Copyright Parade
Key Points Boston Rob mentored Survivor 49 contestant Shannon Fairweather, once a family friend. Rob gave Shannon strategic advice: read body language, ask questions, control what you can. Shannon earned her Survivor spot independently; Rob did not influence her getting cast. Over five years ago, Boston Rob Mariano sat in the islands of Fiji, next to a giant statue of himself. He was an NPC on Survivor: Island of the Idols, tasked alongside fellow legend Sandra Diaz-Twine of habitually teaching the new players some of the biggest lessons he had learned in his then-four seasons of the CBS reality series. He had no idea that, years later, he would get the chance to mentor again, only this time with someone he had a personal connection to. That someone would be Shannon Fairweather, who’s currently a contestant on Survivor 49. The wellness specialist has garnered plenty of attention on and off the island for her spirituality. But, as she herself would say, growing up, Fenway Park was her church. That’s because her parents own a sports bar in the heart of Boston. And the location had a Survivor connection well before Season 49, as it was once the workplace of Boston Rob. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 “In [2002], one of our bartenders went on the show, and they just hired him,” Shannon recounts in a preseason interview with Parade. “And my dad was like, ‘What the f–k are you doing?! Where do you think you’re going? We just hired you!’ And that bartender ended up being Boston Rob. Iconic, right?! So cool.” “I did bartend at their bar in between, I think the first and second time I was on Survivor,” the recent Traitors standout says in an exclusive interview. “And I remember when Shannon was born. I remember her in a baby carrier.” Having a family friend on the show, let alone one who would become one of the biggest names in Survivor history, definitely helped jumpstart Shannon’s interest. Years later, after Rob had gone on to not only win the million but also find his wife in Amber Mariano and start a family due to the series, she reached out to invite him for a chat on her podcast. Related: Boston Rob Mariano Reveals If He’d Ever Join ‘Dancing with the Stars’ (Exclusive) “She told me she’s been a big fan of the show for a long time,” he recounts. “She has a podcast. She asked if I would be a guest on our podcast. This was all before she ever even applied. And I kind of told her, ‘After 25 years, you’ve got to just go for it. If you want something, try to go for it.'” Even though the two were talking years before Shannon would seek out becoming a Survivor contestant herself, there is some advice from that interview that she took to heart in the hours before she started the game. “He said, ‘You can read a lot by people’s body language by who they’re sleeping next to, who they’re standing next to at a challenge, who they’re eating with. You can really tell who people trust by those kinds of things,'” she says. “And he also said, ‘You want to tell if someone’s lying to you, ask them a question you already know the answer to.’ So I thought that one was really cool, too. So those were the kind of specific tips that were really helpful.” Of course, though, given their connection, she would have been remiss if, once she found out she would be on Season 49, she didn’t reconnect. And Boston Rob confirms that he was able to give more recent, personal advice to her before she made her way out to Fiji. Related: ‘Survivor’ Promo Drops Huge Twist — See New Tribes from Shocking Swap “She called me and asked me for some advice,” he reveals. “I actually met her for coffee in Boston one day, and Amber did talk to her on the phone. And I think I told her the same thing I would tell anyone going out there. Worry about what you can control, don’t worry about what you can’t. Be willing to adapt to your situation and always try to see the game through your opponent’s eyes. Those are the most important things you can do.” Despite the unprecedented connection, Boston Rob wants to make one thing clear. Despite the position he occupies within the Survivor community and production, he did no pushing on his end to try to get Shannon on the show. “She sent in an application, and she got on the show by herself,” he affirms. “I told her, ‘I can make an introduction, but I can’t get you on the show.’ You’ve got to get on. And she did. She got on herself, and she’s doing great.” Indeed, through five episodes of Survivor 49, Shannon has yet to go to Tribal Council. But, with tonight’s episode bringing a shocking second swap to put the remaining castaways into three tribes of four, there truly will be nowhere to hide. And if she does end up facing her first vote of the season, we shall see if the advice she received through the years from one of the best to ever do it can have her following in his footsteps towards the million-dollar prize.
