NEED TO KNOW
During the May 6 episode of Survivor 50, Tiffany Ervin lost her immunity win after a technicality revealed she didn’t meet the challenge’s requirements
Jonathan Young ultimately won immunity and gained a special advantage to vote in both tribal councils
Tiffany “Tiff” Ervin was about to nab her second individual immunity win of Survivor 50— until it was taken away.
The seminal season of Survivor — which features a record 24 players and first premiered on Feb. 25 — has already featured a number of twists and turns, from the Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol to MrBeast’s prize contribution to bring the fund to an ultimate $2 million.
But during the 11th episode, which premiered on May 6, the contestants saw what appeared to be a historic first: Ervin winning the individual immunity challenge, then losing the title due to a technicality. Ultimately, Jonathan Young took home the necklace.
“The fans don’t even know how hard this is,” Young said after winning. “If I had a résumé of everything I’ve done — world records and everything — I would circle Survivor and say, ‘That is the best thing I’ve ever done.’ “
So, why didn’t Tiffany Ervin win immunity? Here’s everything to know about the Survivor 50 moment.
Warning: Survivor 50 spoilers ahead!
Why was Tiffany Ervin disqualified from tonight’s Survivor challenge?
Aubry Bracco, Tiffany Ervin, Joe Hunter, Rizo Velovic, Jonathan Young, Cirie Fields, Rick Devens, Emily Flippen, Ozzy Lusth, and Jeff Probst on Survivor.
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS
During the challenge, contestants were required to balance on a pedestal floating in the ocean. Every few minutes, host Jeff Probst instructed the players to move their feet up the triangular platform, perching them on ever-narrowing footholds. By the end, Probst had them balance on one foot on top of the platform, with Ervin appearing to last the longest before falling off into the water.
However, once the contestants swam back to Probst, he turned to his off-camera crew.
“Wait, issue?” he said before hopping into a boat to review the challenge footage.
Upon his return, Probst said that there had been a mistake — and Ervin should have been out of the challenge far earlier.
“This is why we have five judges, always watching and our standards and practices person watching,” he said. “So, here’s what happened: Clearly, I missed something. When I counted you in [to standing on one foot], Tiff, your foot was not up. So while other people were on one foot flailing and even falling in, you had not lifted your second foot.”
The show then flashed back to the moment, revealing that Ervin had, indeed, not lifted her second foot by the required deadline.
“Tiff, you would have been disqualified, which you are,” Probst continued. “I’m sorry, no win for you, Tiff. Do you feel okay about that, Tiff? Do you trust me?”
She replied, “I trust you.”
The next-to-last person to fall off his pedestal was Young, meaning that he took home the immunity necklace — and a special advantage. Probst divided the remaining contestants into two groups, with each voting out a member. Young, meanwhile, would get to travel between both, voting in both tribal councils.
Have Survivor immunities been taken away in the past?
Jake O’Kane on Survivor; Erika Casupanan on Survivor.
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS via Getty (2)
It does not appear that an immunity win has ever been taken away due to a technicality. In the past, several contestants have given up the necklace — most famously, Erik Reichenbach handed it over to Natalie Bolton during Survivor: Micronesia and was voted out later that same night.
However, several results have been nullified. In seasons 41 and 42, a player exiled at the merge — Erika Casupanan and Rocksroy Bailey, respectively — was given the power to reverse the results of the immunity challenge.
During season 45, Jake O’Kane was disqualified from the final immunity challenge after stomping on and breaking the contraption that held it together.
Who went home during tonight’s Survivor?
Emily Flippen on Survivor; Ozzy Lusth on Survivor.
Credit: Robert Voets/CBS (2)
After the immunity challenge, the groups — Emily Flippen, Cirie Fields, Rick Devens and Ervin on one side, and Ozzy Lusth, Aubry Bracco, Rizo Velovic and Joe Hunter on the other — went off to separate beaches. Only Young could travel between them.
In the first group, Young, Fields and Ervin banded together. However, Flippen tried to convince them that Devens was using his immunity idol on her — therefore, they should vote for Devens and get him out of the game. In reality, Devens was planning on using his idol on himself all along.
At tribal council, Devens used his idol, successfully nullifying two votes against him. However, Fields used her extra vote to tie things up, 2-2 on Fields and Flippen. During the revote, Flippen went home, 4-2.
On the other side, Bracco, Velovic, Hunter and Young decided to blindside Lusth, praying that he wouldn’t use his immunity idol. He didn’t — going against his intuition — and was successfully voted out, 4-1.
Read the original article on People