String of Survivor deaths continue as Keith Nale marks second tragedy of 2023 Wed 19 April 2023

Publish date: 2024-05-02

Keith Nale’s passing marks the latest casualty in a string of deaths that have surrounded Survivor and it’s cast members since last year.

Fans of Survivor were heartbroken yesterday, April 19, 2023, after the news of the passing of two-time contest Keith Nale broke online.

Nale is the second Survivor associate to pass in 2023, after the show sadly lost a valued member of production staff back in February, whom they paid tribute to in the opening episode of season 44.

Unfortunately, the CBS show has been forced to deal with a string of tragedies dating back to 2022, with Nale’s death marking the latest instance of an untimely passing connected to Survivor.

Remembering Keith Nale

The news of Nale’s passing was confirmed by ET, who spoke to Nale’s brother, Kevin. “A life taken way too soon!”, said Kevin, describing his brother’s untimely passing.

Kelley Wentworth, who appeared on the show with Nale, took to Twitter to pay tribute, writing: “Keith – a man with the purest heart, who brought humor into moments where it was needed most.”

Keith – a man with the purest heart, who brought humor into moments where it was needed most. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to meet Keith & share memories together on the beaches of Nicaragua & Cambodia. My heart is with the entire Nale family. This is a devastating loss 💔 pic.twitter.com/FHPnrmKx5a

— Kelley Wentworth (@kelleywentworth) April 19, 2023
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Nale first appeared on Survivor on series 29 in San Juan del Sur way back in 2014, before returning for series 31 a year later, which saw contestants flock to the South East Asian destination of Cambodia.

Nale was known for giving it his all both times he competed on Survivor, finishing in fourth place on both occasions, having lasted over 75 days on the show in total.

Nale’s passing is the latest in a string of Survivor deaths

Nale’s is the second death to be associated with the show so far in 2023, after Keith Sayres, a long-term producer of Survivor, passed away in February this year after having worked on the show for over a decade.

An official cause of death was not given for Sayres, though his friends, family and fans came together on his Instagram to pay their respects:

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A post shared by Keith Sayres (@keith_feezy)

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Sayer’s passing was preceded by the death of Roger Sexton – a well-known contestant from the early days of Survivor. Sexton featured on series six of the show way back in 2003, and passed away in October 2022, aged 76.

According to reports, Sexton was one of four former contestants who passed away in 2022 – a striking number regardless of the high number of seasons the show has run for.

How did Nale die?

Nale’s passing came after a rather short-term battle with illness, his family confirmed.

Speaking to ET, Nale’s son said: “He passed away this afternoon. He’d been battling cancer for the past few months and we found out about it in January.

Nale’s brother went on to confirm that the Survivor star passed on Tuesday, April 18 at his home in Shreveport, Louisiana.

At the time of writing, no details have been released about any potential fundraising or public memorials that may take place in honor of Nale.

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