‘Survivor’: Ben Driebergen Switching Things Up for ‘Winners at War’

Survivor: Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers champion Ben Driebergen is returning to the season 40 special Survivor: Winners at War. The former Marine’s underdog status from the beginning of his season had many fans rooting for him, while a few were against him. Yet, Ben persevered and came out on top, getting that sweet million-dollar prize. Can he do the same in this upcoming round packed with the greatest Survivor legends?

Survivor: Winners at War – Marine and Father of 2 Ben Driebergen

Before ever stepping foot onto the battleground that is Survivor, Ben Driebergen had been part of a more dangerous fight. Because, he’s a former United States Marine who served overseas in Iraq. Ben said he was, “a good Marine” and the Corps was “a good experience, but it was also a bad experience”.

Survivor: Ben Driebergen - Survivor40 - Winners at War

When he returned to the States, Ben became a nomad of sorts until he settled back down in his hometown of Boise, Idaho. It took Ben two tries to find the right woman for him. His first marriage was a “drive-thru” wedding and didn’t last. But his second one, to Kelly Russell, turned out to be the real thing. The couple has two children together, Wyatt and Gracie. Check out Ben Driebergen’s Survivor journey.

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Offspring picture! Stay positive!

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Ben Driebergen’s Run on Season 35 – Heroes Tribe

When Ben Driebergen first arrived on the designated beach for “heroes” he became the unofficial leader of the Levu tribe. He joined forces with Chrissy Hofbeck. But a Survivor tribe swap sent the Idaho native into enemy territory. Luckily, his group won immunity until the merge.

There, he reunited with Chrissy and formed a majority alliance. But it wasn’t long until he became a target once more. Luckily, he found three hidden immunity idols and used them in three consecutive Survivor tribal councils.

In the end, those saved him twice. Once making it to the Final 4, it forced Ben Driebergen into a fire-making tiebreaker that he won. Despite getting some flack from the jurors for his social game, Ben Driebergen won Survivor in a 5-2-1 vote.

Survivor: Ben’s ‘Winners at War’ Strategy

According to Ben Driebergen, his strategy is going to be different this time around. He says he’s going to play it “more humbled and patient”. But the other legends better not underestimate him.

The first episode of Winners at War airs on February 12 at 8 on CBS.

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