5 reasons why Zach Wurtenberger deserves a second chance on Survivor

Zach Wurtenberger was called out by his younger brother for a second time in last night’s episode of Big Brother.

If you have been keeping up with Big Brother 25, you may know Zach Wurtenberger as the older brother of Cory Wurtenberger, one of this season’s beloved houseguests. While Cory has been thriving on the hit competition series (avoiding the block for three weeks in a row), Zach had far less reality TV success when he was on Survivor just last year.

Cory: “I don’t know if now’s the time, but do you want my secret?”

America: “You’re a lawyer?”

Cory: “I’m not a lawyer.”

America: “You’re a billionaire… Investment banker?”

Cory: “That would be lame… My brother was on Survivor.”

America: “Oh, what?”

Cory: “Yeah, he got 17th place. He was voted out first.”

America: “You’re already doing better than him.”

As Cory mentioned to America Lopez last night (August 30) on Big Brother, Zach was a competitor on Survivor 42, however, he was the first castaway eliminated – yikes!

Beginning the game on the Ika tribe, Zach formed a close bond with some of his tribemates right away, most notably third-place finisher Romeo Escobar, due to their similar body type and stature.

While it seemed to be smooth sailing, the Ika tribe suffered a devastating immunity loss on the third day, caused primarily by Zach’s less-than-ideal performance on the puzzle portion of the challenge. Because of this, Swati Goel proposed the idea of voting for Zach at tribal council for costing the Ika tribe the win, a plan which ultimately prevailed as successful.

Taking one last attempt at securing his safety, Zach forfeited his vote and used his Shot in the Dark die at tribal council. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful, ultimately making history as the first player voted out unanimously (with the exception of Jeff Varner’s self-elimination in Survivor: Game Changers), leaving the game in a 5-0 vote.

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Zach dished about his decision to use his Shot in the Dark die that fateful night.

“I’ve just been watching this show for so long, and even though I did really connect with all my tribemates really well, it wasn’t like a social issue or anything. I was just not getting the confirmation from people that I needed… I got that a little bit from Romeo, but really not from the other people. I feel like Swati, for me, was a really good litmus test, and the fact that Swati couldn’t even look me in the eyes was a pretty good sign of like, ‘Oh wow, this is not going to be going well.'”

Zach’s journey on Survivor was underwhelming, to say the least, but that does not mean that he is a bad player by any means. Keep scrolling to see five reasons why Zach Wurtenberger deserves a second chance on Survivor…

He is hardworking

He may not have gotten his opportunity to show it on Survivor 42, but Zach is an extremely hard worker.

When creating his official Survivor biography, he was asked the question “What is something we would never know from looking at you?” and his answer was oh-so telling.

“I think that a lot of people would assume because I’m young, that I’m naïve or that I have no life experience. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I am a hustler. I’ve worked hard for my grades, my scores, and my competitive success. I wanted to go to a top-tier school, so I worked hard to get in. I have worked hard for what I have, and I’m proud of it… In speech and debate, I competed against hundreds of students from around the country every weekend. These people were just as smart as me, just as well-spoken, and just as talented, but I beat them because I worked harder and because I wanted it more.”

With only three days on the beach, Zach did not get the chance to show his tribemates just how hard of a worker he truly is. With more days in the game, we know that the 23-year-old can be an asset to his team in the future!

He is smart

Zach mentioned that he worked hard to get into a top-tier school, and based on his Instagram profile, he certainly did.

The Florida native attended Washington University in St. Louis and graduated this past December. In an Instagram post, Zach shared that he would have graduated on time if Survivor did’nt put a wrench in his plans!

“Quick story: Freshman year, I learned that if you stepped on this seal, you’d graduate late. Most people avoided it. Meanwhile, I probably stepped on that thing a thousand times over the last four years, trying desperately to will Survivor into my life (and as a result, delay my graduation). Somehow it actually worked, and thanks to my stint in Fiji I’m still a solid 15 credits away from my degree… Even though I’m not leaving WashU this year, so many of the people who’ve made this place so special to me are, so it still feels like the end, even if I still have a little bit left to go. Congratulations to all of my friends who are officially alumni — I love you all and I’m going to miss you so much.”

