By John Powell – GlobalTV.com

He watched Survivor franchises from all over the world. He studied them too as seriously as any college or university course. At just 25, he not only got to play the game that he loved but he brought it back to its roots. On Survivor 49, Rizo Velovic turned back the clock to a time in which Survivor players went on the offensive more often, were proactive rather than reactive, took far more risks and didn’t play scared. Rizo hopes to shake the game up even more during its upcoming 50th season.

John Powell: Rizo, it’s great to be talking to you today! Congratulations for making the finals of Survivor!

Rizo Velovic: Thank you so much, John! It’s I’m excited to talk to you today! I’m excited to talk about my journey and most importantly Survivor 49 and maybe a little teaser to Survivor 50!

John Powell: How shocking was it that Soph put you and Savannah into fire?

Rizo Velovic: I think, like 30%, I thought I going into it. I can’t be upset because she wanted to win the game. I actually think there’s a world where, if it was us three at the end, the jury would have been bitter enough for her to win but I think she made the right choice in her heart and that was the right move.

I could argue that if she was going to put us in fire anyway she should have took my idol at final six and got me out. Could have. Would have. Should have. I love Soph! I’m happy for her! She had her moment and she made the right choice. I was happy in the fact that I went to fire against Savannah because my perspective is the winner of that final four fire-making was going to win the game or Savannah wins. So, it was a kind of a win-win for me.

John Powell: Her approach to the whole fire-making thing was a little bit different because she didn’t have any prior conversations to making her final decision. Were you surprised that you couldn’t make your case?

Rizo Velovic: I had talked to Savannah and one of us would have got to her and she would have taken one. I don’t know who. I would hope it would have been me but honestly, at that point, she kind of told me, Savannah was going to go…I didn’t want to go to final tribal council and just get decimated by the jury. I wanted to win.

So, I told Soph if you’re going to put me in fire put me in fire against Savannah. We saw that in the edit because I wanted to make my statement to win. I we talked to her I think it would have pulled on her heart strings a little bit, and it would have been hard for her. But was I shocked? No, I knew at that time, she’s doing it because she needs to separate our personal friendship we had on the island from her best shot of winning a million.

John Powell: How did you feel watching back the reactions to your theatrics at tribal with the idol?

Rizo Velovic: It was very interesting because I think had the roles been reversed I would have eaten it up, right? Because I’m a Survivor super fan! I want to see people showcase their game! A lot of people thought I was showboating. The reality is maybe that’s like 5%, 10% true. With my alliance of Soph, Savannah and I Savannah was getting the necklaces. She was showing the jury what she was doing. My gameplay was behind the scenes. I was manipulating and convincing people to vote people out. Nobody in the jury sees that, right?

So, I needed to differentiate my game from my counterpart. Savannah is winning immunities. I need to show people the agency I have in the game…I wanted to show people that I knew what was happening in the game and I think they were moreso over the fact that I kept on getting my way with the idol, because Alex, for instance, MC for instance, right? They’re like: How does he keep getting away with this?

John Powell: I’ve talked to a number of players about your ability to convince them to do things your way, to side with you, and they said: “Rizo’s Gonna Rizzo! It’s magic.”

What happened? Because you pulled off some amazing things out there all through communication and discussion?

Rizo Velovic: I had this idol and maybe the idol played a little bit with their fear because it’s like: Damn! If I vote Rizo out or try to blindside Rizo and he plays the idol, I might go home!’.

I had a good read on people. I was playing Survivor the way that a true Survivor great would and that is to see what was best for everyone’s game and how I can manipulate the situation to where it was good for me.

For instance, with the Alex vote, the Sophie vote, the MC vote, I was able to spin it to make it best for my game but put it in a way where it was good for everyone.

Alex wasn’t even playing the middle, to be honest. Alex said it in his exit press. He’s just well-liked but I knew that Alex was playing the middle Alex didn’t have a set alliance…I needed to find a common enemy every single round. That’s why I went with Alex. Then, there’s the “Yellow Sophie” one and the Jawan one. I was like, perfect! We’ll get Jawan out then I flipped the script on “Yellow Sophie”.

I was always working out there, John, 24/7! If I wasn’t sleeping, I was playing. Literally, every single time I was talking to people, it didn’t really make the edit, which is fine, I didn’t win, so I don’t really care, but I had a lot of great relationships with everyone out there. I was close with Jawan. I was close with Sage. I was close with “Yellow Sophie”.

I mean, me and Steven weren’t close until the end of the game but I had great rapport with everybody so that they were willing to listen to my conversations and I just kind of got that charisma about me. I was able to always play with the idol and with my communication skills. Because the reality is, I didn’t even need that idol, right? I never played it because I was so good at communicating. So, I think my communication skills really sold them. I think it’s the salesman in me that kind of got them. (laughs)

John Powell: Was there any point when you felt close to having to play the idol?

Rizo Velovic: So, this kind of sounds a little arrogant but it ended up being true. I never felt ever that I had to use it. I think the closest I was to playing it was probably final six. Why? Because, going into that vote, we knew Kristina and Sage were going to flip on Steven.

We knew Steven had a Block-A-Vote, so Soph not taking my idol, which, Thank God! Steven said he didn’t have an advantage. We didn’t know the workings of him having to play it back at camp. So, I was thinking all the permutations. I was like: “Oh my god! Sage and Kristina just lied to us! They had the power! They’re playing it on one of us!”.

So, I go up to Jeff to actually stall because I don’t want him to read the votes. I don’t want to go home. I didn’t know if they split the vote. If they split the vote to one. I have to play my idol. I don’t know if I’m being lied to. I don’t know what’s going on. So I needed as much time to run through every single scenario, every single game theory in my head….Ultimately, I banked on my lie of my idol expiring at final six with these people not voting for me and I low key thought Soph might have went home but at that point I was like: “We had a plan. It didn’t work out. I’m so sorry. I love you, but this idol guarantees me final four. I got to do what I got to do.”

