'Survivor' host Jeff Probst: Alabama contestants could go all the way

"Survivor" host Jeff Probst said that two Alabamians competing on this season's show still stand a shot at winning.

Two Alabamians are in reach of the CBS reality show crown

As "Survivor: Tocantins" enters its home stretch, Alabama finds itself in a position it hasn't been in with the granddaddy of all reality shows. We've scored big on "American Idol," had "Fear Factor" champs and "Big Brother" roomies, but we've never really been in contention for the "Survivor" crown.

We've had contestants on "Survivor" before, but none has made it this far. And now, with seven people left vying for the million-dollar prize, we have two legitimate shots: Samson's James "JT" Thomas Jr. and Auburn's Debra "Debbie" Beebe.

How do they stack up against each other and the rest of the field? Here's a quick primer before "Survivor: Tocantins" returns Thursday at 7 p.m. on CBS 42:JT
Age: 24

JT Thomas Jr.

'Bama background: Cattle rancher who grew up in Samson and now lives in Mobile.

"Survivor" alliance: Has been buddies with Stephen from the beginning, and they're aligned with Taj.

Big move so far: Going against Benjamin "Coach" Wade's wishes and voting Tyson off last week.

Best moment: In a challenge on Week 5, JT lost a tooth, and you would have thought he had stubbed his toe. "It's only half of it," he said as he tossed the errant molar into the river and continued competing.

Why he might win: There's something about the Alabama country boy that has mesmerized his competitors. Most have expressed their undying love for the guy (and that's just barely an exaggeration), and we're not sure they could bring themselves to vote him out. Aside from that, he's the fiercest of competitors (see tooth incident above) and a lot savvier than his competitors give him credit for.

Why he won't: We think JT is genuine to the core, but we also think he's in it to win it. One week soon, he's going to have to do something that's going to mess with his alliance, and they'll be none too happy. He's also the toughest competitor out there, so anytime he doesn't have immunity, there will be a threat that he'll be voted out.

What his future holds: The guy is so likeable, and comes across so well on TV, we don't see him as a cattle rancher for long. Maybe star of his own sitcom, "Everybody Loves JT"?

Debbie
Age: 46

Debbie Beebe

'Bama background: Principal at Auburn's Drake Middle School.

"Survivor" alliance: Befriended Benjamin "Coach" Wade early on, and it has worked for her.

Big move so far: Winning the immunity challenge in last week's episode. She wasn't in danger of being voted off, but she established herself as a competitor.

Best moment: Flying largely under the radar, she hasn't seen much screen time until recently. We loved her interaction with the native children on Thursday's episode. She cares about kids, and that came through big-time.

Why she might win: She and Taj are the two strongest female competitors, but no one really has pinpointed her as a threat. Until that happens, she might knock off some of her biggest rivals.

Why she won't: Coach's alliance is crumbling, and although fellow competitors seem to like her, they may go after her just to stick it to Coach. She may end up being a pawn in their game against him.

What her future holds: We think Debbie likes what she does, and although the offers will probably come in for this attractive Southerner, we're hoping she stays put at Drake Middle School.


Jeff says
"Survivor" host Jeff Probst weighed in on the Alabama duo, saying that "Debbie and JT have swapped spots in terms of their chances of winning this game."

"Debbie was in a great spot, with her alliance going on," he said in a voicemail message. "But in the last few weeks, they've been voting out the wrong people. Instead of being voted out of the game, JT is now suddenly sitting in a great spot."

Probst said that both still stand a shot at winning.

"If Debbie gets a chance to sit at the final Tribal Council, she could win," he said. "She's very likeable ... She would be a dangerous person to let go all the way to the end."

As would JT, Probst said.

"JT is a very likeable guy," he said. "If JT were to survive the next few weeks and get to the end, he could easily win this game. I think JT has a tougher job ahead of him because he's such a physical threat. If everybody wakes up soon, they're going to get rid of JT, because he could win his way to the end."

Probst just hopes that Benjamin "Coach" Wade stays in the game.

"Coach is, from the reality producer's point of view, a home run," he said with a laugh. "People either love him or love to hate him. I have not heard this kind of reaction to anyone since Richard Hatch. I write a column on EW.com each week, and the amount of hate mail for Coach -- which of course only encourages me to write more about how much I like him -- is staggering."

Your "Survivor" tool box:

Our story about JT

Our story about Debbie

Week 1 recap

Week 2 recap

Week 3 recap

Week 4 recap

Week 5 recap

Week 6 recap

Week 7 recap

Week 8 recap

Week 9


More "Survivor" info at tocantins.survivor.com

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