Colby Donaldson’s attempt to outlast his opponents was almost over before it started.
Before the three-time Survivor alum joined fellow castaways Cirie Fields, Mike White and Ozzy Lusth for the CBS series’ milestone 50th season In the Hands of the Fans, he explained that he nearly turned the opportunity down.
“It was an immediate yes for me initially,” Colby told E! News in an exclusive interview at the New York City premiere Feb. 24, “and then months later, as we began to approach the departure date, there was part of me that wanted to back out.”
As for why the 51-year-old almost missed out? He said it was due to recent “career shifts” that made it “difficult to take time off to go do this,” which he cited as a hurdle for many contestants.
“It’s a sacrifice people have made for 25 years,” he continued. “There are a lot of people that would be great on the show, but can’t take that much time off work, or can’t be away from their family for responsibility reasons. So, I needed to look at that.”