Colby Donaldson
|
Born: April 1, 1974
Hometown: Dallas Texas; Christoval, Texas Occupation: Auto Customizer Seasons: The Australian Outback; All Stars; Heroes vs. Villains Placing: Runner-Up (The Australian Outback); Twelfth (All Stars); Fifth (Heroes vs. Villains) Tribes: Ogakor; Barramundi; Mogo Mogo; Heroes; Yin Yang Total Challenge Wins: 25
Days Lasted: 98 Votes Against: 20 Awards: Challenge Beast (The Australian Outback); Strategy With A Smile (The Australian Outback); Best Strategic Move (The Australian Outback); Bamboozled! (The Australian Outback); Super Hero (Heroes vs. Villains) |
Survivor: The Australian Outback
In the beginning, Colby quipped that the trip to find their camp, 'fired him up' because it was a good way to see what his tribemates were made of. He took on an early leadership role in the tribe. He then made a plan with Keith to keep the tribe moving along the creek bed; Keith scouted ahead to see how much farther the camp was. He was a physical asset to his tribe. He helped them win the first Immunity Challenge. However, the second Immunity Challenge was not strength based and Ogakor lost. Colby, with the other Ogakor's in a unanimous vote ousted Kel Gleason. Initially, Colby and Jerri seemed to have some chemistry. Although there was suspicion that Jerri had ulterior motives. After Maralyn's poor performance at the third Immunity Challenge, Colby voted with the rest of his tribe and eliminated her. After losing their third consecutive Immunity Challenge, Jerri boldly alienated Tina and Keith by stating that Colby, Amber, and Mitchell were her friends. This gesture caused Tina to ask Colby his opinion of Jerri, slowly broaching the subject of voting with them. Colby did not want to vote for Keith, who was the main target next Tribal Council. He bonded with Keith and saw him as a valuable ally to have later on in the game and so that night Colby voted with Tina and Keith to force a tie in Ogakor. Since Mitchell had received a previous vote in the last Tribal Council, he was eliminated. After Ogakor's three-time Immunity winning streak, all five remaining Ogakor's remained intact until the merge. Colby became one of ten castaways to comprise the merged Barramundi tribe. Due to Ogakor's plan to make Kucha believe he had received past votes cast against him, the rival Kucha tribe cast their five votes for him at the merge. Colby got the back of his Ogakor comrades and all of them voted for Kucha member Jeff Varner. After a deadlocked tie, previous votes were taken into account. While Colby had no previous votes, Varner already had two (from Debb Eaton and Kimmi Kappenberg), this caused Varner's ouster. Donaldson would later become a force to be reckoned with, winning eight of the final ten challenges, while his core alliance of Tina and Keith had voted the competition off, thus leaving the threesome as the final three castaways. Colby's winning streak not only spared him from elimination, but also made a critical decision of taking either Tina or Keith to the Final Tribal Council. Although he thought Keith would be easier to beat, he felt that Tina was more deserving, sending Keith to the jury. At Final Tribal Council, Colby's decision of bringing Tina was considered by fans as a big mistake, and which was widely believed to have cost him the competition, because four of the seven jury members gave their votes to Tina, making her the second Sole Survivor and leaving Colby as the runner-up.
Voting History
Episode |
Colby Voted For |
Voted For Colby |
2 |
Kel Gleason |
--- |
3 |
Maralyn Hershey |
--- |
4 |
Mitchell Olson Mitchell Olson (Re-Vote) |
--- |
7 |
Jeff Varner Jeff Varner (Re-Vote) |
Alicia Calaway, Elisabeth Filarski, Jeff Varner, Nick Brown, Rodger Bingham Alicia Calaway, Elisabeth Filarski, Nick Brown, Rodger Bingham (Re-Vote) |
8 |
--- |
|
9 |
--- |
|
10 |
Nick Brown |
Individual Immunity |
11 |
Rodger Bingham |
Individual Immunity |
12 |
Rodger Bingham |
Individual Immunity |
13 |
Individual Immunity |
|
14 |
Individual Immunity |
|
15 |
--- |
Jury Vote: Amber Brkich, Nick Brown, Rodger Bingham |
Survivor: All Stars
Colby was chosen to participate in Survivor: All Stars, where he was on the Mogo Mogo tribe. Right away, Colby told his tribe that he didn't trust anybody. The tribe came in second in the first two Immunity Challenges, but they faced a setback when Jenna Morasca quit the game after the first two Tribal Councils.
After a shocking tribe absorption, the tribe gained former Saboga members Ethan Zohn and Jerri Manthey. Colby liked the idea of having a former winner on his tribe, and he also liked being reunited with Jerri, who was a former Australia tribe mate. The tribe lost the next Immunity Challenge, and they unanimously agreed to vote out Richard Hatch, who Colby didn't agree to work with.
The tribe ultimately lost the next Immunity Challenge, and it was clear it was either Colby, Ethan, or Jerri going home next. Colby made a deal with Ethan that Jerri had to go next, and the two cast their votes for her, while the rest of the tribe considered Colby as a strong, physical asset in the possibility of a merge. As a result, he was voted out and finished in twelfth place.
At the Survivor: America's Tribal Council special, Colby was in the final four for Fan Favorite Player of the season, but ultimately lost to Rupert Boneham. He did, however, win "Sexiest Male" of the first 8 seasons award.
After a shocking tribe absorption, the tribe gained former Saboga members Ethan Zohn and Jerri Manthey. Colby liked the idea of having a former winner on his tribe, and he also liked being reunited with Jerri, who was a former Australia tribe mate. The tribe lost the next Immunity Challenge, and they unanimously agreed to vote out Richard Hatch, who Colby didn't agree to work with.
