'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' castaway spotlight: Jerri Manthey

Jerri: the original female villain.

CBS

"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 Jerri Manthey.

Name: Jerri Manthey

Age: 38

Occupation: Actress

Location: Los Angeles, California

Past seasons: "Survivor: Australia," "Survivor: All-Stars"

Tribe: Villains

Claim to fame: Jerri is called a "black widow" by many people for her strategy in the "Survivor" game, but she's also a little more complex than that. After her romance / rivalry with Colby in Australia, she quickly became known as one of the most shrewd villains in the show's history. However, she tried to change that reputation a little during "All-Stars," only to have people still think of her as the "old" Jerri. She famous left the finale reunion after being booed off the stage.

Is she an All-Star? If you are judging Jerri based solely on her gameplay, then you could say that there are people out there more deserving. She's never finished higher than eighth place, and on "All-Stars" she went out before the merge. However, if you are talking about people who are memorable, then you would be hard-pressed to find a more recognizable female villain.

Analysis: The fascinating thing about Jerri is that she is not as wicked as many people think she is. Rather, she describes herself instead as "fearless." If she can ditch some of her vulnerabilities shown in "All-Stars," then we're looking at a tough player in great physical shape who can scheme / manipulate with the best of them. On the other hand, she will be likely gone early if she spends too much time worrying about what people think.

Prediction: Jerri nearly made the merge in "All-Stars," and I'm predicting that she'll have the same sort of finish here. I think we will see a tougher competitor out of her this time around, but CBS has handed her a major obstacle in putting her on a tribe with so few players from the show's early years. Sandra and Boston Rob are the only other one on her tribe that was on TV before the first "All-Stars." Her wits will keep around for a few episodes, but in the end some other alliances will take her down.

Of course, feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below and stay tuned for more "Survivor" news.

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