‘Survivor: Blood vs. Water’ Cast Revealed; Redemption Island Returns With a Twist

Ten familiar faces will be among the 20 castaways competing for $1 million on the 27th season of CBS’ Survivor.

Themed “Blood vs. Water,” the competition includes 10 previous contestants who will be competing with — and ultimately against — their loved ones.

PHOTOS: ‘Survivor: Blood vs. Water’: Meet the Returning Players (Again) and the Loved Ones They’ll Compete With

Among the players are fan favorite Rupert Boneham and his wife, Laura; Tyson Apostol, whose last-minute vote switch effectively got himself eliminated in a previous season, and his girlfriend, Rachel Foulger; and two past winners: Aras Baskauskas, whose brother Vytas also is playing, and Tina Wesson, who has brought along daughter Katie Collins.

Also in the mix is Gervase Peterson, who played on the show’s first season in 2000, and his niece, Marissa, along with Colton Cumbie — one of the most hated contestants in show history — and his fiancé, Caleb Bankston.

Also playing is a former Big Brother winner, Hayden Moss, who is dating returning player Kat Edorsson.

Rounding out the cast are returning player Candice Cody and her husband, John; returning player Monica Culpepper and husband Brad; and returning player Laura Morett and daughter Ciera Eastin.

Meanwhile, this edition of Survivor will feature the return of Redemption Island, where castaways who have been eliminated from the game can seek redemption and return for a chance to win the $1 million prize. The twist this season, however, is loved ones will be forced to choose whether to “save” their partner on Redemption Island and switch places with them, thus allowing their loved one to immediately re-enter the game, or leave them in exile to survive on their own.

PHOTOS: Jeff Probst’s ‘Survivor’ Picture Diary

The somewhat controversial Redemption Island twist was first introduced in the 22nd season, which premiered in February of 2011, and again in the Pearl Islands season that aired later that year. It hasn’t been used since.

Survivor: Blood vs. Water premieres with a 90-minute season opener at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18, on CBS. Jeff Probst returns as host and also executive produces alongside Mark Burnett.

A complete list of contestants follows (for more information on each, along with individual photos of the players, click here):

DATING:

Tyson Apostol, 34
Provo, Utah 
Former pro cyclist/shop manager      
Survivor history: Tocantins (second jury member); Heroes vs. Villains (sixth voted out)

Rachel Foulger, 33
Provo, Utah
Cocktail waitress/graphic designer

BROTHERS:

Aras Baskauskas, 31
Santa Monica
Musician   
Survivor history: Panama — Exile Island (winner)

Vytas Baskauskas, 33
Santa Monica
Yoga instructor/math professor

MARRIED:

Rupert Boneham, 49
Indianapolis
Mentor for troubled teens
Survivor history: Pearl Islands (second jury member); All Stars (sixth jury member, fan favorite winner); Heroes vs. Villains (seventh jury member)

Laura Boneham, 44
Indianapolis
Merchandiser

MARRIED:

Candice Cody, 30
Washington, D.C.    
Physician, anesthesiology resident  
Survivor history: Cook Islands (fifth jury member); Heroes vs. Villains (fifth jury member)

John Cody, 30
Washington, D.C.
Physician, Army orthopedic surgery resident

MARRIED:

Monica Culpepper, 42
Tampa, Fla.     
Former NFL wife, homemaker  
Survivor history: One World (fifth voted out)

Brad Culpepper, 44
Tampa, Fla.  
Attorney and retired NFL player

ENGAGED:

Colton Cumbie, 22
Collinsville, Ala.    
Student teacher    
Survivor history: One World (sixth out due to medical evacuation)

Caleb Bankston, 26
Collinsville, Ala.   
Post office manager/farmer

DATING:

Kat Edorsson, 23
Orlando
Full-time student/sales   
Survivor history: One World (sixth jury member)

Hayden Moss, 26
Springtown, Texas   
Real estate

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER:

Laura Morett, 43
Salem, Ore.     
Co-owner of Morett Construction  
Survivor history: Samoa (third jury member)

Ciera Eastin, 24
Salem, Ore.  
Cosmetology student

UNCLE AND NIECE:

Gervase Peterson, 43
Philadelphia
Cigar lounge wwner    
Survivor history: Borneo (third jury member)

Marissa Peterson, 21
Chapel Hill, N.C.  
Student

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER:

Tina Wesson, 53
Robbinsville, N.C.  
Motivational speaker   
Survivor history: Australia (winner);All Stars (first voted out)

Katie Collins, 25
New York, N.Y.  
Hedge fund support