Rick Devens Says He Played 'Survivor 50' on 'Hard Mode' (Exclusive)
Rick Devens' unpredictable–and wildly entertaining–run on Survivor 50 came to an end just before the big finale. Knowing he was public enemy No. 1 after losing his closest allies, Christian Hubicki and Emily Flippen, nearly back-to-back, Devens did what Devens always does: scramble. The former news anchor spent his last day scouring the island for an idol (with Jonathan Young tailing him the whole time), but sadly came up empty-handed.
"I'm so proud of of how I played," the former news anchor exclusively tells Men's Journal. "I don't even know how I did all this stuff in one season, and I know it was messy, and I know it's not everyone's favorite strategic game, but I loved it. It's exactly the type of game I would be rooting for and be a fan of. So I'm super proud of how I played, especially as a father, I want the kids to see that I'm having fun."
In his exit interview with MJ, Devens opens up about why he believes he was playing "on hard mode," reveals that members of the jury told him they wanted him to win, and explains the real story behind his elaborate fake idol plan at Tribal Council. He also reflects on his complicated dynamic with Joe Hunter and how close he believes he actually came to winning the whole game.
Scroll down to read the full interview with Rick.
Men's Journal: Your first season you a bit of a polarizing player, but there has been so much love for you this season. Have you felt that?
Rick Devens: That might be the most surprising thing of all, is I really have felt so much more love this season. When I feel like I was the same guy, like you were playing from the bottom, having a ton of fun, doing what it takes to get there, maybe there's less resentment because I wasn't voted out early, like I made it to seven without ever getting voted out. But I'm so grateful for it, like, it's really awesome that people seem to have appreciated what I brought to the table, which was forcing people to react to my game like big moves. As much as some people don't like big moves, I think they're more appreciated when everyone else is making very small moves. And yeah, and just like my attitude and joy and also willingness to show my emotional side, like I think people have responded to it, it's been shocking. I thought I would be just as polarizing when I left the island. I thought Devens fans will stay. Devens fans and Deven's haters will stay. Some of them have come around.
Men's Journal: When you were out there, were you thinking very far ahead or just playing day to day?
Rick Devens: You know, it is funny, because I think sometimes it's a great thing to plan four moves ahead, and that's why I try to get with a David Wright or a Christian Hubicki who kind of thinks that way. But I think other times thinking four steps ahead gets you voted out with an idol in your pocket because you're planning for two down the road. And I said on the show, like, tonight might be a bad night. Tomorrow might be blue skies. So if I think I'm at risk, I'm going to go for the fake idol at Tribal Council, knowing that that puts a big target on me, and I'll deal with that tomorrow, because if I go home tonight without going for that fake idol, it'll haunt me the rest of my life, you know, whereas I'm not haunted at all, because I feel like I did everything I could to stay in the game, and eventually it caught up with me. But it is what it is.
Men's Journal: Do you feel like your style of playing makes it an impossible game to win, or did you see a path to the end?
Rick Devens: So I know that it's possible, because, you know, I was 30 seconds away in my fire-making from getting there to the end and winning the game. The problem this time is the those immunity challenges can be an endurance immunity, like ones that people have won on their seasons, and literally, ones I've lost on mine. There were at least three I lost on my season poorly that I had to do again this season. I just kept waiting for an obstacle course with a puzzle at the end, and they give it to him the day I leave. And those are usually later in the game because they're bigger builds, I guess. But I was sure I could find an idol. I was sure that I could win immunity and get one step closer, one step closer. It's not an easy way to go, Sharon. Your argument at final tribal is right there in front of you and right there in front of the jury. And you know, what a nightmare to get to the end and not have anything to say. Like, I don't want to be that guy. I'd rather be the guy with a big target too early, struggling to get there. But I do think it's possible. I just think, you know, I play Survivor on hard mode.
Men's Journal: What was the vibe with the jury when you got back to Ponderosa, becuase it seemed like they were enjoying your antics. Would you have gotten a good amount of votes?
Rick Devens: I was actually shocked. Every player on the jury said that they were rooting for me and that they wanted me to win. I think there's a couple things that go into that. They see my game, right? Like a lot of it was at Tribal, which they appreciate, but also, none of those people felt betrayed by me, even Steph, who I threw under the bus, I had no loyalty to her. So she's not upset about that, which she was the one I was scared to see, and she was great, like she wasn't upset at all. It was terrific. Emily and Christian love me. You know, they're my closest allies. Dee is amazing. It was a gift to be at Ponderosa and get to hang out with Dee and realize, like, oh my gosh, we're brother and sister. And Coach was awesome. I also think they saw how loyal, you know, those honor and integrity people on the jury are looking at all the games and seeing who's really representing that, and it's like I wasn't honor and integrity to Coach and Chrissy because they weren't in my alliance, but they saw that I stuck with Emily even through a revote. And I never would have gone against Christian. So I was surprised when I got to the jury to hear that from all of them, and again, a lot of game left to play, and these people with more under the radar games would be have a chance to explain what they did at Final Tribal. So a lot could have changed. But when I left, they told me that I was the one that they wanted to win.
Men's Journal: Who was your ideal final three to sit next to?
