{{Short description|American television personalities (born 1986)}} {{About|the American television personality|the English actress, singer and television presenter|Natalie Anderson (actress)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}} {{Infobox person | name = Natalie Anderson | image = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1986|04|11}} | birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | other_names = {{hlist|Twinnie|Nat}} | occupation = TV personality, Crossfit coach, physical therapy student | television = {{plainlist|1= * ''{{nowrap|The Amazing Race 21}}'' * ''{{nowrap|The Amazing Race 24}}'' * ''{{nowrap|Survivor: San Juan del Sur}}'' (winner) * ''Survivor: Winners at War'' (runner-up) * ''The Challenge: Double Agents'' * ''The Traitors 4'' }} | spouse = | children = }}
'''Natalie Anderson''' (born April 11, 1986) is an American television personality. She appeared in ''The Amazing Race'' and ''Survivor: San Juan del Sur''. In the ''San Juan del Sur'' season, after her twin Nadiya was the first contestant eliminated, Natalie eventually became crowned Sole Survivor, winning the show's $1 million prize. Natalie also competed on ''Survivor: Winners at War'', an all-winners season. After being voted out first, she battled her way back into the game from the Edge of Extinction twist and finished first runner-up on the season.
==Early life== Natalie Anderson was born in Queens alongside her twin Nadiya to a Tamil father and a Sinhalese mother. She and her family moved to Sri Lanka at age three amid the Sri Lankan Civil War.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/TheAmazingRace/article/Natalie-and-Nadiya-embarrassed-to-be-eliminated-first-on-e28098Amazing-Racee28099-All-Stars|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305034714/http://www.ctv.ca/TheAmazingRace/article/Natalie-and-Nadiya-embarrassed-to-be-eliminated-first-on-e28098Amazing-Racee28099-All-Stars|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 5, 2014|title=The Amazing Race - News - Natalie and Nadiya embarrassed to be eliminated first on 'Amazing Race' All-Stars - CTV|work=CTV.ca|access-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref> The whole family moved to West Hartford, Connecticut at age thirteen. There, she alongside Nadiya attended Hall High School, where the twins ran track and Natalie was captain of the swim team. The twins later attended Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business, where Natalie played rugby.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.fordham.edu/university-news/twins-travel-the-world-on-the-amazing-race/|title=Twins Travel the World on The Amazing Race|date=2012-11-08|website=Fordham Newsroom|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fillo |first=Maryellen |date=April 6, 2015 |title=West Hartford 'Twinnies' Of 'Amazing Race,' 'Survivor' Fame Tell Of Winning & Losing |url=https://www.courant.com/java/hc-west-hartford-twins-amazing-race-20150407-story.html |access-date=2019-11-24 |website=courant.com}}</ref> Before participating in their own debut season of ''The Amazing Race'', both had moved to Edgewater, New Jersey. Natalie was studying physical therapy, while Nadiya was a project coordinator for Bridge2Peace, which is an American educational charity operating in Sri Lanka.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/cast/183900/|title=The Amazing Race Cast: Natalie and Nadiya|publisher=CBS Interactive|work=CBS|access-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref>
==Television appearances== ===''The Amazing Race''=== Natalie and Nadiya first participated in the twenty-first season of ''The Amazing Race'', where they called each other "'''Twinnie'''". The twins won two legs during the season but were eliminated in the penultimate leg, placing them fourth. They returned in the twenty-fourth season, which was an ''All-Stars'' (all-returnees) competition, but were eliminated in the first leg of the season.<ref name=profile>{{Cite web|title=Natalie And Nadiya|url=http://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/cast/183900/|website=CBS|access-date=August 14, 2015}}</ref>
