Correctional officers are used to handling unpredictable situations — but one officer from Canada is about to test his resilience in a whole new way.
Jake Latimer, 36, will compete as one of 18 new contestants on the upcoming season of CBS’s “Survivor.” Latimer, originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, now lives in St. Albert, Alberta, where he works as a correctional officer.
Latimer will trade his daily duties inside correctional facilities for the rugged islands of Fiji, where contestants must outwit, outplay and outlast one another in the long-running reality series.
Season 49 premieres Sept. 24 with a two-hour episode on CBS and will stream on Paramount+ for subscribers with the Paramount+ Showtime plan.
Latimer and his wife are also preparing for a major milestone at home — the arrival of their first child. He said they learned she was pregnant after he had been selected to compete on the show. Now, Latimer says he’s not only playing for himself, but also for his growing family as he competes for the $1 million prize.
This season’s cast includes contestants from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including a political communications director, a clinical social worker, a financial crime consultant — and Latimer, representing correctional officers on the international stage, USA Today reports.
The stakes are high: one castaway will walk away with the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million prize. And while CBS has revealed the full cast of “Survivor 49,” two contestants will also return next spring for the highly anticipated 50th season, though their identities remain under wraps.
Hosted by Emmy Award winner Jeff Probst, “Survivor” continues to rank among television’s top reality competition shows, with Season 48 featuring two U.S. firefighters who brought their real-world experiences into the game.
For Latimer, his background as a correctional officer could prove an advantage as he navigates the mental and physical challenges of island life. Officers are trained to read people, adapt quickly and keep calm under pressure — all traits that could serve him well on the path to Sole Survivor.
