The Ultimate ‘Survivor’ Romance That You Haven’t Already Heard Of

The most recent episode of Survivor 48 featured a tribe swap, in which three tribes were pared down to two, changing the course of the game and playing a part in each castaway’s fate on Survivor. Looking back to seasons past, the tribe swap has played a pivotal role in players’ games and, for one Survivor couple, even in life. Joe Anglim and Sierra Dawn Thomas crossed paths for the first time after a tribe swap on Survivor‘s 13th season, and they’ve since become one of the most successful and long-lasting love stories to come out of the reality competition show. When fans think of the ultimate Survivor romance, “Boston” Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich often come to mind, but Joe and Sierra have a similar love story that all started on Survivor: Worlds Apart.

Joe and Sierra Worked Against Each Other on ‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’

Survivor: Worlds Apart was a themed season of CBS’ iconic reality competition show, the extended title being Survivor: Worlds Apart – White Collar vs. Blue Collar vs. No Collar. The Worlds Apart players were initially divided up into three tribes based on their professional backgrounds. As a jewelry designer and artist, Joe started the season on the No Collar tribe, while Sierra, a barrel racer, was part of the Blue Collar tribe. As such, it wasn’t until the first tribe swap of the season, when both Joe and Sierra were placed on the Escameca tribe, that the pair were formally introduced. Host Jeff Probst said, “Fate, right here,” as he handed out the buffs that put Joe and Sierra on the same tribe. Though, instead of working together throughout the season like Rob and Amber in Survivor: All Stars, Joe and Sierra both played hard and mostly from opposing alliances. In fact, Sierra cast one of the votes that sent Joe to the jury, but fast-forward a few years, and Joe and Sierra have started something much stronger than a Survivor alliance: a family.

Joe was targeted almost immediately by Sierra’s alliance, the Escameca Alliance, for being an incredible physical threat in challenges and a strategic threat back at camp – as he was one of the first Survivor players to make a fake Hidden Immunity Idol in an attempt to save himself. Joe was such a threat in the game that Sierra’s alliance threw an Immunity Challenge in an attempt to vote him out. With such a huge target on his back, Joe was voted out ninth and became the second member of the jury. Sierra, on the other hand, relied on her strong social bonds to remain in the majority far into the game before being sent to the jury at the final five.

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Joe and Sierra Grew Closer After ‘Survivor: Worlds Apart’

Joe Anglim and Sierra Dawn Thomas from Survivor 30. — Image via CBS

Their origin doesn’t scream “love story,” but sometimes, life takes an unexpected turn. After the season came to a close, Joe and Sierra began spending more time together. Their Survivor romance grew from there, and they eventually got married in 2019, five years after Worlds Apart. Since then, they have welcomed their first child, a daughter, in 2021 and their second, a son, in 2022. And to think, they have a tribe swap on Survivor’s 13th season to thank for the start of their relationship and for changing the course of their lives forever.

Despite now being a married couple, Joe and Sierra stood out individually for their impressive performances on Survivor, and they both became returning players in later seasons because of it. Joe later competed on Survivor: Cambodia and Survivor: Edge of Extinction and Sierra on Survivor: Game Changes. Now, fans are hoping one of them will return for Survivor 50 or that they’ll get the chance to play together for the first time since they met in a new Blood vs. Water season of Survivor.

Survivor airs Wednesday on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.