‘Survivor’ 46 winner Kenzie on missing Charlotte, motherhood and ‘mermaid dragon’ legacy
“Survivor” fans were on the edge of their seats during the show’s season finale Wednesday night, as host Jeff Probst revealed who the jury picked as the winner.
By the sixth vote, Charlotte’s Kenzie Petty and fellow contestant Charlie Davis were tied at three each.
The seventh vote was for Petty, giving her a slight advantage over Davis.
In the end, Petty received the final vote and was crowned the winner of “Sole Survivor,” along with the $1 million prize.
After her win, CharlotteFive spoke to Petty about her experience on the show, achieving celebrity status, returning to Charlotte and her upcoming venture into motherhood.
Unapologetic intentions
After keeping the secret for months, Petty was ecstatic to see the news of her “Survivor” victory make the rounds.
“I’m elated,” Petty told CharlotteFive on Monday. “I’m over the moon. I feel like a million bucks. I’m proud of myself, and I’m proud of the game I played, and I’m proud of who I was out there and I’m just excited. I’m so happy the cat’s out of the bag.”
But her win wasn’t a sure thing, with many on social media speculating that her plans for the prize money would cause her to lose votes from the jury.
Unlike her opponents, who told the jury they were prepared to use the money to give back to their communities, Petty explained that she would used the money for herself, after a lifetime of doing things for other people.
“That was my truth,” Petty said, adding that she had conversations with other castaways about her plans for the prize money earlier in the season. “I was out there to invest [the money] so I can retire someday. I’m glad I stuck with my heart, and I’m glad people respected the answer.”
Playing the social game
The consensus on social media seemed to be that Petty played the best social game of all the castaways.
Petty, whom fellow castaway Bhanu Gopal dubbed as the “mermaid dragon,” attributed her success in connecting with other castaways and forming alliances to her work as a hair salon owner.
“I was just being myself,” Petty said. “I’m a very social person. I’m a people person … I’m a hairdresser … all I do all day is I never stop talking. I’m very glad I could go into the game and see myself and ride that wave until the end.”
Becoming a celebrity
Petty, who had been approached by a numerous fans since the show aired, she said, was no slouch on social media before competing on “Survivor,” but her following has grown exponentially since the show aired.
Prior to the finale, the 29-year-old had 46,000 followers on Instagram. As of Thursday, that number grew to 63,000.
“I really went out there to play ‘Survivor,’” Petty said. “I didn’t think about the aftermath dealing with this, but I am very excited about it,” Petty said. “I hope I can continue to inspire some people to shoot their shot and follow their dreams and have a good time.”
Though she has enjoyed her newfound stardom, she had a blunt message for fans in Charlotte who want to meet her in person.
“It’s really weird to show up to reality TV people’s businesses just to say ‘hi,’” Petty said, laughing. “I’m just a regular person trying to work. Please do not come to the salon unannounced. Shoot me a DM first.”
Missing Charlotte
Her family, warm summer nights, coffee — and silverware — were among the things Petty said she missed most about Charlotte while she was in Fiji for the show.
Petty said the first thing she did when she got back to Charlotte was tell her husband, Jackson, about what happened on the show. But after catching up on sleep, it was back to the grind.
“He took me to a really nice dinner,” Petty said. “We got back on a Friday, and I was back to work full time on Tuesday. The hustle never stops.”
The ‘mommy homemaker era’ begins
A couple of weeks before the finale, Petty announced on Instagram that she is expecting her first child, a boy, with her husband in September.
Petty said the prize money helps, but it didn’t play a role in her decision to have children.
“I knew I always wanted to have kids, and that was going to happen whether I won or not,” Petty said. “What winning did was allow me more time to stay home after having him. But, you know, I’ll be able to take a longer maternity leave and spend more time with my son, and I’m just so grateful for the extra time. That’s priceless.”
Due to her pregnancy and her job, Petty revealed that she won’t be hosting meet-and-greets with fans any time soon, but it’s not out the question once she’s settled in as a mother.
“I’m just in my mommy homemaker era,” Petty said. “I’ve enjoyed the limelight through this season, and now I’m ready to go back to my regular life. … But in the future, I’m sure we’ll do some “Survivor”-related things. Right now I’m just focused on my family, myself and my baby.”
Another run on ‘Survivor’?
Of the nearly 700 castaways who have competed on “Survivor,” 104 have been featured on the show more than once, according to the show’s wiki.
Petty said she wants time to focus on her family after the show, but didn’t rule out a second appearance.
“You know, never say ‘never,’ but I think I’m very full of ‘Survivor’ experience,” Petty said. “My cup runneth over. I got to do everything I wanted on my bucket list. I would love to watch some of my friends win from my couch with snacks, a blanket and my son.”
“But you never know,” she continued. “If Jeff calls, how am I going to tell him ‘no’? It’s open-ended, but I will enjoy watching from the couch.”
This story was originally published May 23, 2024 at 6:49 PM.
