Meet the cast of Survivor: Tocantins

Sixteen contestants are ready for the adventure of a lifetime as they prepare to face the harsh conditions of the Brazilian outdoors for the chance to win $1 million in reality show Survivor: Tocantins.

This season's batch of hopefuls includes a school teacher, a well-known businessman, a soldier, a Grammy-nominated singer and a soccor coach from a girl's school.

Stuff.co.nz will interview each contestant this season as they are eliminated, so check out the contestants, choose a favourite and tell us who you think will take home the prize.

Tyson Apostol
Witty, charming and arrogant is how Tyson Apostol describes himself. The former pro-cyclist and swimmer believes that his natural athleticism, combined with his "life of the party" personality, will get him far in he game. His favorite movie is The Jerk and that’s how some people just might describe the Heber City, Utah resident. His hobbies are exercising and sunbathing.

Debra 'Debbie' Beebe
A self-described people person, school principal Debra Beebe is a middle school principal and married mother-of-five from Auburn, Alabama who believes that her natural leadership abilities and tactful problem-solving skills will contribute to her success as a castaway on Survivor. Debra, also known as "Bubbles", feels that her enthusiastic and energetic personality, in addition to her take‐charge attitude, will erase any doubts about her ability to succeed in this game.

Sandy Burgin
A country girl through and through, Sandy Burgin grew up and still lives in Kentucky, where she takes pride in being the state champion of the School Bus Rodeo. A night owl by occupation, Sandy works the graveyard shift transporting construction workers to their work sites. As a professional driver for 30 years, she isn't a stranger to cat calls, especially since she is the one doing it. She lives in Louisville.

Joe Dowdle
This 26-year-old southern gentleman and savvy businessman was raised in a single parent household along with his sister. Joe is eternally grateful to his mother for all the sacrifices she made while he was growing up. He currently works in real estate investment sales and enjoys spending his free time strumming his guitar, tossing around a football and hanging out with friends. He is definitely a man who takes pride in hard work and being a Texan.

Spencer Duhm
Soon to see his teenage years in the rear‐view mirror, Spencer Duhm is ready to look forward to the journey ahead of him. A fan of Survivor since day one, which began when he was still in grade school, Spencer can practically do a castaway roll-call all the way from Survivor: Borneo. His fanaticism will give him a built-in edge that can make a direct contribution to how far he goes in this game. Spencer is a gay, single man and is the youngest contestant to ever take part in Survivor.

Carolina Eastwood
Born in Panama, Carolina spent the first six years of her life living in poverty until her father, an Army solider, moved the family to the United States so he could have the opportunity to provide a better life for them. Despite the adversity that Carolina has faced throughout her life, she has a positive outlook and views those difficulties as learning experiences that have pushed her to become the trash-talking firecracker and survivor of life that she is today.

Stephen Fishbach
Stephen Fishbach believes he's a cutthroat player who can manipulate his way to Survivor success, though you couldn't tell that by looking at his non-threatening appearance. The first one to tell you he resembles a Muppet, Stephen plans to sidetrack his competition with his goofy charm and quirky sense of humour. Stephen is single and currently resides in New York.

Taj Johnson-George
Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George already has a lot on her plate, but can't wait to add Survivor contestant into the mix. A Grammy-nominated singer, successful author, wife of a former NFL pro and mother of two wonderful boys, Taj believes she will be the "most underestimated player" in the game. In her free time, Taj says she is very physical and likes to workout, running, swimming and doing yoga and kickboxing.

Erinn Lobdell
Erinn Lobdell is a hairstylist and make-up artist who is out to prove she's not just another pretty face. After recently going through a very personal growing experience, Erinn is ready to prove that she can make it on her own and rise to the challenge Survivor will bring.

Sierra Reed
Sierra Reed wants to make it clear right off the bat that she has the ability to find her place in any situation, anywhere in the world, through her perseverance and strength. Despite the fact that she is strong-willed and determined, she is one who will wear her heart on her sleeve. Not intimidated by age - "I'm 25 and if you're 45 that's great, but if we have differences, I'm going to let you know" - Reed will speak her mind, yet she does it with purpose and passion. She hopes that her tenacity will balance out her "strong nature".

Jerry Sims
Jerry Sims promises, "you've never seen anybody like me before". Growing up in a poor family, he was one of 10 children who had to learn, very early on, the skills to help him survive in the real world. Jerry has been passing on those survival skills learned from his childhood to soldiers in the Army National Guard for the last 20 years. This self-proclaimed jokester says he will give his fellow castaways some much need entertainment, but nobody should misinterpret his cheery personality for weakness because Jerry proudly proclaims: "I am physically fit, I am mentally strong and I'm ready for the million."

Candace Smith
Candace Smith grew up as a tomboy and athlete, competing in soccer, basketball and track. She lacks fear or inhibition and is always ready to take on new challenges. This sexy former Miss Ohio USA has both beauty and brains, making her a real threat to her competitors. She admits she is brutally honest by nature and can come across as a bitch, which may cause her problems with her tribe.

Brendan Synnott
Brendan Synnott is all about playing the game. Whether it is in front of a classroom teaching entrepreneurial success or taking part in outdoor extreme adventures, he knows how to read the odds. Raised by a single mum in Connecticut, Brendan pulled himself up by the bootstraps to be the co-founder and CEO of Bear Naked, a natural food brand that was recently acquired by a major corporation. Despite his financial success, he is not all about the money.

James "JT" Thomas Jr
A cattle manager raised in Samson, Alabama, JT operates a registered Angus Cattle Ranch. In addition to preparing the land and working the cattle, this southern charmer is responsible for all the paperwork and marketing associated with running the business. This ambitious 24‐year‐old gets fired up when people insult his intelligence and says "I'm not a dumb hillbilly, so don’t think it!"

Benjamin "Coach" Wade
Benjamin Wade is known by many names. As the head womenʹs soccer coach at the Southwest Baptist University in Missouri, he is called "Coach Wade," but he also goes by “Maestro” due to role as an artistic director and conductor of a California symphony orchestra. A skilled musician, Benjamin was traveling the world playing the trumpet before most kids could even spell "trumpet". To say that he is a Type A, Alpha male, who likes to control the environment around him, may just be an understatement. Coach's dominant personality will be a force to be reckoned with in the game.

Sydney Wheeler
Sydney Wheeler is the girl next door. Beautiful and smart, Sydney learned early on to adapt to any situation after spending her childhood being shuttled between her conservative parents. Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, Sydney decided to move out to the west coast to try her hand at modeling and interior design. She plans to use the skills she's learned working with different clients to help navigate the social game of Survivor. She's also not afraid to use her looks to further herself in the competition.

* Survivor: Tocantins screens on TV3 from Thursday at 7.30pm.

- © Fairfax NZ News