HOLLYWOOD - For the newest CBS' smash hit Survivor series, body fat is considered an important attribute.According to Joe Rhodes, a TV Guide reporter who visited the set of the upcoming Survivor: Africa in July, the new set of contestants cover a wider range of ages-and some of the members are actually "tubby." His stories on the new show will appear in next week's issue of TV Guide.
"The first cast was interesting, and the second was more eye candy-many people thought they were boring," Rhodes said. "The third cast is a combination."
The reason this third installment called for contestants to have a little more meat on their bones is because the food supply is going to be even worse than the previous two shows. No hunting will be allowed on the game reserve where the action takes place.
"All the people got so thin last year that these people were advised they should carbo load," Rhodes said. "The calorie intake is 200 to 500 calories a day once the show starts."
And to add insult to injury, this African crew also will wish for a good hot shower. Apparently the washing opportunities are extremely limited: the nearest river is infested with crocodiles while the nearby spring contains numerous parasites.
"They're going to be hotter, they're going to be hungrier and they're going to be stinkier," Rhodes said.
For in-depth coverage on Survivor: Africa, premiering Oct. 11 on CBS, stay tuned for Hollywood.com's upcoming Survivor microsite.