It took four trips and 117 days of playing “Survivor,” but “Boston Rob” finally outplayed, outwitted and outlasted everyone. And in the show that aired Sunday night, he was crowned the winner of “Survivor: Redemption Island. He won an additional $100,000 for being voted the fan favourite. But Mariano is no stranger to “Survivor” winnings. His wife, Amber Mariano, also won $1 million on the show, in 2004.
But he did have his doubts when he left the game in Nicaragua. “That final tribal council I had a good feeling, but with everything in ‘Survivor,’ you don’t want to get overconfident,” he said. But Mariano’s did say his experience on the show helped him on his fourth go-round. “I used what I brought to the game from my past experiences, was able to get my foot in the door, and the people were responsive to that,” he said.
Mariano lost to his wife – then fiancée — in the 2004 all-stars game of “Survivor.” They now have two daughters. Asked if Mariano thought the vote would go against him because his wife had already won. Mariano joked, “Listen, I’m glad they haven’t. Because for the past seven years, I’ve had to hear it in my own house, OK? It wasn’t so much about the money. She’s getting the check anyway. But now, I’m at least on a level playing field with my wife when it comes to winners in the ‘Survivor’ household!”
In fact, Mariano said he kept it secret that he was even in the final round. He said, “You know what was great? Was that we finished filming this back in September, and I didn’t tell Amber the end-result. I actually led her to believe that I was voted off at the final four. So it was a great surprise for her last night. And you know, I had to keep it a secret for a long time. But I was happy to be able to do that for her.”
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