Survivor favorite Parvati Shallow almost didn’t appear on the CBS show because she nearly got cast for The Real World or Road Rules a few years beforehand. Had she made the MTV series, Parvati probably would have gone on to compete in The Challenge instead.
Parvati Shallow shared a rejection letter from ‘The Real World’
A few years before making her debut on Survivor: Cook Islands, favorite Parvati Shallow nearly got cast for The Real World: Paris or Road Rules: South Pacific.
In a March 2023 Instagram photo, she shared a picture of the 2003 rejection letter she received from Bunim/Murray Productions. It began by congratulating her for making it to the interview stage as part of the top 250 applicants from the over 5,000 submissions they received.
The letter thanked the Atlanta native for revealing “so many very personal stories” but noted the crew isn’t “able to offer you a place in this season’s cast.” It ended by promising the rejection had nothing to do with anything she said or shared.
“We deeply appreciate your enthusiasm, openness, and honesty and wish you the very best of everything in your future,” the letter concluded with the signatures of executive producers and the pair behind the successful production company, Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. The Survivor champ admitted she still has the letter, adding, “reminder that rejection is protection.”
Parvati ended up applying for ‘Survivor’
Real World: Paris included The Challenge stars Chris “CT” Tamburello, Adam King, Leah Gillingwater, and Ace Amerson, as well as Mallory Snyder, Christina Trainor, and Drag Race pit crew member Simon Sherry-Wood.
Road Rules: South Pacific featured The Challenge stars Abram Boise and Tina Barta, Donell Langham, Mary Beth Decker, Christena Pyle, Chris Graebe, Jeremy Blossom, A Million Little Things actor Dave Giuntoli, and Playmate Cara Zavaleta.
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Presumably, after making the top 250 in The Real World, Parvati applied for The Amazing Race with a friend, but they were cut from the final cast. Survivor producers reportedly caught wind of her from the audition and invited her to apply for their show, which she did.
In 2006, she made her reality TV debut on the initially controversial 13th season Cook Islands as part of the all-Caucasian tribe, Raro. She used flirtiness for gameplay which became a label she couldn’t shake. Eventually, the other castmates perceived it as a threat and eliminated her in sixth place.
Parvati has played four seasons of ‘Survivor’ and won once
After gaining popularity with her performance, she returned shortly later for season 16’s Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites. Parvati played an aggressive game after the merge, ultimately forming the iconic Black Widow Brigade that dominated the season.
After memorably convincing Erik Reichenbach to give up his immunity, the crew advanced to the end, where Amanda Kimmel took Parvati to Final Tribal Council. The Atlanta native defeated her ally in a close 5-3 vote for the win. She returned for season 20’s Heroes vs. Villains as a villain.
Her partnership with Russell Hantz, strategic idol plays, and challenge wins got her to the end, where many viewers believe she should have won. However, Sandra Diaz-Twine received votes from the other Heroes, making her the winner.
Parvati returned for a presumed final time in Winners at War alongside other former champs and quickly found herself at the bottom. Although she made the tribe swap, Parvati had no allies and got voted out in 15th place. She has played 149 days in her Survivor career, making it the second-longest behind Rob Mariano. While watching Parvati on The Real World and The Challenge might have been fun, she has contributed so much to Survivor throughout her four-season career.
