Jane Bright, a star of Survivor, has sadly passed away aged 71.Her daughter, Ashley Hammett, confirmed the heartbreaking news in a Facebook post on Thursday, revealing that Jane’s body had been discovered inside her home.
“Today Jane Hammett Bright was found passed away within her home by a good friend and county sheriff,” Ashley wrote. A cause of death has not been disclosed, per the Dailymail.
Jane was famed for her time on Survivor: Nicaragua.
Bright, a dog trainer from North Carolina, competed on the 21st season of Survivor in 2010. At 56, she was the oldest contestant that season and quickly became a standout personality.
She began the game on the Espada tribe and ultimately placed sixth out of 20 contestants.
Despite not winning the title of Sole Survivor, Bright’s resilience and humor resonated with audiences, earning her the Sprint Fan Favorite award and a $100,000 prize, per Enterainment weekly.
Her journey on Survivor was marked by personal strength, having lost her husband just months before filming began. In a past interview, she shared that he had “always wanted me to do this” and “knew I was applying throughout the years.”Bright believed her late husband was with her during the competition, saying, “we’ve had pictures taken of my house, and I lost him and one of my best show dogs about the same time. And there are orbs that show up in pictures so I know they are with me.”Fans and fellow contestants have taken to social media to express their condolences and share memories of Bright.
One fan wrote: “RIP. She was iconic, she had some of the most entertaining moments on that (slightly underrated) season.”
Another commented: “Rest in peace Jane. one of if not the best part about Nicaragua.” Others remembered her as a legend and a favorite from the season.
Bright’s impact on Survivor extended beyond her gameplay. She was known for her candidness and determination.
In an interview with Today after her exit from the series, when asked about building alliances, she remarked: “There were several times I tried to build alliances with Fabio and Benry [Ben Henry] – but I’m telling you, men are weird. They don’t want to make alliances with women, they want to stick with men.”
One of her most memorable moments on the show was when she extinguished the campfire before her departure.
Explaining her decision, Bright said: “Oh yeah, because according to my weather prediction that morning – I was real good about forecasting it while I was out there ’cause I farm – I knew probably by evening it was gonna be pouring down rain.”
Our thoughts are with Bright’s loved ones at this difficult time.
