These TV Stars Were Once Trapped Alone In The Wild — Now They're Doing It Again

Britt comes to the show after first appearing on Season 3, where he spent 35 days in Patagonia. Following his stint on Alone, the Ohioan went back to his position as a senior accounting coordinator at FedEx, according to a company blog post, and said that the experience was like nothing anyone could possibly imagine. "You take for granted how simple it is to acquire something to eat every day," he said in the blog. "When that ease is removed, you really appreciate how easy it is to get up off the coach and walk to the refrigerator."

Despite his concern with food, rations to eat aren't among what Britt chose to bring with him for Season 5. Instead, he opted for a knife, a multitool, a paracord, fishing line and hooks, a pot, a ferro rod, a sleeping bag, bows and arrows, a folding saw, and trapping wire, according to his cast bio. Good thing he knows how to hunt!

Nicole stole hearts in Season 2 as she spent 57 days on Vancouver Island, and was one of the first three women to ever compete on the show, which only featured men in its first season, as reported by Decider.

"It was really important for me and the other women to be able to be there to be role models for girls growing up," she told Decider in 2016. "Because I think that they really need to see that anything is possible. That’s an important role model to provide for not just girls, but boys, too. It’s an important message to get out to the world."

Nicole tapped out of Season 2 not because she failed to thrive, but because she wanted to get back to her family. Her proven skills could pose a serious threat this year to all the other contestants.

Jesse may have only lasted five days when he appeared on Season 4 alongside his brother, Shannon, but it was under pretty trying circumstances. Shannon was injured shortly after they were dropped in the wilderness of Vancouver Island, and Jesse left with him when it became too much to handle. "It was Shannon who decided to tap out and we are a team," Jesse said in a post-tapout interview with the History Channel. Because if it were up to me; I didn’t [tap out]. I wouldn’t. I couldn’t."

It sure seems like Jesse still has something to prove after his time on the show was cut short, so he very well might come back to Alone with a vengeance.

This wilderness skills instructor from Utah spent three weeks on Vancouver Island in Season 2 before succumbing to the lack of social interaction and the struggle to find food. It was clear, though, that despite the hardship, Randy really enjoyed the time he spent out there.

"It was amazing being out on the land and pushing myself, being hungry and being thirsty," Randy told the Arizona Daily Sun after his time on the show. "I was like 'this is something I was searching for.'" Even right after his first season concluded, he seemed ready for another go. "It was one of the most beautiful, amazing experiences of my entire life," he said in the same interview. "It put a lot of things in perspective and continued to sort of ingrain that I’m doing the right thing with my life."

If he can channel that enthusiasm and get past the bumps in the road that hindered him last time, there's no telling how far Randy could go.

Carleigh spent more time in the wilderness than almost any other Alone contestant — she lasted 86 days in Patagonia in Season 3 — but was removed from competition once she made the final two as her BMI dropped to 16.8, according to RealityBlurred.com. The article states that contestants are pulled at a BMI of 17 or less, due to the permanent effects that can accompany the condition.

She certainly has the will to stay, considering she had to be removed from competition by producers due to her health. If she can learn from past mistakes, Carleigh could last a long time in Season 5.

One of Alone's original cast members, Sam was in the very first batch of people thrown onto Vancouver Island. He spent 55 days out there by himself and ended up in second place in Season 1. "I wasn't trying to win, so I stayed merely to push my limits," Sam said in a Reddit Q&A in 2016. "When I left, I was completely spent, and I felt it was time to get home to my wife. She was about 8 months pregnant when I headed home."

He said in the same Q&A that there were some things he'd do differently if he were given the chance, so he's probably got plans for Season 5. "I would have stayed in my temporary shelter and taken the first week to scout things out. I think I rushed into building my shelter," Sam wrote.

Dave spent a whopping 73 days in Patagonia before he had to be medically evacuated after dropping 40 pounds. In a Facebook post in 2017, he said that the show was right to remove him, even though he didn't fully comprehend how much weight he'd lost.

When he was pulled, Dave said in the post, he had a bunch of fish, mushrooms, greens, peanuts, and beans at his disposal, so he wasn't as without food as he might have seemed. "I was regularly eating these items and storing them for long term use," he explained. "I felt great mentally and spiritually and did not realize how far I had deteriorated physically until I looked in the mirror at the hospital. They were right to pull me." Hopefully he'll have better luck in Season 5.

Brad was another Season 4 competitor who was partnered with a companion, but he won't have that luxury this season. He only lasted one day in Patagonia, when his brother Josh fell and injured his ankle while they hunted for a place to set up camp. Brad left with Josh, and said that even though he didn't get to spend a ton of time in the wilderness, he seemed to appreciate the experience as a whole.

"This was a unique experience that I’m proud to have been a part of. Though it was a short journey, I left feeling much stronger mentally," he told the History Channel after their exit from the show. "I think we were all just as nervous as we were excited for this opportunity. After putting endless hours into training and then using my skills in such a wild environment, I feel much more self-reliant and confident in myself."

Larry competed like hell in Season 2, lasting 64 days on Vancouver Island and ending the season in second place, and he's said that he felt comfortable out in the wilderness. "My favorite part was testing my skills, but also de-stressing from life," Larry told OutdoorNews.com. "Our everyday life, there is so much stress and outside influence. I was able to just go out there. I didn’t have a TV. I didn’t have the phone or the internet. It was just me in nature, and it was so stress-less."

He said in the same interview that his lack of food, and the accompanying mental issues, is what solidified his decision to tap out. As he returns for Season 5, Larry will know more of what to expect and might be able to pull off a longer stint.

Brooke survived 49 days in Season 4 with her husband, Dave, before they tapped out due to lack of food. "During the last 10 days it became clear that the fish had left the area, most likely due to the seasonal changes of winter," she said in the couple's post-tapout interview with the History Channel. "It left us with little to nothing to eat. It was not sustainable to remain on the land, especially considering our depleted physical state."

She's going solo this time around, likely with more of a grasp on how to get the food she needs to sustain herself, and hopes to tell a different story this year.

Alone is a fascinating study in just how much people can endure when they're left to truly fend for themselves, and how separation from society and human interaction can wear on the mind. The people who participate in Alone, no matter how long they last, are a special kind of competitor who are willing to put their lives on the line, and let viewers tag along from the comfort and safety of their living rooms.