Speculation has been rising in recent weeks about whether Elisabeth Hasselbeck would be returning to compete in Survivor season 48 are returning as well. The biggest rumor, though, has been that Elisabeth would be competing again.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck broke her silence about whether she's competing on Survivor 50.

Elisabeth broke her silence on Instagram and said definitively that she is not competing on Survivor 50. "That is funny, though. I'm not doing that. I'm gonna be back there with, like, snacks instead," she itted. Elisabeth added that instead of being on Survivor, she'll be gardening and working on "fun projects," but Survivor is not on her list. "I'm not doing that. I wanna be with my family and a burger in the backyard," she concluded.

What Elisabeth Hasselbeck Not Returning For Survivor 50 Means

Casting Elisabeth For Survivor 50 Would've Been A Huge Deal

Elisabeth is the most well-known former Survivor player (even non-fans know who she is) because she was able to translate that fame into a lucrative TV career, first as a co-host on The View and then on Fox & Friends. She became one of the most talked-about View hosts due to the arguments that would spring up between her as the lone conservative and her liberal co-hosts. She was involved in one of the most infamous moments in View history when producers employed a split screen during a heated exchange between Elisabeth and Rosie O'Donnell that caused Rosie to quit.

If the Survivor producers had been able to get Elisabeth to return, that would have been a huge deal, considering how famous she became after Survivor: The Australian Outback; it's amazing they got Mike White to come back, even after his White Lotus fame. Since all the contestants for Survivor 50 are returning players, there are already going to be baked-in judgments about everyone from the last time they competed. Someone like Elisabeth would have had the added judgment of her controversial moments on The View, which would have been interesting to see play out, if at all.

Our Take On Elisabeth Hasselbeck Not Playing Survivor Again

Elisabeth Will Probably Never Play Survivor Again

It seemed like a lot of fans were convinced that Elisabeth was returning for Survivor 50. I'm sure the producers reached out to her to see if she was interested. After her TV career, maybe she didn't want to face a ton of criticism like she's received over the years. Based on the comments she made when she confirmed she wouldn't be returning to Survivor, it sounds like she just wants to focus on her family right now, and no one can blame her for that.

After Survivor 50, I wonder how soon it will be until they have another all-stars season. When that day comes, it'll be interesting to see if they only cast new era players from that point on or if old era players will still be considered. Either way, Elisabeth will probably never return to Survivor, despite all the speculation.

Source: Elisabeth Hasselbeck/Instagram