‘Survivor’: San Jose ‘beauty’ among new cast announced by CBS

By Chuck Barney
Contra Costa Times
January 22, 1014

Morgan McLeod is proving that it pays to be beautiful.

The San Jose resident and former San Francisco 49ers cheerleader is one of 18 new cast members of “Survivor,” as announced on Wednesday by CBS. And she will be competing on the “Beauty” tribe in the reality show’s latest twist which has the contestants divided into teams of “Brawn,” “Brains” and “Beauty.”

According to a CBS media release, the groupings of these tribes, each comprised of six castaways, reflect “the distinguishing qualities that people bring to the game and test whether there is any truth to the pre-conceived notion that certain characteristics will help you win the game.”

The cast also includes a high-stakes poker player, an attorney, a nuclear engineer, the president of the Miami Marlins and a former NBA all-star.

In her cast bio, McLeod, 21, says that her claim to fame was being selected to the 49ers cheerleading squad while still in high school. Her hobbies are “interior design, working out and dancing,” and she says the three words that best describe her are “mature, determined and attractive.”

The bio goes on to say that the former “Survivor” contestant she relates to most is Parvati Shallow because “she is beautiful and manipulative just like me. She has the ability to make everyone love her but also fear her.”

The reason she signed up to be on “Survivor”?

“(For) the chance to experience a once in a lifetime journey and to show everyone that just because I have huge boobs and a pretty face does not mean I am dumb. It just means I look better when I am winning.”

So she’s beautiful AND cocky.

Asked if she considers herself a Brain, a Beauty or a Brawn, McLeod replied, “I consider myself all three but if I have to pick, I would pick Beauty. Who wouldn’t want to be beautiful? When you are beautiful you get what you want and I like getting what I want.”

McLeod is the latest in a long line of Bay Area “Survivor” contestants, two of whom became champions: Vecepia Towery (2002) and Yul Kwon (2006).

“Survivor” returns for its 28th season with a two-hour premiere at 8 p.m. Feb. 26 on CBS. This edition was filmed in Cagayan, a province in the Philippines.

The rest of the cast is as follows:

Brawn Tribe

Cliff Robinson — 46; Newark, N.J.; former NBA All-Star

Lindsey Ogle — 29; Kokomo, Ind.; hairstylist

Sarah Lacina — 29; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; police officer

Tony Vlachos — 39; Jersey City, N.J.; police officer

Trish Hegarty — 48; Needham, Mass.; pilates instructor

Yung “Woo” Hwang — 29; Newport Beach, Calif.; martial arts instructor

Brains Tribe

David Samson — 45; Plantation, Fla.; president, Miami Marlins

Garrett Adelstein — 27; Santa Monica, Calif.; pro poker player

J’Tia Taylor — 31; Chicago, Ill.; nuclear engineer

Kassandra “Kass” McQuillen — 41; Tehachapi, Calif.; attorney

Latasha “Tasha” Fox — 37; St. Louis, Mo.; accountant

Spencer Bledsoe — 21; Chicago, Ill.; student

Beauty Tribe

Alexis Maxwell — 21; Addison, Ill.; student

Brice Johnston — 27; Philadelphia, Penn.; social worker

Jefra Bland — 22; Campbellsville, KY.; Miss Kentucky Teen USA

Jeremiah Wood — 34; Dobson, N.C.; male model

LJ McKanas — 34; Boston, Mass.; horse trainer