The Survivor community is in mourning.
Sonja Christopher, who in 2000 became the first person to be voted off the show, has died, according to Deadline and more outlets. She was 87.
The death of the ukelele-playing contestant of the first season of the CBS reality competition show, Survivor: Borneo, was announced publicly by Liz Wilcox, who stars in the currently airing 46th season.
"Today, the legend herself Sonja Christopher of Season One passed away," she wrote on X April 6, alongside a screenshot of a FaceTime conversation with the late contestant. who is holding her signature ukelele. "I had the pleasure of meeting her on Christmas. She had so much spunk + love for Survivor and what the show brought to her life. I hope you're singing + playing your heart out somewhere beautiful, Sonja."
Liz added in another post, "No flowers, but donations may be sent to Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church (Walnut Creek, CA), the Cancer Support Community of the San Francisco Bay Area, or the Sjogren's Foundation."
The cause of Sonja's death was not made public.
Joel Klug, who competed against Sonja on Survivor: Borneo and was the sixth contestant to be voted off that debut season, shared a tribute to his former costar following news of her death.
"I just learned that Sonja Christopher has passed away," the 52-year-old wrote on Facebook. "If not for Survivor we would have never crossed paths in life."
Joel continued, "We kept in touch over the past 25 years and I can honestly say, we never had a negative interaction. She was a funny and exceptionally kind person. We were in touch last month...she said she was doing what we both had experience in, Surviving. She will be missed."
Sonja was born in Olympia, Wash. and later settled in Walnut Creek, Calif. She was 53 and had just undergone a cancer battle and a breakup when she competed on Survivor.
"I was newly recovering from breast cancer treatment," she told Entertainment Weekly in 2020. "And I had been in a 11-year relationship and my partner got consolation elsewhere during that time of the cancer. So I had moved to a senior retirement community, and I was by myself, no ties, my son was grown and taking care of himself. I was reading the morning paper, and it said something in an article about CBS looking for 16 Americans to cast away on a deserted island and see who could survive for 39 days."
Sonja continued, "Well, I had always wanted to see if I could survive using only my hands and my wits. As I read on, it said something about the one who stayed on the longest would get a million dollars, and they'd vote someone off every three days, and the program was called Survivor."
Weeks after Sonja became the first contestant to be voted off the show following her team's loss in an immunity challenge, Richard Hatch, who she had serenaded with her ukelele in a memorable and heartwarming scene, ended up as the first winner of Survivor.
"I did ask Rich to sign my ukulele at one of our reunions," Sonja told EW. "So on the back it says, 'Hi Sonja. Your ukulele brought me joy, and you always do. Love, Rich Hatch. I survived.'"
Sonja, who worked as a music therapist after retiring, looked back fondly at her time on Survivor and even owned the title of the first contestant to be voted off.
"Oh my God, what an experience! I'm so fortunate to have had it," she told EW. "If somebody recognizes me—which is nothing like it used to be—and asks, 'Weren't you on Survivor?' I'll say, 'Yes, I have the dubious distinction of being the first person ever voted off Survivor. Now, how many people can say that? I think it's pretty funny."