can't snuff this

In an emotional goodbye, this divisive queer ‘Survivor’ player left with an important message

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Image Credit: ‘Survivor,’ CBS

*Spoilers ahead for Survivor Season 46, up through the March 20 episode, “Don’t Touch The Oven.”*

This week’s episode of Survivor 46 ended in dramatic fashion, snuffing out the flame of player without even taking it to a tribal vote.

Yes, it was that obvious that is was time for Bhanu Gopal—a queer “30-plus-something” IT quality analyst from Acton, MA—to go home. But not without leaving his mark on the island in just four episodes, shocking viewers with his complete lack of strategic gameplay while, yes, also winning over millions of hearts.

We’ve never seen a Survivor player quite like Bhanu… and that’s probably because he wasn’t much of a “player” at all. Always wearing his heart on his sleeve, Bhanu admitted from the beginning that backstabbing doesn’t come naturally to him, which was an early sign he was in trouble because backstabbing is kind of a central tenet of Survivor!

He also proved to be pretty awful at keeping secrets—basically an unwitting chaos agent—which made him a necessary casualty for just about anyone if they wanted to win the game.

And when he saw the writing on the wall, he resorted to begging. To just about anyone and everyone. At one of his lowest points, he even begged to his God: “If this is what you wanted and you wanted to end my story so soon you shouldn’t have put me on Survivor in the first place!” It was one of the most raw-nerve emotional moments we’ve ever seen on the show and, frankly, difficult to watch.

Divisive as his short time on the show may have been, Bhanu came into the competition with an important message to share, and it was right there on his shirt the whole time: “BE KIND.”

But he also had a story to tell, and we’re so glad he was able to share it with the world. As a queer South-Asian immigrant, we don’t often see people like Bhanu on our screens, but we hope in sharing his experiences he’s able to inspire and empower others.

Image Credit: ‘Survivor,’ CBS

Bhanu comes from “humble beginnings” in India, sharing with Parade that he grew up in poverty to the point that, the first time he saw Survivor, he instantly connected to it:

“For the most part of my life, Survivor has been my life,” he shared with the magazine. “Living under a thatched roof. When it’s raining, rain used to just fall on us inside the house. So it’s been like that. When I watched Survivor for the first time, I was like, ‘Oh, my god, that’s hit me close to home.'”

After living in India for thirty-something years, he took a job offer in the U.S. in 2013 and remained in the country on work permit that was set to expire in 2018. However, in 2017, he met a man named George, who would later become his husband—and the two have been together ever since.

Related:

Australian ‘Survivor’ contestant comes out as gay, says he thought it was already public knowledge

While guesting on an Australian radio show, George Mladenov was asked rather bluntly: “Are you gay?”

And actually, it was George—a Survivor super-fan—who convinced Bhanu to audition for the show: “My husband introduced me to Survivor,” he said. “He’s my support, my strength of pillar. Whatever you have to call him, he’s all that. And with his support, with his encouragement, I applied, and I’m here today.”

Though his departure from Survivor was dramatic (just like the rest of his time in the competition), he signed off on a powerful final note:

“I hope my story reaches out to the audiences, and [to] all the Bhanus out there: Have faith, don’t ever give up on anything in life. I came form poverty and here I am, sitting on Survivor. Namaste.”

That’s a sentiment he echoed in his exit interview with Parade, reiterating that he was never in it for the money, but rather to represent for the people of his country, for people of color, and for the queer community.

“I want them to see that Bhanu could do it,” he shares. “If Bhanu can get himself out of poverty, from all the abuse I’ve gone through. The physical abuse, the sexual abuse for many, many years. The emotional abuse, the verbal abuse. But still get a college degree, get a job in the US and now becoming a proud citizen of this country and get to be on Survivor. I feel like I’ve succeeded in life.”

Say what you will about how Bhanu played the game, but that island is sure going to be a lot less lively without him. He made for some fascinating TV, that’s for sure, and we’re just glad he got a chance to spread his message.

By the way, when Bhanu’s not in total agony on Survivor? He’s living his best life at home, frequently sharing this gorgeous dance videos on Instagram that are guaranteed to make you smile:

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