“Survivor 50” star Angelina Keeley is being closely pursued by the show’s editorial team.
“I think they can do better,” she told Page Six after being voted off the CBS series on Wednesday’s episode.
“I think they pay a lot of lip service to diversity and inclusion and empowering voices and women. And I think they’re doing a really poor job of presenting women’s stories and telling women’s stories this season.”
Keeley, who placed third in Season 37 in 2018, said he returned for the milestone season because he was inspired by the editorial changes over the past 10 seasons.
“In the ’40s, I felt they had turned a corner. I felt they were treating the story with care in a different way than before,” she said.
However, when it comes to Season 50, the Joybabe Studio founder believes the production team has “taken a step back.”
“Where’s Tiffany? Where’s Camila? Where’s Dee? Where’s Chrissy?” she said, pointing out other female players who were poorly edited in Season 50.
“Why is everything we see about Chrissy negative? Why is everything we see about me negative?”
Overall, Keeley believes the longevity of the reality show is thanks to its female cast.
“I feel like with their influence and their show, they can reflect society, they can promote society, or they can just feed the beast,” she explained. “And feeding the beast means pandering to our worst traits. And I feel like that’s what they’re doing this time.”
“I hope they turn things around,” Keeley continued. “I know they’re still editing the season, so I’ve told everyone I spoke to today that I think we need to get better.”
She added, “And I think a lot of the women in this season feel the same way. They’re ready to have their voices heard.”
Regarding this season’s gameplay, Keeley said he believes season 37 alumnus Christian Hubicki “premeditatedly” plotted against mutual friend Mike White.
“I mean, he was talking to himself in his room (before the Ponderosa game),” she claimed. “We were sharing a wall, and he was literally rehearsing the lines he was going to say. I could hear his voice through the wall, and I thought, ‘Okay, it’s a little weird, but to each their own.'”
“But when you look back and you piece it all together, you think, ‘Wow, he really planned out his approach and his game, who he was going to say and what he was going to say.’
Keely believes Hubicki will never be loyal to the trio in Season 37, despite her close friendship with White.
“I think Mike and I’s priorities were very different from Christian’s, and he chose to put the game above a real friendship,” she said.
“Mike, on the other hand, is one of the most loyal people I’ve ever met,” Keeley added. “So those priorities became conflicting.”
“Survivor 50” airs every Wednesday at 8pm ET on CBS.