===''Survivor''=== {{primary sources|BLP=yes|section|date=April 2026}} ====''San Juan del Sur''==== Natalie and Nadiya appeared as contestants on ''Survivor: San Juan del Sur''. The twins appeared on a season that used the Blood vs. Water theme, which pitted nine pairs of loved ones against each other. Natalie was placed on the Hunahpu tribe, while Nadiya was on the Coyopa tribe, as the season's theme was pairs of loved ones competing against each other on opposing tribes. Nadiya was the first contestant eliminated from the competition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.etonline.com/tv/151703_survivor_nadiya_talks_reality_show_curse/|title='Survivor' Nadiya Talks Reality Show Curse|work=Entertainment Tonight|date=September 25, 2014 |access-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref> Natalie remained in the game, making it into the merged Huyopa tribe, and won three reward challenges, one individual immunity, and was sent to Exile Island twice. Anderson ultimately made it into the Final Three and was voted by the jury in a 5–2–1 vote as the Sole Survivor, winning the season's $1,000,000 grand prize.<ref>{{cite web|title="Survivor: San Juan Del Sur" Names Winner|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/survivor-san-juan-del-sur-names-sole-survivor/|website=CBRDFS|date=December 18, 2014|access-date=August 14, 2015}}</ref>
Anderson was slated to return for ''Survivor: Game Changers'' as a member of the Nuku tribe, but she suffered a concussion and was replaced by Sierra Dawn Thomas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://survivingtribal.com/2017/05/30/survivor-game-changers-players-game-changing-moments/12/|title=Survivor Game Changers: Each player's big game-changing moment|date=2017-05-30|website=Surviving Tribal|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/NatalieeAnd/status/990016551112896512|title=Totes|last=Anderson|first=Natalie|date=2018-04-27|website=@NatalieeAnd|language=ca|access-date=2019-04-23}}</ref>
====''Winners at War''==== For winning the ''San Juan del Sur'' season, Anderson re-competed on ''Survivor: Winners at War''.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/photos/1008880/who-s-in-the-cast-of-survivor-season-40-winners-at-war-/2/|title=Who's in the Cast of Survivor Season 40: Winners at War?|date=2019-12-18|website=CBS|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-17}}</ref> She was the first person voted out, but inhabited the "Edge of Extinction" island. She spent thirty-three days on the Edge of Extinction, where she accumulated sixteen Fire Tokens, the most any player in the game received. On day thirty-five, Anderson used all of her sixteen tokens to purchase three advantages in the re-entry competition, which helped her win and re-enter the main game. On day thirty-six, she played an idol (purchased on Extinction Island) on herself, which voided four votes against her. On day thirty-seven, Anderson found an idol and played it on herself, but received no votes. She won the Final Immunity Challenge on day thirty-eight, making it to the Final Tribal Council once again. However, her gameplay was seen as safe compared to Tony's dominant gameplay, and she finished as the runner up to him in a 12-4-0 vote.
Her twin Nadiya arrived to visit Anderson on the loved ones' visit during the tenth episode.
===Other television appearances===
In 2016, Anderson appeared in a special episode of ''The Price Is Right'' which featured multiple former ''Survivor'' contestants competing on the show. The episode aired on May 23, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_price_is_right/news/1005169/big-brother-the-amazing-race-and-survivor-stars-to-play-the-price-is-right/|title=Big Brother, The Amazing Race, And Survivor Stars To Play The Price Is Right|work=CBS|date=April 25, 2016|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref>
Anderson competed on the thirty-sixth season of ''The Challenge'' in 2020.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Bucksbaum |first1=Sydney |title=Survivor winner Natalie Anderson talks taking on The Challenge: Double Agents |url=https://ew.com/tv/the-challenge-double-agents-natalie-anderson-survivor/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=5 December 2020}}</ref> She was initially paired with Wes Bergmann and was voted into elimination in episode one, where she defeated opponent Ashley Mitchell.