Everything to Know About Survivor's Lauren O'Connell: Instagram, Dating Status, Job
Lauren O'Connell graduated from college just seven days before she appeared on Survivor. The 22-year-old thought that her being a collegian athlete gave her a winning edge in Survivor: Edge of Extinction and proved it with the enthusiasm she showed while controlling both Manu and Lesu tribes. Lauren became a fan favorite amongst Survivor viewers instantly, until she was voted out at fifth place all because of an immunity idol. What is Lauren up to after her Survivor stint? Here’s everything to know!
Last year, Survivor returned with a new season and a whole new plot-twist. Season 38 brought back four previous castaways to compete with a group of 14 new ones. Amongst them was Baylor University student Lauren O’Connell. The Bakersville, California native had been a fan of Survivor since her childhood. She watched it with her family and even named her dolls after Colby Donaldson and Tina Wesson to re-enact the final Tribal Council on Survivor: the Australian Outback. Clearly, Lauren always wanted to be a part of the reality show. On the show, Lauren formed a faction with returnee Kelley Wentworth and Daniel “The Wardog” DaSilva and became an integral part of the trio that showed strategic strength and control over both Manu and Lesu tribes till their merge. Lauren survived her way to the top six while keeping her hidden immunity idol as a secret weapon for later Tribal vote. But a con job by eventual winner Chris Underwood got Lauren thrown out of the competition. However, Lauren got a taste of major fame.
Lauren relived her Edge of Extinction days by competing in Survivor-themed mini-competition Sequester with 19 other former castaways on 20 June 2020. The game is similar to Survivor’s format where players must vote one another out, and can earn immunity too. The only difference is that it happens online via a video call. Lauren was eliminated in the twelfth round, finishing in 8th place, as per Sequester Access. Apart from getting her Masters in Physiology from Georgetown, the Survivor star is also a model with Tricia Brink Management, a boutique agency based out of Los Angeles. Lauren’s Instagram followers see her do a throwback to their favorite moments from the CBS show quite often, apart from sharing her work with makeup artist Jenna Nicole. According to her bio on CBS, Lauren wants to apply to dental school, which she wanted to pay for using her Survivor earnings. “As a dentist, I plan to change lives by instilling confidence through beautiful smiles, and winning this game will help me to achieve this without the burden of debilitating debt,” she had mentioned before joining the popular competitive show. Lauren also has a Cameo account where she describes herself as a “CBS Survivor season 38 fourth loser :)”
At 21, Lauren was both the youngest woman to find a Hidden Immunity Idol and the youngest on Edge of Extinction. The reality TV star has expressed how lighting up a fire is one of the most important skills to possess for the show, and that she lost 12 lbs during her time on Survivor from not eating for seven days. In a chat with LAnded, Lauren, who's nicknamed Lolly, revealed that she was starting her own YouTube channel called Life of Lolly to show Survivor fans different aspects of her life – from fitness to family to traveling. Although she had revealed to CBS that Parvati Shallow is her spirit animal, she spoke of being “obsessed” with fellow Survivor Kelley Wentworth. “It’s okay to love yourself and who God created,” is the message she wants to give her target demographic of 12-year-old girls through the channel.
A few months ago, Survivor fans had speculated that Lauren is dating Cincinnati Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah. Lauren’s dating rumors were based on a post made by her on Instagram which since has been deleted. The two are not following each other on the social media platform which could hint at an apparent break-up. Currently, Lauren seems to be basking in her post-Survivor success as fans continue to shower her with compliments.
Source: Sequester Access, Lauren O'Connell, CBS, Cameo, LAnded