THE winner of Survivor 45 has been announced after the five remaining castaways battled it out to the end.
Survivor fans watched on the edge of their seats during the three-hour finale episode – here’s everything you need to know.
Who won Survivor season 45?
Dee Valladares was crowned victorious as Sole Survivor in the final Tribal Council.
The 26-year-old, who hails from Florida, was elected winner in a five-three-zero vote against fellow contestants Austin Li Coon and Jake O’Kane.
After Dee won final immunity, she chose to bring Austin to the end with her, and set up Katurah and Jake against each other in the fire-making challenge.
Jake won the task which saw him reach the final with Dee and Austin, however it wasn’t enough to clinch the $1million.
Throughout the season Dee garnered individual immunity wins and made genuine connections among other players which helped see her to the end.
She also let Julie Alley know about the plan to vote her out in the final, which left Austin stunned in front of the Tribal Council.
He joked: “Girls are better at playing guys than the other way around.”
Dee held a key role in the Reba alliance on this season of the CBS hit show.
She took home the $1million prize money after battling it out in gruelling challenges across the past four months.
The business woman was born in Havana, Cuba, before her family moved to the States when she was a child.
The entrepreneur has previously spoken of the sacrifices her parents made to relocate.
She revealed plans to thank her parents with her Survivor winnings.
Who was in the final of Survivor 45?
Austin Li Coon and Jake O’Kane followed closely behind Dee, while Katurah Topps and Julie Alley were booted off earlier in the final episode.
Austin Li Coon
5
The grad student, 26, swapped MBA classes at the University of Chicago for fighting to keep his spot on Survivor 45.
He was originally set to be a stand-in contestant on the show before being told he would land a spot in the main cast.
Austin revealed his dream to feature on the series stemmed from his mom’s love of the contest.
On the show, Austin and winner Dee sparked a romantic connection, and by all accounts appear to have continued their relationship after filming.
Jake O’Kane
5
Jake, 26, came onto the show as an attorney with a background in teaching children’s theatre.
The Boston native shared with Parade.com, that he has watched Survivor since the beginning and wanted went on “to test [himself]”.
Jake successfully made it to the final where he won the first immunity challenge but ultimately lost his advantage after fluffing the next two.
However, he still knocked Katurah out of the final three line-up after winning the fire-making task.
Ultimately he received zero votes from the Tribunal, while Dee gained five and Austin saw three.
Katurah Topps
5
Katurah, a civil rights attorney, nearly made it to the final three before being beaten by Jake.
The 35-year-old, originally from St Louis, Missouri, described herself as calculating, determined and unexpected.
She previously told Parade.com that she felt prepared for Survivor after a facing the challenges that came with being a Black, queer woman.
“I’m always alert; I’m always in survival mode,” she said.
Katurah earned her spot in the finale after implementing strategic moves throughout the season.
She lied about her age, telling fellow castaways she was 29, and told them she was an office manager.
However, the attorney was candid about her difficult childhood being raised in a religious cult and working multiple jobs to support her family after leaving school.
Her ultimate loss came when Dee pitted her against Jake and he dominated the fire-making challenge.
Julie Alley
5
Julie was the eldest on the season and was lovingly nicknamed Mama J by other castaways.
The 49-year-old was a valuable contestant, making it to the final after performing well under the pressure of challenges
However, social game playing ultimately led other members of the group voting her out of the show.
In the finale, it was decided Julie would be eliminated, but Dee secretly informed her of the decision ahead of time.
This led to Dee stealing extra votes, and stunned Austin in front of the Tribunal – after the pair previously agreed to hide their choice.
Before her exit, Julie impressed viewers with her story as she revealed embarking on her law school education at the age of 40.
The Tennessee native passed the bar on her first attempt, and the mum-of-two claimed she was inspired after going through a divorce in her 30s.
When does Survivor 46 start?
Fans were thrilled to hear season 46 will premier on February 28, 2024.
Each episode will run for 90-minutes long as normal.
Host Jeff Probst told EW: “The cast of season 46 is a really unusual collection of smart, funny, eclectic humans.
“You’re going to love so many of them. You’ll feel it in the opening moments of day one when we first meet everyone.
“There is a sense of humor and sense of fun that is going to make this group really entertaining to watch.”