Western New York Native Will Compete On TV Show “Survivor”

A Western New York native is set to compete on the upcoming season of Survivor. 

The television series Survivor has been one of the most well known TV shows of all time, with over 45 seasons to their credit. The show has been around nearly 25 years, and people are obsessed with watching it. 

What Is Survivor?

If you have never watched the show, you are definitely missing out. It is set on an island, and a group of cast members are forced to compete against each other in a series of challenges. Whoever is the last “survivor” will claim the prize money of one million dollars. 

For season 47, one castaway is actually from Western New York.

Meet Andy Rueda, Western New York’s Survivor

Andy Rueda, 31, will be a competitor on season 47 of Survivor. Rueda is from Buffalo, New York, but he currently lives in Brooklyn, NY while he works as an AI Research Assistant. 

Rueda believes that he could be the lone survivor. 

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“I have the ability to charm and disarm,” Rueda told producers. “This is a social game so that’s probably good!”

While Rueda has since moved to Brooklyn, he has not forgotten his roots and the people who have shaped him into who he is, including his cousin Ashley and her two children.

Unfortunately, Ashley is no longer with us. You may remember hearing the horrific story back in 2015 in Lackawanna of a loving mother of 2 who lost her life to domestic violence.  

Rueda is not only competing for himself in hopes of winning the prize money, but he wants to honor Ashley’s life and show her kids that dreams are worth chasing. 

“I was really, really close with my cousin Ashley,” Rueda said. “She named me the Godfather to her first born. A year later, we lost Ashley to domestic violence.”

“They don’t have parental figures,” Rueda explained. “[and] I can be someone that they can look up to.”

“What better way of showing that than following my dream?” Rueda asked. “I can come back home and look at Chase and say, ‘This is how you live life.’”

Chase and his sister Mayci fortunately have had family that have stepped up to help take care of them, and one of those people is Andy.  Rueda is planning to go the distance on Survivor, but only time will tell how far he makes it on the show!

When Does Season 47 of Survivor Debut?

The season premiere airs on Wednesday, Sept. 18. It will be a two hour episode, with subsequent episodes running for 90 minutes. 

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How To Watch Survivor 

You can watch the show on CBS, or stream it live on Paramount+.