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ossad |first1=Jordana |title=Will Natalie Take Advantage of the Double Agents Twist That 'Will Change Everything'? |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/3172277/challenge-double-agents-premiere-twist-natalie/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210152202/https://www.mtv.com/news/3172277/challenge-double-agents-premiere-twist-natalie/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 10, 2020 |website=MTV |publisher=MTV News |access-date=14 January 2021}}</ref> Anderson was deemed medically unable to continue in the competition, withdrawing in episode 5, after learning that she was pregnant.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/natalie-left-the-challenge-due-to-pregnancy-later-miscarried/|title=Natalie Anderson Reveals She Had to Leave 'The Challenge' Because She Was Pregnant, Suffered Miscarriage Upon Arriving Home|work=Us Weekly|last=Longeretta|first=Emily|date=January 13, 2020|access-date=January 13, 2020}}</ref>{{unreliable source|reason=Per WP:USWEEKLY, the magazine's reliability may be questionable|date=February 2026}} The following week, she had a miscarriage.<ref>{{Cite news |title=''The Challenge''{{'}}s Natalie Anderson opens up about miscarriage after suddenly leaving show |last=HInes |first=Ree |date=2021-01-14 |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/natalie-anderson-opens-about-miscarriage-after-leaving-challenge-t205822 |access-date=2026-02-16 |work=Today}}</ref>
Anderson competed on the fourth season of ''The Traitors'' in 2025.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/the-traitors-season-4-cast-contestants-revealed-11754024|title=The Traitors season 4 cast revealed|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|last=Ross|first=Dalton|date=June 13, 2025|access-date=June 13, 2025}}</ref> She was chosen to play as a Faithful at the beginning of the game, and was banished in the penultimate episode.
== Political views == Anderson endorsed Zohran Mamdani for the 2025 New York City mayoral election. She appeared in a ''Survivor'' Tribal Council-style voting against Andrew Cuomo alongside Yam Yam Arocho, Katurah Topps, Stephanie Berger, Teeny Chirichillo, Brandon Donlon, Jacob Derwin, Maddy Pomilla, and Josh Canfield in an endorsement ad for Mamdani.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ_ehK_mcxU |title=Survivor |date=2025-10-15 |last=Zohran Mamdani for NYC |access-date=2025-10-17 |via=YouTube}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=April 2026}}
==Filmography== === Television === {{table alignment}} {| class="wikitable sortable col3center" |- ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2012 | ''The Amazing Race 21'' |{{eliminated|4th Place}} |- | 2014 | ''The Amazing Race: All-Stars'' |{{eliminated|11th Place}} |- | 2014 | ''Survivor: San Juan del Sur — Blood vs. Water'' |{{Win|Winner}} |- | 2016 | ''The Price Is Right'' | 1 episode |- | 2020 | ''Survivor: Winners at War'' | {{Runner-up}} |- | 2020–21 | ''The Challenge: Double Agents'' | {{CRemoved|Medically Disqualified}} |- | 2026 | ''The Traitors 4'' | {{eliminated|7th Place}} |}
===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !scope="col"| Year !scope="col"| Title !scope="col"| Artist !scope="col"| Role(s) |- | 2026 | "How The Fire Started"<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Tracy |first=Brianne |date=March 3, 2026 |title=The Traitors' Eric Nam Gets His Revenge Against Winner Rob Rausch in His New Music Video (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/traitors-eric-nam-gets-revenge-rob-rausch-new-music-video-exclusive-11917742 |url-status=live |magazine=People |access-date=March 3, 2026}}</ref> | Eric Nam | The Iron Mare |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{succession box | title= Winner of ''Survivor'' | before=Tony Vlachos| years=''Survivor: San Juan del Sur''| after= Mike Holloway}} {{succession box | title= Runner-Up of ''Survivor'' | before=Dean Kowalski| years=''Survivor: Winners at War''| after=Deshawn Radden}} {{s-end}}
{{Survivor contestants}} {{The Challenge (TV series) contestants}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Natalie}} Category:1986 births Category:American people of Sri Lankan descent Category:American people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent Category:Identical twin females Category:Living people Category:People from Edgewater, New Jersey Category:Television personalities from New York City Category:Survivor (American TV series) winners Category:The Amazing Race contestants Category:American twins Category:Sister duos Category:Hall High School (Connecticut) alumni Category:Gabelli School of Business alumni Category:American identical twins