know, I'm off the clock now as the game player. The jury's a little more casual look.

You seemed to know it was you heading into Tribal. Did that help you to take an extra beat to look at those stars and appreciate the experience you had, even while clawing to stay in the game?

It really did. The day was so weird because they showed me getting up early and looking for the idol like crazy, but I never stopped looking for the idol. I was still constantly looking. The only times were when I'm taking a break to hydrate or have some rice, and even though I know I'm going home that night probably, I'm gonna help clean the pot. I'm a team player.

So I really kind of had my farewell tour around camp trying to mend fences, let people know, like, “Listen, I'm crazy out here as a game player, but I love you. I so appreciated being in this game with you.” So I was very reflective all day. And you harassed me about my emotions in your article, Dalton. But yeah, I was definitely looking back on all my time as I went around the island feeling up every tree trying to find that idol.

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Did producers tell you anything after the game? Do you think there was an idol out there that you didn't find, or do you think they had not planted one?

I was so sure that there would be an idol. I have not heard anything from production. Ozzy got voted out with his Boomerang idol. I played my MrBeast idol. So I was just on the edge of my seat last night waiting for that shot where it's me walking right past the idol and I was gonna go, "Oh my gosh."

I have no idea where it could be. I covered every square inch of that beach with my big buddy Jonathan following behind me — who, by the way, was a delight. I mean, we talked about life, we talked about his girlfriend, and he was doing exactly what he should be doing, right? I thought it was insane that the other people weren't following me around and were putting all that on Jonathan. That being said, it's a weird strategy because if I find it, it's like, okay, you know I have it. You should be out looking, not following me around.

Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS

What kind of reaction did you get from producers and Jeff after the torch was snuffed in terms of what you gave them this season? Did anyone pull you aside and say anything?

Well, of course, the first thing I say is, "You guys almost made me an alternate!" And they got a big laugh out of that. Right after that Tribal, I got some really beautiful feedback from [executive producer] Matt Van Wagenen about my talk about the stars and how much he had related because he had lost somebody fairly recently, and so that was really nice.

All of them were so happy with what I brought to the game. They basically said, "You're classic Rick Devens. You had so many people reacting to what you were doing out there. You dictated so much of the pace of the game at these different points." So I think that they felt like I did my job. You know, Jeff wanted us to give everything, and I've definitely heard from Jeff that he feels like I gave everything, and that meant a lot.

You talked about being an alternate originally, and look, you’ve never been a wallflower, but do you think the fact that you were originally an alternate for the season gave you maybe a little extra drive to prove to Jeff and the producers and casting that you belonged out there and would deliver?

100%. There's no doubt. I mean, after I play at the fake idol, I'm coming back to camp and talking to producers going, "Tell Jeff…!" Every time I did something in the game that was on my mind, and it really loosened me up because there was so much pressure when I thought I was being cast originally and thought I was gonna sail right on [where I was like] “Oh, I have to go out there. I don't wanna prove the people who are always like, ‘Oh, he went out fourth, he sucks.’” It's like, "If I go out fourth again, it'll be a choke. I just need to get further."

And then thinking that I wasn't even gonna be on the show was such a shift in my mentality of like, "What am I doing? Let's go out there and try to win the game, number one, but also, like, let's just go crazy. Let's have fun with this. Let's give the fans something to enjoy for season 50."

And also, I very much had in my mind all the players [that didn’t make it] because I knew how crushed I was that I thought I wasn't getting on the season. The last thing I wanted were the people at home who didn't get on 50 to go, “Devens took a spot that could have been mine. He wasted a spot. “So I was playing. I was gonna play a big game and I do think being an alternate really freed me up and kind of helped with that mentality.

Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

You talked about having fun. How did the MrBeast celebration montage back at the beach happen? Did you tell a producer, “Follow me” and then start taking the crew to all those locations? And did the other tribemates know you were doing that?

One of the things you don't see on camera, and you never really could, is the relationship with production and how much we love production. Christian and I, the whole beginning of the season are doing all these [Star Trek] Paramount+ jokes just to try to make production laugh to the point that they're just like, "Shut up, guys!" And so when I started doing the dancing and celebrating and they're laughing behind the camera, I'm just like, "I gotta go bigger!" And I could tell: They want more. I'm gonna give them more. This is great.

