Elisabeth Hasselbeck is now a very well-known TV personality. However, back in 2001, she was a 25-year-old still rocking her maiden name (Filarski) who joined Survivor at the start of the reality TV revolution. She made an impression on viewers for her personality and her tight alliance with Tina Wesson, who ultimately won Season 2. While she did pretty well surviving in the Australian Outback, she recently admitted she only made a half-hearted attempt to learn a couple of things on the plane out to film the TV show.
In an interview with The View producer Brian Teta ahead of her 2026 TV schedule return, Hasselbeck admitted she was not as prepared for Survivor as her CBS edit made her look. The good news? The flight from the U.S. to Australia is not exactly what I would describe as short. So, on the journey, she learned about fishing and tying knots.
I literally went in with two skills. Tying knots – I knew nothing. I didn’t camp. I didn’t know anything. I was on the plane ride to Survivor; I sat there on that plane from the United States to Australia and took out my shoelances and practiced just tying knots. I had a book. So, I learned how to fish from a book, and tie knots, which was our structural support.
These days, the types of things contestants do to prep for Survivor include intermittent fasting and figuring out how to get rid of unwanted body hair for 26 days. Contestants care a lot less about the actual survival aspect of the series in favor of the gameplay, and Jeff seems to like it better that way. However, in Season 2, the show was still very much a social experiment. Having survival skills at making fire or fishing gave competitors a giant edge, at least before the merge.
Hasselbeck said when she got to camp, she convinced everyone she was a “knot specialist,” and the rest was history. She became one of the most memorable contestants of all time, and went on to garner additional gigs on TV, most notably on The View, after her torch was snuffed. Interestingly, though, while she’s returned to the daytime show in the time since her 2013 exit (despite some controversy during her original run), she’s shown no interest in trying to return to the island again.
She’s said it’s because she doesn’t want to take too much time away from her children, whereas it’s easy to “settle in” for a quick stint on The View. Though fans recognize her from both of her prominent gigs these days, she joked it depends on how much effort she’s put into styling on a given day.
Both, equal. If I have some lashes on and lip gloss, they’re like, ‘Oh, The View.’ If I’m looking all crazy and tired, they’re like, ‘How Was Survivor?’
So, I would not expect Hasselbeck on Survivor anytime soon, despite Jeff expressly saying the show will be doing more with returnees in future seasons. Though, I'd love to see her show off these knot-tying skills.
