‘Survivor’ Season 1 Contestant Sonja Christopher Dies at 87

Sonja Christopher — the first person to ever be voted off the show ‘Survivor’ — has died… according to a current contestant on the show.

Liz Wilcox – who stars in Season 46 of “Survivor,” which is currently underway – announced the sad news on X Friday … said she met Sonja over Christmas and shared a photo of the two on FaceTime on her account.

She writes: “Today the legend herself, Sonja Christopher from season one, passed away. I had the pleasure of meeting her at Christmas. She had so much spirit and love for Survivor and what the show brought into her life. I hope you does too.” singing + playing to your heart’s content in a beautiful place, Sonja.”

On behalf of the family, Liz says people should not send flowers, but instead donate to the Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church in Walnut Creek, CA, the Cancer Support Community in SF, or the Sjögren’s Foundation. She did not provide a cause of death.

Sonja competed on “Survivor: Borneo” in 2000 and, despite getting along well with her teammates, was sent packing after several missteps led to her team losing that first week. She got the boot as a result, making her the first person ever to be voted off the island.

In a way, her appearance on the series was historic… and many still remember her.

Christopher is known for playing her ukulele on the show, and she seemed to remember her time on ‘Survivor’ fondly, despite her early departure… against EW in 2020, the whole experience gave her a platform to raise money for causes she believed in.

Sonja was 87.