Survivor Standout Keith Nale Dead At 62 Following Abrupt Cancer Battle

N. S.

It’s a sad day for the Survivor family.

It’s with a heavy heart we report that Keith Nale, a fierce competitor on CBS’s back-to-back 29th and 30th seasons of the reality show, Survivor: San Juan del Sur and Survivor: Cambodia, has tragically passed away.

The fan-favorite contestant’s son Wes shared the disheartening news with Entertainment Tonight Tuesday afternoon, explaining:

“He passed away this afternoon. He’d been battling cancer for the past few months and we found out about it in January.”

Wow, what a short time frame.

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Keith’s brother Kevin said it was “a life taken way too soon,” and he revealed a few more details about the sad loss, saying:

“It happened so quickly. Cancer ate him up. He passed this afternoon at his home in Shreveport, Louisiana.”

We can’t even begin to imagine how devastating this has been for all of Keith’s family and friends. As far as tributes go, his Survivor co-stars were quick to share their love for the late competitor. Kelley Wentworth, who also appeared in the 2014 and 2015 seasons alongside Keith, took to Twitter to give her regards:

“Keith — a man with the purest heart, who brought humor into moments where it was needed most. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to meet Keith & share memories together on the beaches of Nicaragua & Cambodia. My heart is with the entire Nale family. This is a devastating loss ”

Alongside the tribute, Kelley also shared a TikTok clip of her “favorite Survivor reward challenge” with Keith. She captioned the vid:

“Keith Nale took us all away from the game for a short time, and this brief moment of ‘normal’ was unforgettable”

See (below):

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Fellow Survivor star Stephen Fishbach tweeted Wednesday morning:

“Devastated to hear about Keith Nale passing. Hard to think of a purer spirit on Survivor. He was always a delight, had great humor, told hilarious stories and found so much joy in life. We were never once aligned but he couldn’t have been nicer. He taught me to pluck a chicken.”

Jeremy Collins, who also competed in season 29 and 30, shared shortly after the news broke:

“My condolences to the Big D, Wes, Austin and entire Nale family.  You will be missed Keith but your legacy will live on.  Rest in power my firefighter/Survivor brother. #RIPOtis”

See more Twitter reactions (below):

What a sad time. We hope Keith’s family can take comfort in knowing how many lives their patriarch made a positive impact on. Rest in peace, Keith.

[Image via CBS/YouTube]

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