SURVIVOR PALAU NEWS

EPISODE 14

TOM WESTMAN IS SOLE SURVIVOR
Thirty-nine days, twenty Survivors, two tribes, dozens of lies, a laid-down torch, an incredible winning streak and finally, one Sole Survivor. Tom Westman, the 41-year-old NYC firefighter from Sayville, New York, dominated the Challenges and proved a major force around camp to secure the Jury vote that named him Sole Survivor and winner of the $1 million prize. Shamelessly displaying his strength from the beginning, Tom neither hid who he was nor deceived any of his tribemates on his way to becoming Sole Survivor.

FINAL FOUR
As morning 38 dawned, the remaining Koror tribe members took stock of their situation as the Final Four. After enjoying a gift basket of champagne, eggs and oranges, Katie Gallagher, the 29-year-old advertising executive from Merced, California, Ian Rosenberger, the 23-year-old dolphin trainer from Key Largo, Florida and Jennifer Lyon, the 32-year-old nanny from Encino, California, agreed that if alpha-castaway Tom didn't win the next Immunity Challenge, he would be the one to go home. "I win the Challenge; Tom goes home. I don't win the Challenge; Tom's all of a sudden my best friend again," confessed Ian.

EPISODE 13

THE TRUTH HURTS: CARYN OUSTED
After setting aside the game to tell it all, Caryn Groedel, the 46-year-old civil rights lawyer from Solon, Ohio, trusted an alliance of women who immediately betrayed her, sending her home in a unanimous vote. After the fateful decision, Caryn observed, "Everybody's been very deceptive, and I'm the one who starts speaking about it, and you ultimately have to face the music anyway."

GAME ON
As the Koror tribe returned to camp after a stunning Tribal Council in which Gregg Carey, the 28-year-old business consultant from Chicago, Illinois, was sacrificed, Jennifer Lyon, the 32-year-old nanny from Encino, California, was surprisingly calm about having been deceived. With three women and two men left, Ian Rosenberger, the 23-year-old dolphin trainer from Key Largo, Florida, worried about an alliance of women picking off the men, remarking, "If we can avoid that in the next 24 hours, we're money for the Final Four."

LOTS TO THINK ABOUT
With five members remaining in Koror, the politicking kicked into high gear. Jennifer aggressively lobbied Ian to rid the tribe of Koror's biggest threat, Tom Westman, the 41-year-old NYC firefighter from Sayville, New York. Meanwhile on the beach, Tom sat with Caryn discussing his distrust of Katie Mullen, the 25-year-old graduate student from Huber Heights, Ohio, asserting that she was next to go. "I don't know if I'm being played," Caryn confessed. "This could be part of the planning and plotting in the last six days."

EPISODE 12

KOROR MUTINY: GREGG CAST ADRIFT
Stunned at Tribal Council, Gregg Carey, the 28-year-old business consultant from Chicago, Illinois, realized he was the victim of a broken alliance and that his days on Koror were at an end. In what they viewed as a defensive move, key members of Gregg's core alliance turned the tables and recruited the pact's next target. Blindsided and thunderstruck, Gregg could only say "My hat's off to them. They got me. They got me good!"

FIVE FOR LIFE
As day thirty-one dawned, Tom Westman, the 41-year-old NYC firefighter from Sayville, New York, was relieved to remain a member of Koror, as his strength has clearly made him a target. As Tom stole away with Caryn Groedel, the 46-year-old civil rights attorney from Solon, Ohio, he explained that he needed to stay loyal to his five-person alliance and that she would have to win Immunity if she intended to stay in the game. "I am definitely the most vulnerable of the six remaining, no question about it," Caryn confessed.

EPISODE 11

KOROR SENDS STEPHENIE PACKING
After dodging bullet after bullet, Stephenie LaGrossa, the 25-year-old pharmaceutical sales rep from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, finally met her inevitable demise. The last Ulong member standing and failing to win Immunity, Stephenie simply couldn't avoid being voted out of a tribe that had vigilantly stuck to their plan. After seeing her torch snuffed, Stephenie remarked, "I was outnumbered by an entire tribe. I'm actually really proud."

EPISODE 10

TRIBAL COUNCIL SHOCKER: JANU QUITS
In a stunning twist at Tribal Council, Janu Tornell, the 39-year-old Vegas showgirl from Las Vegas, Nevada, laid down her torch just before the vote. Sensing that the tribe was going to vote out Stephenie LaGrossa, 25-year-old pharmaceutical sales rep from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Janu asserted that Stephenie deserved to stay on. Claiming to have gotten what she needed out of her experience on the island, Janu announced her desire to opt out of SURVIVOR: PALAU. Shortly after her shocking decision, Janu explained, “No one will ever be able to take away this most unforgettable experience. No one.”

EPISODE 9

ONE TRIBE AT LAST: COBY VOTED OUT

After inheriting the last standing member of Ulong, Koror made what for them was the unfamiliar paddle to Tribal Council, where they voted out Coby Archa, the 32-year-old hairstylist from Athens, Texas, in a decisive seven-to-two vote. Challenging the tribe's alpha males and constantly complaining, Coby made himself an easy target . Shortly after the fateful decision, Coby sent this message to his former tribe, "What a total compliment. You didn't get rid of me because I was lazy. You didn't get rid of me because I wasn't good at Challenges. Every single one of you said you got rid of me because I was a threat."

EPISODE 8

BYE-BYE, BOBBY JON; ULONG LONG GONE?

