Boston Rob Finally Wins 'Survivor,' Goes Straight Back to Work

By Zach Dionne Posted May 16th 2011 12:25PM

If it wasn't cemented sometime in the decade since "Boston" Rob Mariano's 'Survivor' debut in season four, he's now a professional reality TV guy.

Moments after winning the $1 million title of 'Sole Survivor' during his fourth shot at playing the game, Boston Rob told PopEater at the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC on Sunday night he wouldn't have much time for celebration.

"I'm going to work tomorrow. I'm doing a new show for the History Channel called 'Around the World in 80 Ways,'" Rob said. "Gotta make a dollar, brother."

Making a buck is indeed one of the Rob-father's specialties; he masterminded "Survivor: Redemption Island" to a flawless win and also took home the $100,000 Sprint Fan Favorite prize. Despite all that cash -- and the fact his wife, Amber, won $1 million on "Survivor: All Stars" in 2004 -- Rob won't kick back any time soon.

"After 10 years [in TV], I've learned the production side of things and I'm really interested in that and I wanna get involved in that," he told us.

As for betrayed alliance member Grant Mattos' sentiments that he hadn't forgiven Rob even months after the show filmed, Rob didn't seem overly fazed.

"Man, you're playing a game for a million dollars -– if you draw yourself a line in the sand, I think you're just handicapping yourself. And I'm not gonna do that. I might as well stay home if I'm gonna do that. I wish things had worked out differently with Grant, but every man's entitled to their opinion," Rob told us. "You learn to play the game and you learn to adapt and I think that's important no matter what you do in life, to always go to the next level."

Fourth-place player Ashley Underwood told PopEater she had a hard time being bitter about losing in the face of Rob's big win. "It's such a story, and he played the best game I think anyone has ever played. I'm proud of him," Ashley said. "He's a good guy. He deserved it."

With Boston Rob's 'Survivor' success story drawing to a close, we'd love to see a memoir from him. Something like 'How to Get Anyone to Trust You in Four Easy Steps,' 'On Living and Growing a Sweet Mustache,' 'I Survived 39 Days with Phillip Sheppard (And Don't Forget Coach),' or, simply, 'The Rob-Father,' perhaps?

See Boston Rob win 'Survivor: Redemption Island':

Tags: Boston Rob, Survivor

Comments

(122)

Monday 16 May

By Shelly Gallegos

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Rob, you rock!!!!! You are the ROB FATHER !!! glad to see you finally win,

By James

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Yeah it only took him 4 tries, what a winner!

By Charlene

Congratulations Rob! I have been watching "Survivor" since the first season and have never seen anyone play the game as perfect as you did. You absolutely deserved the one million and the one hundred thousand. I look forward to watching your new show "Around the World in 80 Days". God bless you and your family and good luck in the future.

By busymissnanci

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

"Ways" not "Days"

By klasakt

Vote down Vote up Report this

After three previous tries should he not have learned by then how to win? If some of the other players who were not as devious as him were given four tries would they not have as good a shot as Rob? It may have been a clean sweep, but the runner up of the Sprint Choice Award was only 4% behind ... forty percent to thirty-six percent is not a huge difference.

By Steve

I don't understand why everyone is praising Boston Rob for playing such a good game. The reason he won is everyone else settle for second place right from the beginning. Even when they saw Rob blindside someone that trusted him, they sat there thinking he wouldn't do it to them. This should go down as the DUMBEST Cast in Survivor History!!!

By Mariellen

AMEN!! If you "play a game" 4 times you better win and if you have those moron's to play with you HAVE to win!!

By mags

Uh hello, how many chances did they have to vote him off, way too many and they didn't because he is a pro and won them all over. Go ROB, he's always had my vote!

By Jeff

I agree! I've watched every episode of Survivor since the beginning and I found it very strange that Rob's tribe had none of the "Alpha-type A personalities" who are usually cast. They were all submissive. I'm suspicious of this game for the first time. It seemed orchestrated for Rob to win, and it makes sense now that he is up to host a new show. Remember after the one challenge when he dramatically nearly fainted? Fake. And how on earth did Philip find his shorts unless a cameraman pointed to their whereabouts? And Rob's big thing was always puzzles--And this season had more puzzles than any season before it. I wouldn't be surprised if Rob was involved with Probst and Burnett in casting his own tribe.

By cliff

I totally agree. The tribe(s) had plenty opportunities to dump that narcissistic turkey and they sat there like glazed-eyed rats waiting for the Pied Piper.

By Mary

Right on the money. You can't be called the best player in Survivor history if the ones you place against havve no personality, smarts and are dullards.
Please, please, no more Rob. Enough already.

By jan

I totally agree. Its like that cast.. especially the 20 year olds and the 19 yr old.. could not think for themselves....

By Carol

I totally agree. A bunch of DUM DUM's and Rob is the most egotistical, deceiving, ruthless, heartless, idiot that ruled these other idiots like a CULT. He pulled the chain through all their noses like cattle. Grant is just mad at himself for being pulled into all the BS. I will NEVER watch Survivor again and definately won't watch anything that has to do with Rob.

By janet pomponio

Your nuts. If those people are that stupid than Rob should have stayed home and called in his moves.

By snowfolk99

I agree with you! Why Natalie, Andrea and Ashley didn't vote Rob off is beyond me. They're either idiots or the show is fixed. I lose interest when they bring back survivors from past shows,,,,,boring!

By goggleplex

Mariellen....playing the game 4 times dosen't guarantee a win !...just ask Russell.

By donna

I totally agree!!!

By MrPhishy

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Rob desevered to win. Everyone else deserved to lose. My only bone to pick with this season is that everyone voted off got a second chance, except Ashley. When she was voted off there was no second chance. Seems a bit unfair considering the high stakes of the game.

By bchbunnie4

Gee...you think after playing five times he finally figured out how to play!!

How fair is it to everyone else that only gets to play once in their lifetime that they keep bringing Rob back until he finally wins???

Watch...now they will bring Amber back and give her another shot to win ANOTHER million bucks!!