"Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" won't premiere on CBS until February 11, but as with every season you can expect a profile of each contestant here leading up to the 20th edition of the popular reality competition.
Today, the focus is on Amanda Kimmel.
Name: Amanda Kimmel
Age: 24
Occupation: Model / actress
Location: Los Angeles, California
Past seasons: "Survivor: China," "Survivor: Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites"
Tribe: Heroes
Claim to fame: To hardcore "Survivor" fans, Amanda is best known for choking at the final tribal council more than anything else. She was destroyed by Todd and Courtney in "China," and then lost to Parvati in "Fans vs. Favorites." Outside of those performances, she is known for forming tight alliances, using an immunity idol to save herself in Micronesia, and for having a brief showmance with Ozzy before allowing him to be cast aside.
Is she an All-Star? When she was picked from "China" for "Fans vs. Favorites," I didn't really think she had done much to deserve it. On the other hand, she was an All-Star the second time around and earned her place on this season. With that being said, I think three appearances in six seasons is a little much and I would have rather seen Amanda take some time off and come back at some point in the future.
Analysis: The best thing Amanda does is form alliances, and she could have a good one right away with both James and Cirie from Micronesia. She is part of a "clique" of "Survivor" contestants who all live in Los Angeles, so if she can side with all of them there could be a formidable alliance. If that fails, she is strong enough physically to win challenges and smart enough to look for an immunity idol. Even if she hasn't played a complete game, Amanda is a solid player who has had the time now to see where she went wrong the first two times.
Prediction: Unfortunately for Amanda, other players now have the opportunity as well to know exactly how she plays the game. With there being so many friends on the Heroes tribe, it's tough to see her going before the merge. I don't think she can win (simply because we've been down that road before), but I also think that some people would be afraid of keeping her around just because she excels so much at blindsides. I see Amanda getting voted off for the first time ever during "Heroes vs. Villains," and she will sit very comfortably on the jury.
Of course, feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below and stay tuned for more "Survivor" news.
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