"I didn't have those connections": Survivor 48 star Mary Zheng reflects on feeling left out during the game
Survivor season 48 continued on May 7, 2025, with another elimination that narrowed down the remaining castaways. Mary Zheng, a 31-year-old substance abuse counselor, was voted out in the latest episode, making her the newest jury member.
In an exclusive interview with The New York Post on May 8, she opened up about her experience on the show, particularly the challenge of building bonds with other players.
“But I love my castmates now. But when I was out there, I didn’t have those connections. Everybody was, like, playing this connection game — and it wasn’t a game. They weren’t playing a game, right? I was trying to play a game,” Zheng said.
Zheng said she felt like she was playing from the outside while most others were focused on maintaining tight alliances. Despite her efforts, she found herself constantly left out of major decisions, ultimately leading to her elimination.
While she acknowledged feeling frustrated at times, she expressed no hard feelings toward her castmates and hoped viewers could understand the difference between watching and playing the game.
Mary Zheng on alliance struggles and missed opportunities in Survivor 48
Mary Zheng said she understood that her fellow castaways were doing their best, even if that meant leaving her out of key alliances in Survivor 48.
“I have a lot of grace for myself, but that means I also extend that grace to the people I played the game with. Everybody was playing for the first time and everybody was just trying to make the moves that they thought were best for them,” she said.
In the game, Zheng observed that the majority alliance was unwilling to turn on each other, which left her few options. She recalled a moment with Kyle Fraser that didn’t air, where she tried to push him toward making a big move.
“I had a conversation with Kyle where I was like, ‘Dude, are you proud of the game that you’re playing right now? Like, is this how you imagined you’d be playing?’” she shared.
Zheng also noted that many players had genuine connections, which made strategic shifts even harder. She said that the previous vote could have been the turning point, and the current one might have sparked a shift in the game, but in her view, the other players had formed genuine connections, which made it difficult for anyone to break away from their alliances.
Survivor 48 cast reactions and Zheng’s views on fan behaviour
Following her exit in Survivor 48, Zheng spoke about the strong reactions from viewers toward some of her castmates. While she personally hadn’t received any threats or backlash, she confirmed others in the cast had.
“Nobody should be getting death threats. When you’re watching a show, you wanna be entertained, right? But when you’re playing the game, you wanna feel safe, you wanna feel seen and you wanna win,” she stated.
Zheng said fans often misinterpret gameplay choices as personal actions, but each castaway brings their own strengths and history to the show.
“I think everybody brings into the game everything from their past. Their strengths, their traumas, their egos. Everyone is literally playing the best that they can,” she said.
She also addressed her relationship with Saiounia “Sai” Hughley, her former Vula tribemate. “Sai called me after the game and apologized and I accepted her apology,” Zheng said. “We’re good.”
Although her time on Survivor was cut short, Zheng said she was at peace with how things unfolded. She explained that whenever she began to connect with someone, they would often be eliminated shortly after, making it difficult to build lasting bonds.
Survivor 48 airs every Wednesday on CBS.
