Cirie Fields: A Trailblazer in Reality TV - Unforgettable Survivor Moments, Big Brother 25, and Beyond

Cirie Fields Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock

Cirie Fields is regarded by Survivor fans as the ultimate non-winning player. Since her debut on Survivor: Panama — Exile Island in 2006, Cirie has consistently demonstrated exceptional social strategizing skills. Despite her lack of physical prowess compared to others, this seasoned reality TV contestant excels at navigating difficult situations through persuasive communication.

Cirie's reality TV career is legendary. In August 2023, she made history by becoming the surprise 17th houseguest on Big Brother 25. This made her the first Survivor alum to participate in the game of Big Brother. Read on for a comprehensive breakdown of Cirie's remarkable journey.

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‘Survivor: Panama — Exile Island’

During her first season of Survivor in 2006, Cirie referred to herself as a "couch potato" and faced early challenges due to her lack of athleticism, resulting in her becoming a target after losing the first Immunity Challenge. However, she quickly formed an alliance with two members from her tribe, Casaya, and managed to redirect the target onto Tina Scheer, leading to her elimination through a 3-1 vote.

Later on in the competition, Cirie executed one of her most memorable strategic moves at the final six. She recognized that multiple contestants intended to take Courtney Marit to the final Tribal Council. To counter this, Cirie orchestrated a 3-2-1 split vote, successfully blindsiding and eliminating Courtney. This cunning maneuver showcased her exceptional social game, as she had to accurately determine the voting intentions of all the other players while concealing her own motives from half of them.

Cirie ultimately placed fourth after losing a fire-making tie breaker to her ally Danielle DiLorenzo.

‘Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites’

In 2008, Cirie made her return to Survivor for Micronesia. This time, she formed an alliance called the Black Widow Brigade, consisting of Parvati Shallow, Alexis Jones, Amanda Kimmel, and Natalie Bolton. Together, these women executed numerous blindsides, manipulating men into voting alongside them before ultimately turning against them once their support wasn't necessary anymore.

One of the alliance's most memorable achievements was their manipulation of Erik Reichenbach. When it came down to the final five, Cirie convinced Erik to trust them by giving his Immunity necklace to Natalie. She convinced him that this move was necessary in order for him to regain his reputation as a player who keeps his promises. Sadly, Erik fell right into Cirie's trap, and the Black Widow Brigade blindsided and eliminated him.

Amanda, Cirie, and Parvati honored their agreement at the final four and ousted Natalie. However, they were later informed that only two contestants would progress to the ultimate Tribal Council. Amanda triumphed over Cirie at the Final Immunity Challenge, and worried about her chances against Cirie in the finals, she ultimately decided to eliminate her.

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‘Survivor: Game Changers — Mamanuca Islands’

Following her early elimination in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains in 2010, Cirie made a triumphant return to the show in 2017 for Survivor: Game Changers. Throughout the season, Cirie displayed her strategic prowess by making a daring move when her ally, Sarah Lacina, entrusted her with the Steal a Vote advantage during a crucial Tribal Council as a gesture of faith.

Cirie made the mistake of not fully understanding the rules of the Steal a Vote advantage. Ignoring this, she tried to use it against Tai Trang twice. However, Sarah later revealed that the power couldn't be transferred and effectively stole Tai's vote instead. Sarah then teamed up with Brad Culpepper and Troyzan Robertson to eliminate Cirie's primary ally, Michaela Bradshaw.

Initially, Sarah was upset with Cirie's actions. However, Cirie was able to repair their relationship by explaining that she only made the move to protect Sarah from Tai, who had targeted her. Sarah, realizing her mistake, then apologized to Cirie.

Cirie faced elimination at the subsequent Tribal Council solely because she was the sole contestant without immunity. Despite not receiving any votes against her, she was automatically eliminated, prompting the jury to show their respect by applauding as she handed her torch to host Jeff Probst.

‘The Traitors’

In 2023, Cirie ventured into yet another reality show, the Peacock series of the same name, but with a twist. This time, she joined the ranks of the traitors, competing against others. Prior to this, she had already appeared on one episode of Snake in the Grass in 2022. In this episode, she teamed up with Janelle Pierzina and Rachel Reilly, successfully pinpointing Stephenie Kendrick (née LaGrossa) as the Snake and walking away with a share of the $100,000 prize. Despite her well-known status as a Survivor legend, Cirie skillfully flew under the radar and built solid relationships with numerous allies who believed in her completely.

After Cody Calafiore, a fellow traitor, suggested that Rachel should be eliminated, Cirie managed to redirect the focus towards Ryan Lochte, who had developed a strong bond with Cody. This successful move showcased her ability to deceive her allies.

Despite being presented with a chance to end the game and share the prize money with Arie Luyendyk Jr. at the final four, Cirie ultimately betrayed all three of her fellow traitors. This decision resulted in her emerging as the sole winner, with the remaining faithful contestants, Andie Thurmond and Quentin Jiles, believing in her loyalty. Cirie stood tall as the last traitor standing.

‘Big Brother’

During the final moments of the Big Brother 25 premiere in 2023, Cirie was announced as the surprise 17th houseguest, joining her son, Jared Fields, in the game.