Who went home on Survivor Season 49 Week 8? Details explored

In Week 8 of Survivor Season 49, castaway Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu was voted out, becoming the ninth player eliminated and second juror of the season.

The elimination came after a tense team contest for safety, secret idol moves, and an unexpected bonus vote that changed how people voted.

The decision followed a chaotic day full of shaky loyalties, a team showdown where sides broke apart, while someone showing up late got a boost, piling more stress on a group already falling apart.

Survivor Season 49: What led to MC’s jury exit

With ten players remaining after the merge, Survivor Season 49 opened Week 8 with a major twist: a group immunity challenge wherein the 10 castaways were split into two teams of five.

The losing team would all face Tribal Council, and on top of that, the last person remaining overall in the challenge would earn an extra advantage.

The teams were: Blue (Sage, Rizo, MC, Jawan, Sophie) and Yellow (Steven, Kristina, Soph, Alex, Savannah). Blue lost the challenge, sending its members to Tribal Council.

Much of the pre-Tribal gameplay centred around idol possession and shifting alliances.

MC had played her Hidden Immunity Idol in the previous vote, which raised suspicion among her campmates. Rizo still held an idol.

Meanwhile, Kristina found the newly hidden idol and indicated she would share it with Alex or Steven if needed.

At camp, Savannah expressed her vulnerability: she said she felt like “the loser of the group and the pariah.” Soph and Sage discussed voting her out.

Jawan and Steven, on the other hand, were already strategizing how to target Savannah. 

The strategic momentum shifted when MC told Jawan about Sophie’s backup plan to tie votes in case Rizo played his idol, angering Jawan and setting MC’s fate in motion.

Savannah’s advantage arrived when she earned an “immunity necklace” that gave her the option to cast a vote at Tribal or save that extra vote for a later Council.

She joined the Blue team at the old Uli camp, instructed Rizo that she could save her vote, and left the other players scrambling.

At Tribal Council, MC attempted a final plea to Jawan, saying she had “one more big ask,” prompting side conversations.

When the votes were read, no idols or advantages were played.

The tally was three votes for MC and one vote for Sophie. Sophie, Sage, Jawan, and Rizo all voted for MC. Savannah declined to vote, banking her extra vote for later.

As a result, MC became the second member of the jury.

Vote result summary:

• MC eliminated, 3-1 vote


• Rizo remained safe despite being the original target and holding an idol.


• Savannah emerged with an unused extra vote.


• Kristina held a new hidden idol.


• Soph escaped the vote with just one vote cast against her.

MC’s elimination marks the first major casualty of Survivor Season 49’s post-merge era.

The team immunity twist and extra vote mechanic reshuffled power, underscoring that no one is safe even with an idol.

The Blue team’s loss paved the way for a swift reversal of fortune: Rizo went from target to safe, MC went from idol-holder to juror, and Savannah earned a strategic asset.

As Survivor Season 49 presses toward its final phase, players now must contend with newly proven tactics: group immunity challenges, hidden idols resurfacing, and extra votes in play.

With MC’s exit, ten became nine, and the game just got more unpredictable.

Stay tuned for more updates.