The tribe ultimately lost the next Immunity Challenge, and it was clear it was either Colby, Ethan, or Jerri going home next. Colby made a deal with Ethan that Jerri had to go next, and the two cast their votes for her, while the rest of the tribe considered Colby as a strong, physical asset in the possibility of a merge. As a result, he was voted out and finished in twelfth place.
At the Survivor: America's Tribal Council special, Colby was in the final four for Fan Favorite Player of the season, but ultimately lost to Rupert Boneham. He did, however, win "Sexiest Male" of the first 8 seasons award.
Voting History
Episodes |
Colby Voted For |
Voted For Colby |
5 |
--- |
|
7 |
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Colby initially became an alliance outsider, along with ex-Palau players Tom Westman and Stephenie LaGrossa. Together with the stress of the competition, he surprisingly performed weak in challenges, with James Clement (who visibly idolized him) even calling him, "Superman in a fatsuit." After losing three Immunity Challenges Colby was the only member of his alliance remaining. Despite being an outsider, he and the rest of the Heroes won the next three Immunity Challenges, securing that the Heroes and the Villains would enter the merge with five members each. But after a bold move done by Villain Parvati Shallow of giving two Hidden Immunity Idols to Sandra Diaz-Twine and Jerri Manthey (Colby's Outback nemesis), the Heroes were put in the minority and were systematically eliminated, one by one. After fellow former Hero Candice Woodcock voted along with the former Villains to vote out Amanda Kimmel, he claimed that he and Rupert Boneham were the only remaining Heroes. Fortunately, Colby and Rupert managed to survive the following two Tribal Council's when they voted out Candice for her betrayal and then with Russell Hantz and Jerri's help voted out Danielle DiLorenzo when Russell realized that Parvati and Danielle's true loyalty was to each other. After losing the Final 5 Immunity Challenge, Colby ultimately gave up and admitted defeat to the remaining Villains. However, a short time later, Colby attempted to strategize with Russell to vote out Sandra, but Russell criticized Colby for giving up and then attempting to make a move. Colby was the last of the Heroes to be eliminated, being voted out on Day 37.
At the Final Tribal Council, Colby viewed Russell as delusional for saying he had no luck in getting to the Final Tribal Council and felt that Parvati was riding Russell's coattails. He voted for Sandra to win.
At the Final Tribal Council, Colby viewed Russell as delusional for saying he had no luck in getting to the Final Tribal Council and felt that Parvati was riding Russell's coattails. He voted for Sandra to win.
Voting History
Episode |
Colby Voted For |
Voted For Colby |
1 |
--- |
|
2 |
--- |
|
4 |
--- |
|
5 |
--- |
|
6 |
||
10 |
--- |
|
11 |
--- |
|
12 |
--- |
|
12 |
--- |
|
13 |
--- |
|
14 |
||
14 |
--- |
Trivia
- Colby's luxury item in all of his seasons was a Texas flag.
- Colby is the first contestant from Texas, together with Kel Gleason.
- Colby is the only person to vote for Rodger Bingham more than once.
- According to the All-Stars DVD commentary, Colby's dog, Deuce, ate the hat that Colby wore on The Australian Outback.
- Colby was the first player in Survivor history to fall victim to the Car Curse.
- Colby was the first male to win the Final Immunity Challenge
- Colby holds the record for the most confessionals in a single episode, with 17 in "The Most Deserving".
- Colby has won the most individual challenges in a single season Survivor history, with 7 individual challenge wins in The Australian Outback.
- Colby holds the record for most consecutive individual Immunity Challenges won, winning five in a row in The Australian Outback.
- Colby is tied with Tom Westman, Terry Deitz, Ozzy Lusth, Mike Holloway and Brad Culpepper for the record of most Individual Immunity wins in a single season with five.
- Colby was the first male castaway to finish as the runner-up.
- Colby was the only male representative of The Australian Outback to appear in Survivor: All-Stars, as well as the only runner-up to appear in this season.
- Colby had his torch snuffed after Tina Wesson was announced the winner of The Australian Outback.
- Colby received votes against him at both Tribal Councils he attended in All-Stars.
- He earned the title of "Sexiest Survivor Male" in Survivor: America's Tribal Council.
- Colby is one of three players (along with Russell Hantz and Coach Wade) to compete in three seasons and not participate in a Tribal Switch. A switch did happen in All-Stars, but Colby was voted out four days before it happened.
- Along with fellow contestants Amber Brkich and Tina Wesson, Colby is the only other The Australian Outback contestant to appear in finale episodes of Survivor as both a finalist and a Jury member member.
- Colby is one of seven contestants to play the game three times, but become a jury member only once (the others are Stephenie LaGrossa, Amanda Kimmel, Parvati Shallow, Tina Wesson, Tyson Apostol, and J.T. Thomas).
- Colby is one of five castaways who have made it to the Final Tribal Council, been voted out pre-jury, and been a member of the jury. The others are Stephenie LaGrossa, Tina Wesson, Tyson Apostol, and J.T. Thomas.
- Survivor: Caramoan contestant Sherri Biethman has an autistic son named after Colby.
- Colby has played all three seasons with rival and friend Jerri Manthey.
- Jerri made it further in two of the three seasons, but Colby has played more days overall.
- Colby voted against Jerri in all three seasons.
- Colby is one of four people to compete in both All-Stars and Heroes vs Villains. The others are Jerri Manthey, Rob Mariano and Rupert Boneham.
- Colby is one of the few contestants to play in seasons with 16, 18, and 20 contestants.
- The others are Tina Wesson, Jerri Manthey, Rob Mariano, Rupert Boneham, and Coach Wade.
- Colby lost 23 lbs. during his time in Heroes vs. Villains.