Nonetheless, Zach still managed to earn his degree from Washington University in St. Louis, which has been ranked 15th out of 443 national universities in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges. How impressive is that?

While falling short on a puzzle may have lead to his demise the first time around, we are confident Zach could put his brains to good use should he be given the opportunity to return to the beach.

He is a Survivor superfan

To top it all off, Zach knows the ins and outs of the hit competition series, which would be a great asset if he were to play Survivor for a second time.

In an exclusive interview with Parade prior to the premiere of Survivor 42, Zach was asked the question “Why are you here on Survivor?” and his answer seriously warmed our hearts.

“I’ve literally been watching this show my entire life. Like actually my entire life, because I’m 21 years old. I’m the same age as the show. It’s been my dream my entire life. You can find the essays I wrote in third grade or whatever, where I’m actually writing ‘My dream is to be on Survivor,’ and I’m somebody where, if there’s something I want to accomplish, I can’t sleep until I actually get to do it. I’ve never been someone who’s just happy being an observer. I always feel like I need to participate [and] to put my stamp on the game, and that’s what I hope to do here.”

If this does not prove that Zach is the ultimate Survivor fan, one look at his TikTok profile should seal the deal for those who are skeptical.

With just four videos (all of which relate to the show), he even has a post that displays all of the work he did to get cast on Survivor. Let’s just say that his research was extensive, to say the least…

He has been preparing for a second chance

Despite being voted out first on Survivor 42, Zach has had quite a bit of time to reflect on his past mistakes since filming wrapped back in 2021.

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly — right after his untimely exit — Zach reflected on his “overwhelmingly positive” Survivor experience and how he has been coping since it came to a close.

“I feel like Survivor screws everyone off in some way, and it’s kind of your own special thing, like what do you take away from it that’s wrong with you? And I really do feel lucky overall. I view my Survivor experience as overwhelmingly positive… I’ve had the past 10 months to kind of play through what I would’ve done differently and what I could have changed.”

Staying very connected with the Survivor community (even going on a trip with Claire Rafson, Jeanine Zheng, and Xander Hastings earlier this summer), it is safe to assume that he is still very invested in the beloved competition series and would be open to playing again.

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, he even admitted that returning to the beach would be a no-brainer if he was offered a second chance.

“It’s impossible to say no to Survivor. It really is. We talk about it as a once in a lifetime opportunity, right, and if you get a once in a lifetime opportunity twice, it’s impossible to say no. I would definitely play again.”

Now he just needs to sit by the phone and wait for Jeff Probst to give him a call. Fingers crossed!

Most importantly, he needs to beat his little brother

When Cory was announced as one of the houseguests for Big Brother 25, his older brother could not have been prouder of him, sharing an Instagram post to express his excitement.

“When a Wurtenberger turns 21, he embarks on his journey to the CBS studio lot. SO beyond proud of my brother for making his dream come true, despite it seeming LITERALLY impossible. Seriously. This isn’t just a big deal, this is unprecedented. Tune into #BB25 this fall to watch him redeem the Wurtenberger name.”

After the first live eviction — where Cory fortunately lived to see another day — the 21-year-old uttered three words into the camera: “Beat you Zach.” How gut-wrenching!

Having been publicly embarrassed by his younger brother on national television, Zach deserves a chance to prove to Cory that he can be a reality TV success as well. Who knows, maybe he could even outlast his sibling…

To watch Zach Wurtenberger’s underwhelming Survivor experience, you can stream Survivor 42 on Paramount Plus (and you will only need to tune into episode 1).

To watch the rest of Cory Wurtenberger’s journey unfold in the Big Brother house, tune into CBS on Sundays and Wednesdays at 8pm ET/PT, as well as Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT. We are rooting for him!

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