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Survivor 48 returned with episode 2 on March 5, 2025, bringing another elimination: Kevin Leung was voted out. The 34-year-old finance manager from San Francisco faced multiple challenges in the game, including a serious shoulder injury in the opening minutes of the season. Despite continuing in the competition, Kevin was blindsided by his Vula tribemates, who chose to eliminate him.
In an exit interview with Entertainment Weekly on March 6, Kevin reflected on his time in the game and the factors that led to his elimination.
“I really never popped my shoulder that badly before and it completely ripped out of the socket. I remember I couldn't even lift it and I just didn't understand this pain that was in my right shoulder,” Kevin said.
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Kevin also shared details about the pain he endured and how he tried to hide his struggles to avoid being medically evacuated. He spoke about the game move that led to his exit, his bond with certain tribemates, and his reaction to watching it all play out on TV.
Kevin’s shoulder injury and its impact on his game in Survivor 48
Kevin’s game took a tough turn early on when he dislocated his shoulder during the marooning challenge in Survivor 48. The medical team intervened to reset his shoulder, but the moment did not make it into the episode's final cut. He later revealed that the injury had long-term effects.
“I did an MRI, had four tears on my shoulder. I couldn’t actually even lift my arm,” he shared.
Despite the pain, Kevin continued playing, concerned that his tribe would see him as weak. He mentioned that he hid his struggles at camp.
“At nighttime, I didn’t want any of my tribe members to feel like I was really injured. I couldn’t sleep at all with my shoulder because of the pain, so I just went out to the beach and wept on the sand at night,” he explained.
Kevin also recalled his interactions with the medical team, who regularly checked on him. He admitted that he was scared of being pulled from the game in Survivor 48.
“They actually gave me ibuprofen to eat so that I could help the pain, but I had no food and no sleep, so I kept throwing up the ibuprofen,” he said.
Kevin shares about being blindsided at the Tribal Council
As the cast members headed into Tribal Council, Kevin believed he had built trust with Cedrek and Justin. However, his plan to take out Sai backfired when they turned against him. Kevin admitted that he was "shocked," when it happened.
“I kind of knew that Sai was distrustful. It was kind of just painting up the picture of: Okay, who would these two men, Cedrek and Justin, trust more, me or Sai?” he said.
Kevin explained that he felt pressure to make a big move because of his tribe’s losing streak. His attempt to convince Cedrek and Justin to flip did not work in his favor. Looking back, Kevin believed that his injury made his tribemates wary of keeping him.
"Cedrek and Sai and Mary were just like, “How's it going?” every morning. “Hey, how's your shoulder doing?” And I was like: Okay, this is a liability here," he shared.
Kevin also acknowledged that his concerns about his physical ability influenced his gameplay in Survivor 48. While his time in the game was cut short, Kevin left with no hard feelings toward his former tribemates.
“Nothing was personal, just a game move,” he said.
New episodes of Survivor 48 air every Wednesday only on CBS.