And I'm off on my own for most of it, but when I'm getting up and walking out of camp, I could tell people are going, "What's Devens doing? What in the world?" But I'm so used to the side eyes at that point that I don't care, you know? It was so much fun.

And that relationship with production, on 50, it's like a family reunion — from Rizo and Savannah, who just saw all these people, to Coach and Jenna, who there's still people from season 1 there and we're all so happy to see our different friends. Because they are not in the group chats when the season ends. You miss them. So that was a fun day with production following me around. I was trying to make them laugh.

Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS

The only thing reality TV contestants love more than winning is camera time. Did you ever get the sense that your big flashy moves were annoying anybody, because it naturally was making you a bigger focus of the season?

Of course, I got the sense that they annoye dpeople. Like, there's no doubt about it. But I never… you know, there was a lot of talk about people being performative, early in exit press, and it's like, I never put on a fashion show or replayed my old hits and came in with these things. Everything I did that got me camera time was game related, right? Like, hiding the fake idol, getting the idol, building my alliance with Christian, the MrBeast thing. So I'm not doing stuff just to get camera time, but I'm gonna play big, and if I know that that's gonna get me camera time, I love it. Absolutely.

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And of course, I threw every Tribal immunity challenge to get more camera time.  Everybody needs to know that. If you don't go to Tribal early in the game, your tribe doesn't get shown. What do you want from me? [Laughs] No, obviously I would have loved to win those, but I have a horrible record at Tribal immunities.

Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

It was really funny in the last individual immunity challenge because they showed you before talking about, "I won four immunities last time and I need this." I'm like, "Oh, boy, here comes Rick. He's gonna come to play." And then you were just terrible at that last one.

Can I tell you, that was like the third or fourth challenge that I had already lost on season 38. I just wanted an obstacle course with a puzzle at the end, and they do that the challenge after I get out. Meanwhile, Joe's getting challenges that he won on his season. I'm going, "This isn't fair!"

But that being said, there are different things that played into my hands with these twists and everything. So everyone gets their pluses and minuses. That's what's so great about Survivor. Your strengths are your weaknesses, your weaknesses are your strengths. And it was true on 38. I didn't start winning till late because those obstacle courses with a puzzle at the end are bigger builds that are for less people. These endurance things and these balance things I don't do great at.

Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS

We did see that Tiffany was legitimately interested in using you as a smoke screen to take out Rizo on this vote, so what do you think happened there? She just couldn’t get anyone on board?

I love Tiff. Tiff and I had so much fun out there. She was so unbothered by anything I ever did at Tribal. She just got a kick out of it. And I do think that she was really pushing that, and Aubry was acting like she was into it, but Aubry's blowing in the wind and eventually made a different choice, which I don't blame her.

I was a big target out there and I think I've shown in the past that I can find idols and I can win these immunities at the end. So I don't think it was a bad choice to get rid of me. I think Tiff and I just couldn't get it together. And it was funny, she came up to me and said, "Devens, I'm trying to do this. You have to stop looking for the idol while I'm doing this because you're making people on edge."

I said, "Okay, okay." And after a little while, I went to Tiff and I said, "It doesn't look like it's working. I think I have to go look for the idol." And she goes, "Yeah, I think you're right. It's not gonna work." So I really appreciated that, because she wanted me to find the idol at that point. That gets her job done also.

Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Gail Schulman/CBS

You and Joe certainly went at it out there and Savannah said in her exit press that it was much worse than what made it on TV. I know you. You’re a guy that doesn’t want to be a smack-talker. You’re a guy that wants to get along with everybody, so how worried were you about what they were going to show and your off-island relationship with Joe?

