Mount Forest native set to join cast of Survivor 51

LONDON – An Ontario man originally from Mount Forest is set to be one of 21 castaways on the next season of television’s Survivor.

Daniel Kilby, 30, who grew up in Mount Forest but now lives and works in London as a game designer, will be one of two Canadians joining the cast of Survivor for its 51st season.

Ana Sani, 34, a voice actress originally from Richmond Hill, will be the other contestant representing the Great White North on the newest iteration of the show.

Kilby works for Noodle Goose Games, an indie game studio based in Toronto that he helped found in 2025 alongside friend Karen Mak.

On the Survivor Facebook page, Kilby describes a challenging upbringing. He was raised by a teen mom and worked full-time jobs to support himself through high school and college.

Kilby describes himself as a “hustler through and through;” someone who perseveres despite adversity.

He says he made the best of growing up in Mount Forest, while acknowledging that life in a small town sometimes felt limiting. While at Wellington Heights Secondary School, Kilby said he joined every extracurricular available to him, from mascot to improv to student government, to get the most out of his time there.

Kilby lauded Wellington Heights teacher Barbara Illingworth, who passed away earlier this year, for having a formative influence on him and for helping to foster the arts in the school and local community.

With his long curly hair and occasionally raspy voice, Kilby acknowledges he has traits that make him stand out, something that can be particularly noticeable in a small community. Still, he’s been surprised to hear from people he hasn’t seen in years since being announced as a contestant.

“I’ve had people who I walked to school with when I was like eight, messaging me,” said Kilby.

He is candid about being a Survivor super fan, having grown up with the show, and he even met his girlfriend through an internet Survivor game.

Reflecting on a childhood where he sometimes struggled with belonging, Kilby said Survivor showcased “larger-than-life characters who were not afraid of being who they were.”

He goes so far as to call himself “Survivor Socrates,” based on his knowledge about the show. And he hopes his appearance on the show inspires other kids from small towns.

“Sometimes kids in small towns don’t feel like they have the same opportunities as kids in the big cities,” he said. “I hope I can encourage them to pursue their dreams and show them that even what seems impossible, actually is possible.”

For local audiences looking to root for Kilby, Survivor Season 51 airs on Wednesdays at 8pm on CBS (the first episode was set to run Sept. 23). The show will plant the castaways on the Mamanuca Islands off Fiji, where the show has been filmed for 10 years.