Keith Nale, ‘Survivor’ Fan Favorite, Has Died

Keith Nale, two-time Survivor contestant
(Image credit: CBS)

Keith Nale, a popular two-time Survivor contestant, has died at the age of 62. He found out he had cancer in January, and died April 18 in Keithville, Louisiana. 

Nale was on season 29, in San Juan del Sur, along with his son Wes, and he was on season 31, in Cambodia. 

Nale was a firefighter in Louisiana. In his Survivor bio, the down-to-earth Nale mentioned “hunting, fishing and golfing” as hobbies, and “loafers” as his pet peeve. He described himself as “easy going, fun-loving and hard-working.”

Nale came in fourth in season 29, Blood vs. Water, and came in fifth in season 31, Second Chance. The latter saw 20 previous contestants selected to return by fans. 

Said Stephen Fishbach, another two-time contestant on Survivor, on Twitter: “Devastated to hear about Keith Nale passing. Hard to think of a purer spirit on Survivor. He was always a delight, had great humor, told hilarious stories and found so much joy in life. We were never once aligned but he couldn’t have been nicer. He taught me to pluck a chicken.”

Kelley Wentworth was on seasons 29 and 31 alongside Nale. She celebrated his life on Twitter: “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.”

Michael Malone

Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.