Original ‘Survivor’ Contestant Sonja Christopher Dies

Sonja Christopher, one of the original contestants on the first season of the hit television show Survivor, has reportedly died at the age of 89. Christopher was diagnosed with breast cancer in the late 1990s, and had been fighting the disease.

An official cause of death for Christopher has yet to be revealed. We will be sure to update our audience if additional information about her death is revealed.

Appearing at 63 years old, she was among the oldest contestants on the show that season. Legacy reports on her death,

At 63, Christopher was the oldest woman among the contestants, and she remains the oldest woman ever to compete on “Survivor.” She was also the first lesbian contestant. In a memorable moment during her time on the show, she sang a version of “Bye Bye Blues” while playing along on her ukelele. A member of the Tagi tribe, she was popular with her fellow contestants, but injuries caused her to stumble at a key moment of a challenge, and her tribe lost. It was among the reasons she was the first voted off the island. 

In her life away from “Survivor,” Christopher was a teacher and investment counselor who worked as a music therapist in retirement. She was active in her local Unitarian Universalist church. After her “Survivor” fame, Christopher was cast in a small role on an episode of “Diagnosis: Murder.” 

The first season of Survivor, which aired in May of 2000, sparked interest that has been maintained to this very day. The show is still on the air 24 years later.

Among the guests on the program that made the program popular was Sonja Christopher, who has tragically died after her battle with breast cancer.

The late star notable told Entertainment Weekly in 2002,

Someone once asked me if I thought my being voted off early was due to ageism. And I said, ‘Oh, no.’ And you know why is because I had no concept of ageism. I was always good at sports and very active physically. I just didn’t realize I was, to some of these people, an old lady.

Sonja Christopher

Rest in peace!