Rick Devens: You know, I would have gone to the final three with Emily and Christian, just in terms of loving them and not betraying them. But I'm not an Ozzy who wants to have the best Tribal, like, I want to be against two people who are getting zero votes. That's who I want to be against that. I don't even want to say who I think those people are, because I feel like some people, their post interviews are saying more than they should. So I'll talk about that later, but that's who I would have wanted to be against, is the people that in my estimation, were not going to get votes.
Men's Journal: What was the disconnect with Joe? And was that early argument on Cila bigger than we saw?
Rick Devens: I love Joe. We've been in touch through the season, like sending apologies back and forth. You know, he's like, I hope our kids are going to be playing together at the finale pool. Lot of respect for Joe. If a fan meets Joe, like you're going to love Joe. Charismatic, magnetic guy that I wouldn't even say this, except Savannah came out and said it, and I don't want to throw Savannah under the bus. It was a little more heated, that argument, but it still felt like something that, you know, I play pickup basketball, that could have happened on the basketball court, not a big deal watching it back. I think our difference is, and I didn't realize this out there. I realize it now, is to me, I'm loyal to you. That means I'm protecting you, I'm looking out for your interest, and I'm never coming after you, but that doesn't mean I have to tell you everything, right? Like, I'm totally loyal to Cirie and Emily at the beginning of the game, but I'm not telling them I hid a fake idol at Tribal because they don't need to know that. Whereas, I think Joe kind of demonstrated during the game, like, if he finds out you kept something from him, then that's the loyalty is gone. So, you know, exactly like Steph didn't say about the Steal a Vote, so now he can vote off Steph. So I got caught in a lie there at the beginning, and I did. It was such messy, bad gameplay, but to me, it's like, not a big deal, Joe, because I wasn't coming for you, whereas, I think for him, that was enough like to paint the picture of me, which is crazy when you look back, because it's like, I am such a loyal player. It could have worked out, and then I just didn't realize how much it made an impression on him. If I had, I would have voted him out instead of Genevieve, you know, when we had the chance at the Blood Moon. But I was surprised, watching back like how much I was under his skin as a player. I don't think he ever really made it personal. I think it was mostly gameplay based. But, yeah, just coming at the game very different ways.
Men's Journal: When did the plan to hide the fake idol at Tribal Council get in your brain? Because you told me in the preseason you had planned to make a fake idol.
Rick Devens: You are so right, that's exactly what I was talking to you about in the preseason. I didn't have the where I was going to do it yet. What I was really trying to figure out was, okay, I can do this fake idol with my pocket square or whatever. Luckily, Christian found the Billy Eilish Boomerang Idol, so we had an actual wrapping that made it much more realistic that it could work. But I was just trying to figure out, how can I sell an idol as real without showing the clue? Because the first thing I would ever say is, like, "Show me the clue," or it's fake. So I'm like, if you find it in Tribal, how did it get there? If production didn't put it there? I was just trying to figure out, how can I sell this? And the two things I came up with were, I could try to hide it in a challenge, like, literally, as we're going through a challenge. And then Jeff calls us to the mat, and I run back and get it in front of everybody, or I can hide it at Tribal. And of course, I had to get permission, I had to ask, like, "Is this something I could do? Can I hide it at Tribal?" And they ran it up the ladder, and we're like, "Yeah, that sounds fun. Yeah, do it." But I was definitely brainstorming ahead of the game, when we were in isolation.
Men's Journal: Were you looking for idols way more than we were seeing after the merge?
Rick Devens: I can tell you that once I got that fake idol. I hadn't really been looking for idols too much up to that point, because I didn't want to put a target on myself, and I felt like I was pretty good with the numbers. But then when we got tied together, I felt like Aubry and I were a big target. We might be going home that night, so I had to go for the fake idol. And then once I have the fake idol, I can't look for idols, because then it looks like I'm holding a fake idol. It's like, if I'm holding an idol, why am I out looking for idols? And so then after that, the MrBeast thing happens, and I have a real idol. So now I really wasn't looking for idols all that much until this last episode, when I was looking literally, I mean, way more than they even showed. I was looking all the way up to Tribal, trying to find that idol, because that was the only thing that was going to save me. But no, I guess I was in the original Cila. If I was out with someone I trusted, like Christian, I'd be looking. But no, I kind of got in a weird spot after the merge where I couldn't look or I'd be giving myself away.
Men's Journal: You were an alternate this season, which is wild. Do you feel proud of how you played?
Rick Devens: I'm so proud of of how I played. And it's just looking back, it's like, how did some of this stuff work? Like, I don't even know how I did all this stuff in one season, and I know it was messy, and I know it's not everyone's favorite strategic game, but, like, I loved it, like it's exactly the type of game I would be rooting for and be a fan of. So I'm super proud of how I played, especially, you know, as a father, I want the kids to see that I'm having fun. Never took a personal shot at anybody, and when I went out, like, I can still be friends with everybody, because I need to be liked so desperately. I could have cut off this Joe thing easily, but it's like, no, he's such a special guy. Like, it would be a loss to me. I need him to like me.
Men's Journal: Do you have another run in you, Devens?
Rick Devens: Come on. Of course. I can't say no to Jeff. Yeah, I'm not one of these people who says, "Oh, I'll never do it again." Why not? It's fun. Sharon, and thank you. Your messages have meant a lot. I really appreciate it. Coming from someone who's watched so much reality, like the fact that you could see the joy in my game, it meant a lot.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 2:20 PM.