"Someone he relates to"— Survivor 47 winner Rachel LaMont explains why Kyle Fraser couldn't betray Joe Hunter
Survivor season 48 is currently in its final stretch of the competition, with the finale premiering on CBS on May 21, 2025. While Kyle Fraser, Joe Hunter, and Eva Erickson are still part of the core alliance, Kyle feels more aligned with his number one ally, Kamilla Karthigesu.
Additionally, with the finale on the horizon, and Kamilla listing out why Joe was a threat to their game, Kyle would have to decide if he wants to take his alliance with Joe to the end or betray him to win the competition.
On a recent episode of the On Fire with Jeff Probst podcast, Survivor season 47 winner Rachel LaMont commented on the situation, noting that it would be hard for Kyle to go behind Joe's back.
The Survivor alum explained that most contestants tend to form a community and relationships with fellow contestants on the show. In the case of Kyle, he formed a strong bond with Joe while working with him as a part of the alliance.
Rachel speculated that through their time together, Kyle saw Joe as someone he relates to and someone who had shown him deep compassion and understanding. Moreover, the Survivor 47 winner pointed out that Joe hasn't betrayed Kyle yet in the competition, and this could hinder Joe's decision to turn on him.
"Kyle's looking at Joe, someone he relates to, who has shown him deep compassion and understanding, and remember, Joe hasn't betrayed Kyle," she said.
Survivor 47 winner Rachel LaMont comments on Kyle Fraser and Joe Hunter's relationship
Survivor season 48's core four alliance members, Kyle Fraser, Joe Hunter, Eva Erickson, and Shauhin Davari, made it to the final six in season 48 episode 12. However, after Kamilla Karthigesu and Mitch Guerra implanted the seeds of distrust among the alliance, Joe was convinced to vote out the threat close to him.
In the episode, Kamilla and Mitch feared the rising power of the core alliance and decided to turn Kyle, Joe, and Eva against Shauhin. The plan worked, and Shauhin was voted out by the majority vote during the May 14 episode.
Joe didn’t hesitate to eliminate a fellow alliance member once he saw Shauhin as a threat to his path to victory. Kyle may have recognized the same risk and now faces a crucial decision about whether he can truly trust Joe.
In the On Fire podcast, Survivor 47 winner Rachel LaMont shared her thoughts on the situation, explaining why she believes it would be hard for Kyle to go behind Joe's back.
Rachel noted that contestants try to build a community with their fellow players when they arrive on the Fiji island. They get a new father figure, a new best friend, and the Survivor alum believes it's all because human brains crave that sort of structure.
"Our brains kind of crave that sort of structure. It's hard to fathom, but the lines really start to blur, and you take Kyle here, his true allegiance is to Kamilla, his loyal No. 1, and she is telling him, 'We've gotta take this shot, Kyle. We're gonna lose the numbers.' And that makes a lot of sense," she noted.
Rachel admitted that while Kyle understands the threat of Joe, which was also described by Kamilla, he still feels connected to his fellow alliance member. Season 47 winner noted that Kyle relates to Joe and has been appreciating the deep compassion and understanding he gets from him.
Due to this, Rachel believes it would be hard for Kyle to betray Joe, considering how Joe hasn't turned his back on him yet in the competition.
Survivor season 48 episodes air every Wednesday on CBS.
