Who is Sami Layadi from Survivor season 43? Pet cremator believes people think of him as arrogant

Sami Layadi, Survivor's youngest castaway this season, has stirred the internet with his ways.

But the 19-year-old pet cremator is determined to learn from the life experiences of people on the show. He is eager to develop a persona as a "likable kid" to counter how fans think of him.

Survivor season 43 contestant Sami Layadi is a determined young man who is confident that he has what it takes to outplay and outwit other contestants in the game to grab the trophy and become the series’ youngest winner ever at 19 years old.

In fact, Sami is even younger than the show, which is currently in its twenty-second year.

Sami Layadi is a Las Vegas, Nevada resident with an unusual job. He works as a pet cremator aside from being a regular contestant on Survivor this season. Sami believes that his job trains him well to compete at the show. It puts him in a lot of different situations where he gets to interact with people in different circumstances:

"Being able to integrate myself into situations like my job. I always say people are at their lowest of lows when they lose a pet. And so, being able to conversate and talk with people in these negative and dark times, I think I've really been able to tap into people's emotions."

This skill can be employed by him in the game to assess his tribe mates' temperaments and maneuver through any picky situation with tact and ease. He says:

“With ‘Survivor,’ I’m going to go out and put on the best show that I possibly can.”

But one thing that bugs Sami Layadi is that people perceive him as arrogant because of his self-centeredness. He comments on the same, saying:

"I love my eyes. I love my smile, my pearly whites. I love my hair. I love all that stuff. But I think when you talk to me, you can find out really quickly that there's a lot more to me than just the wall that might be put up just by my genetics and great looks. I really care about people. So I would hope that, by the end of this entire game, people can perceive me as one of the more likable kids that they've ever met. Because that's all I am in their eyes, probably a kid. But I gotta prove that I'm a lot more than that."

Sami Layadi is trying hard this season to change this general perception of him. Because underneath all the arrogance is a kind heart and the ability to do something great so he can prove himself worthy of being liked by his audience.

---

When will Survivor season 43 air?

The survival reality show, where contestants try to survive on a remote island and face some big challenges to win the grand prize money, is back again for another installment.

Survivor season 43 kicks off this Wednesday, September 21, 2022, with a two-hour premiere which is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. PT on CBS.

---

Don’t miss Sami Layadi as he competes in the Baka tribe against members of Vesi and Coco to try and emerge as the winner.