Dee Valladares

Born in Havana, Cuba, Valladares immigrated to Florida with her family at a young age and grew up in Hialeah. Her parents left Cuba to provide better opportunities for their children. She later earned an Associate of Arts in Psychology from Miami Dade College before attending Florida International University.

At 23, Valladares launched Wanaroam, a backpack and travel gear company inspired by her passion for outdoor trips. Building a business from scratch taught her to manage financial uncertainty and pitch ideas under pressure. She also took up endurance sports on a whim. Despite having previously run a maximum of three miles, she registered for and finished a 26.2-mile marathon.

Valladares joined the cast of Survivor 45 on the red Reba tribe. Early on, she formed a close bond with Julie Alley, Drew Basile, and Austin Li Coon. The group became the Reba Four, controlling the strategic flow of the season across multiple eliminations. Her partnership with Austin developed into a showmance, yet she kept strategic control firmly in her own hands.

Her biggest moves came in the endgame. When Drew targeted Julie at the final seven, Austin tipped off Valladares, who promptly warned Julie to play her hidden immunity idol. Julie played it, sending Emily Flippen home on a single vote. Valladares then turned on Drew, orchestrating his blindside at the next vote without warning Austin. She backed up her strategy with physical execution. She won three individual immunity challenges, including the final endurance competition on Day 25.

At the Final Tribal Council, Valladares faced Austin and Jake O'Kane. She laid out her proactive social connections and decisive blindside maneuvers. The jury voted 5-3-0 in her favor, making her the fourth Latin American winner in the franchise's history.

Following her victory, Valladares joined host Jeff Probst and Jay Wolff as a co-host on the official podcast On Fire with Jeff Probst during Survivor 46. She provided analytical insights from a recent champion's perspective.

Valladares returned to the island for Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans. She secured an individual immunity win post-merge and assisted in a blindside of Charlie Davis. However, shifting alliances left her vulnerable, and an unsuccessful Shot in the Dark play led to her elimination in 14th place.

Outside of Survivor, Valladares entered physical and social competition on other networks. She appeared on MTV's The Challenge: Vets & New Threats, where she partnered with veteran Derrick Kosinski. She subsequently joined the house on Big Brother 28, becoming the first former Survivor champion to compete on the show.