So, probably final six was the closest. Even then you saw I “risked it for the biscuit” and I didn’t play it. If I had to say another time it was actually probably at the merge I was going to play it between me or Savannah but there was something that Jawan said to me back at camp where he was like: “Rizo, you’re good tonight.” Me and Juwan were very good. We were very good at game. I know we had a roller coaster relationship but we were very good in the game so I took his word for it and I didn’t play it. I waved it to put fear in people’s hearts but that was probably the second closest but besides that I never was going to play it.

John Powell: You gave a big speech during the reunion show. We saw you talk with a lot of passion about wanting people to be more creative with the game. Where did that come from and do you think in some ways, the Survivor game needs that injection?

Rizo Velovic: 100%! So John, when I grew up, my first season of Survivor was Tocantins. I saw JT and the next season after that was Russell Hanz. I grew up in an era of Survivor where the idol was a game-breaker. It changed up the game.

People had an idol and made moves with it. Then, I grew up to see: “Wentworth. “Wentworth does not count!”. Then, I’m watching the new era as a fan, and I’m like:
“Why are they burning idols? Why are they going home with idols in their pockets?”. Everyone’s like: “You got to keep it a secret.”

I knew that I’m playing with people that are fearful where I am fearless. A lot of my inspiration came from Feras Basal from Australian Survivor. He inspired me because he made the idol so damn powerful.

People just want to go with the same formula. I’m here to be a game-changer. I’m here to innovate this game. I am here to leave a mark on this game and leave a legacy as the man, the myth, the legend! I always told myself, if I had an idol, I would be a menace with it. I think it was just that.

I will say it hurts a little bit hearing some of my counterparts in the jury like: “Oh, we discredited Rizo”. I think it’s a little bit revisionist history. I think they were genuinely threatened…Not only did I protect myself, I protected my number one ally in Savannah with the idol. So, I wanted to make a statement. I wanted to make a change and I made history. I think for seasons to come, people will now think about we can’t let people with an idol do what Rizo did with the idol.

John Powell: Obviously you cannot talk about spoilers but how did you get the news of Survivor 50? Was there any hesitation on your part to go back and play?

Rizo Velovic: So, to answer that quick note, I would have gone there tomorrow if Jeff (Probst) had called me. The season wraps up, and the next day we’re eating breakfast. Production’s like, “Hey Rizo, we need to talk to you.” I go into this room, see a computer with Zoom on it, and Jeff’s there. I’m like, “Oh, Jeff just talks to the people in the finale. This is great.” I was so excited! I’m thinking, “Jeff just called me: Riz God, man! We’re shooting the s—t! This is amazing.”

Then, Jeff gets very serious. He’s like, “Rizo, with season 50 around the corner…” and does his whole monologue or whatever. In my head, I’m like, Is he going to ask me if I’m on season 50? And then he literally asks me. I break down. I cry and say, “Absolutely, yes.” Mind you, I hadn’t spoken to my family, my girlfriend, my parents, nothing. I said yes. Signed, sealed, delivered. Pay me on the next call to Fiji, even though I was already in Fiji.

When I came home, my parents were so excited to see me, my family was crying. They’re like, “Oh my God, blah, blah, blah.” I’m like, “Stop crying. I’m leaving next week to go back.” It was a roller coaster, a whirlwind and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Along with Savannah, I am part of a very illustrious group. Fewer than ten people have ever done what we’ve done and for me to do that now on season 50, the biggest season of Survivor of all time, was a dream come true.

Reader Alert: Viewers got to see a sneak peek of the upcoming Survivor 50 which is all returning players throughout the history of the show during last night’s finale. From the footage it was clear that Rizo and Savannah will be playing again as well. Two Canadians will also be playing again: Genevieve Mushaluk (47) and Kamilla Karthigesu (48).

The rest of the cast are:

Angelina Keeley (David vs. Goliath)
Aubry Bracco (Kaôh Rōng, Game Changers & Edge of Extinction)
Charlie Davis (46)
Chrissy Hofbeck (Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers)
Christian Hubicki (David vs. Goliath)
Cirie Fields (Panama – Exile Island, Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites, Heroes vs. Villains & Game Changers)
Benjamin “Coach” Wade (Tocantins, Heroes vs. Villains & South Pacific)
Colby Donaldson (The Australian Outback, All-Stars & Heroes vs. Villains)
Dee Valladares (45)
Emily Flippen (45)
Jenna Lewis-Dougherty (Borneo & All-Stars)
Joe Hunter (48)
Jonathan Young (42)
Kyle Fraser (48)
Mike White (David vs. Goliath)
Ozzy Lusth (Cook Islands, Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites, South Pacific & Game Changers)
Quintavius “Q” Burdette (46)
Rick Devens (Edge of Extinction)
Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick (Palau, Guatemala & Heroes vs. Villains)
Tiffany Nicole Ervin (46)

For the first time ever, the game is “In the Hands of the Fans”. Earlier this year, fans voted on key elements of the game, including “Idols or No Idols,” “Final Four Fire Making: Keep It or Lose It” and “Live Finale and Reunion Show in L.A. – or Keep the Winner Reveal and Aftershow in the Jungles of Fiji.” The players won’t know what the fans voted for until they are competing on the island.

Survivor 50 will premiere on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, on Global TV. To celebrate the season 50, during the two weeks before the three-hour premiere, 10 encore episodes will air celebrating the iconic cast and some of their most memorable moments.