Survivor 49 Episode 1 was devoted to a person named Vince Costello. The onscreen tribute on the finish of the episode learn, “In loving reminiscence of Vince Costello, ceaselessly in our hearts.”
Costello, a Fiji native, was a longtime Survivor crew member whose household adopted in his footsteps by engaged on the sequence. He was identified with late-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (liver most cancers) earlier this 12 months, and the sickness required him and his household to quickly relocate to Australia. This was shared in a GoFundMe arrange on July 21, 2025, by Survivor government producer Jesse Jensen. The final replace on that web page was from Jensen on July 28, who thanked everybody who donated for his or her assist (it raised over $86,000 AUD). The GoFundMe has since closed.
“Vince was actually touched and humbled by the quantity of assist he acquired from you all and needed me to cross on an enormous a vinaka vakalevu from him and the entire household,” Jensen wrote within the July 28 replace. “He can’t thanks sufficient. It has meant the world to them.” Jensen famous that the fundraiser was closed at Costello’s request.
Costello and his household had been one in every of many Survivor households profiled by Individuals on the set of Season 50 in June. Based on an editor’s be aware in that story, Costello died after Season 50 wrapped filming. He was 61.
Right here, study extra about Costello and his household ties to Survivor.
Who’s Vince Costello from Survivor?
Costello was a location supervisor for Survivor for a few decade. He began engaged on the present on Season 33, Millennials vs. Gen X. Being a location supervisor meant he looked for viable areas on the Mamanuca Islands to arrange the tribe camp, challenges, and Tribal Council units.
What did Vince Costello’s youngsters do on Survivor?
Survivor is a giant household. Jeff Probst’s niece works on the present as a crew member, and relationships fashioned between crew members have resulted in a minimum of 67 Survivor infants being born over time. A few of these youngsters even work for the present now, and different households, like Costello’s, introduced their households with them after being employed by the present.
Three of Costello’s youngsters work for Survivor. Aline Costello, 28, began as a Dream Group member (the athletes who take a look at out each problem and reveal them onscreen) earlier than changing into a areas assistant alongside her dad.
“We’re a really tight household, so I really feel like if anybody may do it, it might be us. It’s been good,” Aline advised Individuals. Costello added, “No fights in public.”
His son, Patrick Costello, 21, is a digital camera operator. He spent a few of his childhood years “working round” the set earlier than returning as an grownup to work on the crew.
Costello advised Individuals that he labored on round 50 productions however by no means imagined that Survivor was “going to vary my life and my household’s lives.”
“Fiji could be very a lot into tradition and into respect, and it’s been nice working for Survivor in that respect,” he says. “From each single Fijian citizen on this job and for all of the residents of our little nation, we’ve been very grateful.”
Survivor, Wednesdays, 8/7c, CBS