After losing yet another Immunity Challenge, the two remaining members of Ulong paddled to Tribal Council, where they were forced to compete in order to determine who would be the last Ulong standing. This individual Immunity Challenge involved creating the SURVIVOR symbol of life, fire. Moving quickly and efficiently, Stephenie LaGrossa, the 25-year-old pharmaceutical sales rep from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was able to build a fire quicker than her tribemate-cum-adversary, Bobby Jon Drinkard, the 27-year-old waiter from Troy, Alabama. As a result, Bobby Jon was sent home, leaving Stephenie the last Ulong member standing. Shortly after losing his last Challenge of SURVIVOR: PALAU, Bobby Jon assessed Stephenie's abilities, "She's honestly probably the top player in the game."

EPISODE 7

SO LONG, ULONG? IBREHEM SENT HOME

After another crushing loss, the ill-fated Ulong tribe extended their streak of Immunity Challenge losses to the point of near extinction. Already shorthanded, the tribe found itself once again at Tribal Council, where Stephenie LaGrossa, the 25-year-old pharmaceutical sales rep from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Bobby Jon Drinkard, the 27-year-old waiter, from Troy, Alabama, banded together to oust Ibrehem Rahman, the 27-year-old waiter from Birmingham, Alabama. After seeing his torch snuffed, Ibrehem noted, "I walk away with just a whole new respect for life, not taking things for granted, and I probably learned to appreciate bathrooms a little more."

EPISODE 6

STREAK CONTINUES: JAMES VOTED OFF

The streak of Immunity Challenge losses added up to five and counting for the hopeless Ulong tribe as they were forced to suffer yet another vicious Tribal Council. The tribe found itself once again in a tie as Ibrehem Rahmen, the 27-year-old waiter from Birmingham, Alabama, and James Miller, the 33-year-old steelworker from Mobile, Alabama, both received two votes apiece. After the required second vote, the Ulong tribe finally chose to expel James. Shortly after witnessing the tie-breaking vote, James admitted, "My gut failed me, and I'm sad and depressed."

EPISODE 5

SPECIAL NIGHT: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 8PM ET/PT

Tensions flare between two tribemates when one blames the other for the tribe's loss in a Challenge.

A tribe's high morale is not enough to keep one Survivor from being annoyed by a tribemate's uselessness around camp.

After a miserable night in a typhoon, one Survivor has an emotional and physical breakdown.

One undecided Survivor makes conflicting deals with two tribemates going into Tribal Council. Who will be next to leave the island?

EPISODE 4

ULONG LOSING STREAK: KIM SENT PACKING

Having lost their fourth Immunity Challenge in a row, the Ulong tribe has been completely stripped of all confidence and hope. Considered by the entire tribe to be a weak link who contributed very little in the way of work, Kimberly Mullen, the 25-year-old graduate student from Huber Heights, Ohio, witnessed the unanimous vote that removed her from SURVIVOR: PALAU.

After seeing her torch snuffed, Kimberly declared, "I guess tonight was my night to go. I hope the girls really stick up for themselves, because lord knows the guys have proven that they're nothing special on this tribe."

EPISODE 3

FALLEN WARRIOR: ULONG SACRIFICES JEFF

Having to suffer through their third consecutive Tribal Council, the Ulong tribe honored the wishes of their injured brother by voting out Jeff Wilson, the 21-year-old personal trainer from Ventura, California. After quickly changing from asset to liability when he wounded his ankle during the night, Jeff asked his tribemates to save themselves by voting him off. Accordingly, the Ulong tribe manufactured the four votes necessary to eliminate Jeff from SURVIVOR: PALAU. Shortly after the decision, Jeff declared, "Ulong, it's time to take Koror to the cleaners!"

EPISODE 2

NO ROOM FOR THE WEAK: ULONG OUSTS ASHLEE

Having to suffer through their second consecutive Tribal Council, the Ulong tribe banded together to vote out a member who appeared to have lost her will. Tired and depleted, Ashlee Ashby, the 22-year-old student from Easley, South Carolina, refused to eat or join her tribe in celebrating the welcome addition of fire to camp. Ashlee's quiet detachment worried her Ulong tribemates into casting the six votes that eliminated her from SURVIVOR: PALAU. After watching her torch snuffed out, Ashlee simply admitted, "I think they all sensed that I was ready to go home."

Premiering Thursday, February 17th, from 8 to 9 p.m.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: January 14, 2005

Contact: Palau Visitors Authority, E-mail: pva@visit-palau.com

 Survivor Palau in the 8th Natural Wonder of the World

On December 12 th, 2004, millions of viewers in North America first glimpsed the islands of Palau during the Survivor Vanuatu final episode. Claiming Palau to be the “most stunning location yet”, the narrative described Palau as “a tropical setting of stunning islands, dense jungles and an underwater world beyond belief”.

With over 1,400 species of fish and 500 species of coral, some have called Palau the 8 th Natural Wonder of the World. Located in the westernmost corner of Micronesia, Palau, a tiny independent nation of 20,000 has been a dream destination for only divers… until now. This 10 th season, Survivor Palau, will air February 2005 to an audience of 22 million in the US alone; plus more than 200 million viewers in more than 15 countries worldwide.

“This is the first time that Palau has received exposure of this magnitude,” reported Mary Ann Delemel, Palau Visitors Authority Managing Director. “Our tourism industry will definitely benefit, as will our neighboring islands in this region. Through inquiries as to where is Palau? potential visitors will become familiar with other islands in Micronesia.”

For more information about Palau, please view www.visit-palau.com. For a sneak peek at Survivor Palau, please watch www.cbs.com. Updates will be found on both web sites.