Looking back at the Survivor 46 finale: What happened and who won?

Rachel LeMont's victory in the December 2024 finale of Survivor 47 closed another chapter in the long-running reality series. As the show's latest winner celebrates her success, it's time to look back at the dramatic conclusion of season 46 from May 2024. Michigan hair salon owner Kenzie Petty earned the million-dollar prize, securing a 5-3-0 vote at the final tribal council against Charlie Davis and Ben Katzman.

The competition spanned 26 days in Fiji's Mamanuca Islands, where 18 contestants tackled physical challenges and tribal eliminations. Maria Shrime Gonzalez's jury vote changed expected alliances when she broke from her season-long partnership with Charlie Davis.

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Kenzie Petty took home the Survivor 46 million-dollar prize

In Survivor 46, the jury's decision revealed deep game dynamics when five members supported Kenzie Petty over frontrunner Charlie Davis. Tevin, Q, Venus, Tiffany, and Maria voted for Kenzie, while Hunter, Liz, and Soda backed Charlie. Ben Katzman, reaching third place, received zero votes.

Maria's vote gained significance because she worked closely with Charlie throughout the game, which even shocked winner Kenzie Petty. In her exit interview with Entertainment Weekly, she stated:

"I literally said, 'There's no way I am getting Maria, so that's out.' I was like, maybe I'll get seven, but there's no way I am getting Maria. When I figured out she had voted for me, I was very shocked, but I really did work hard at connecting with everyone as hard as I could, especially post merge."

Before the finale, Maria told Charlie her jury vote would go to him, and the shift from this statement to her actual vote created a dramatic finish. A different choice from Maria would have forced Ben to break a 4-4 tie as the third-place player.

After the show ended, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kenzie expressed she was a bit confident walking into the finale.

"Walking in, I thought I had a pretty good chance. I'm not going to lie. I had practiced my story all day, I was ready to go. And once we got into it, and Charlie had such a good story and was so good at articulating it, Ben had some really good points, I was like, 'Oh, I have to really fight now. I have to really go for it,'" she stated.

The Survivor 46 winner continued:

"Yeah, walking in, I felt very confident, and then midway through I was like: I don't know. It was just a lot of moving parts. Like if I say one thing, I could lose someone."

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Survivor 46 finale challenges

Survivor 46's final phase started with Maria aiming for her fourth immunity win. The challenge mixed physical tasks with mental tests, asking players to combine obstacle course running with counting specific items on game pieces.

The competition changed direction when Liz helped Kenzie figure out a crucial puzzle element. This assistance led the latter to win immunity, shifting control away from Maria. At the following tribal council, the group voted Maria out, marking her exit in fifth place.

Then came the immunity challenge, where players had to throw balls up a tall ramp while solving a puzzle. In addition, they had to manage both tasks simultaneously. The challenge included time penalties for dropped balls, adding pressure to each move.

Ben Katzman claimed his first immunity win of the season and chose to send Kenzie and Liz to face off at fire-making. Kenzie emerged victorious, earning the final spot in the last three.

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Final tribal council

The final tribal council featured direct questions from jury members about specific game moves. Soda implemented a 30-second time limit for answers, demanding quick responses from the finalists. Tiffany started the questioning by asking for serious responses without cultural references.

Survivor 46 winner explained her social connections and revealed how she convinced Tiffany and Q to keep Ben over Tim earlier in the game. Charlie discussed his "never close a door" strategy that kept his options open throughout the competition. Meanwhile, Ben admitted to his limited strategic control, describing himself as following others' plans in several votes.

Maria's final jury statement focused on Kenzie's performance in the fire-making challenge. She explained her vote by praising Kenzie's determination and growth through the season.

The outcome established Kenzie as the Sole Survivor of season 46, marking her transformation from early-game target to the ultimate winner.

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Survivor season 48 is set to air on February 26, 2025, on the CBS network.