I love Joe. Joe's a great dude. Anyone who meets Joe is gonna love Joe. I'll judge another Survivor harshly if they don't treat fans well, and Joe is gonna give a fan the best experience of their lives. Like, he's a good dude, he's a dad. It is funny because we had that fiery confrontation at the beginning of the game and Savannah's my girl. I'm not gonna throw her under the bus. I agree with her assessment that it was a little more fiery than they showed, but also, we hugged it out. We didn't bury it, apparently. [Laughs] I was a little surprised how much he wanted me out, watching it back. But I'll say I had some confessionals about Joe that didn't make it in because I guess probably I had no power to get him out, so why show them? But Joe and I are good. He sent me some really nice messages during the season and I'm looking for our kids to get together and play at this finale.

Emily Flippen, Joe Hunter, and Rick Devens on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS

What’s something that happened out there that didn’t make it to TV that you wish we had seen?

There was a really fun day when we didn't have anything going on and I was like, "Can we use this boat? Can we go out?” In all my seasons, I've never just gone out on the boat." So Emily and I took Ozzy and Jonathan out on our little boat and Jonathan and Ozzy are fishing. They're having a contest to see who can catch the most fish and Emily and I are just chatting, laughing about being so chaotic together. We're just like, "What are we doing in this game having a good time?"

And then, I'm getting in the water and Jonathan's handing me his spear that already has a fish in it and I'm trying to make the cameraman laugh like, "Look what I just got!" It was such a fun day. Those two were amazing. They caught a ton of fish. I think Jonathan actually caught more fish that day. It was a really magical, wonderful day.

And then another thing, I almost faked a Beware Advantage on my last day. I stole the red paint out of camp, I'm gonna get a coconut, I'm gonna cover myself with a red like Sue did and act like I have this advantage. But Jonathan just wouldn't let me get away that long, to his credit. And also, I just realized: You know what? This has such a small chance of working. I think my Shot in the Dark would probably work better than this at this point. But I kinda wish I'd done it because it would've been fun.

Wow. Just to see you with the red on you would've been worth it.

Exactly. I was gonna throw a big coconut and let it hit the ground and let them come over and I just got red everywhere like, "Oh, nothing happening here, guys!

Rick Devens and Jeff Probst on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: CBS

We already had a great interview I encourage everyone to go check out about the whole MrBeast coin flip, but what was the moment like of getting to watch that with your children who are big MrBeast fans and didn't know that any of this was gonna happen. I have to imagine that had to be the most rewarding experience for you out of your entire Survivor journey.

It really was. And Rizo is beloved in my house now because he said the kids' names and it got shown on TV. They love Rizo. Can't wait to meet Rizo. It was so cool, man, because they are young kids. We did not tell them anything that happens. We didn't want that burden on them of being like, "You can't tell anyone." So even up until the coin flip, they're worried that this is the end of their dad's journey. They're so nervous and when it hits, they jumped up, they run over, they're hugging me, I'm hugging them, it's just us in our living room. My brother-in-law happened to be visiting. He's there with us too.

It was so awesome. And then immediately, they're like, "When are we gonna meet Mr Beast? When are we hanging out with Jimmy?" And I'm like, "I don't know. I hope sometime!" But it was so cool because they, and Becca, my wife, make the real sacrifice while I'm out there playing this game, having fun. They're without dad. So to get them to have that payoff and to have that moment was so cool. And I think maybe they were riding a little high in school the next day.

MrBeast, Rick Devens, and Jeff Probst on 'Survivor 50'
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS

I need a quick rules clarification from you. Is someone allowed to win Sia Money twice?

Yeah! Absolutely! The only problem is the first time we named a cat Sia that we found along the road. So I don't know what we're gonna name this next cat if I go home with the money. Cheap thrills? Chandelier? We're gonna have to figure something out. But Sia's an absolute hero to our family. She changed my life in a big way. So the fact that she's back, just the generosity, it's incredible. And you know that every time they were pulling out a celebrity out there, I went, "Sia? Sia?” Like, Zac Brown? I thought it was Sia. MrBeast? I thought it was Sia? He goes, "This celebrity goes by one name." I'm going, "Sia!" So I'm hoping she's at the live finale so I can give her a big hug.

Final question: Record prediction for the 2026 Washington Commanders: Go!

You know I'm gonna be more high on them than you are, obviously. I'm going 10 wins. I mean, a lot better defense, right? Can't be worse.

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