Who is Vince Costello? Survivor 49 airs title card tribute

Following tonight’s big premiere of Survivor 49, we saw a title card tribute to Vince Costello. Who was he, and what did he mean to the show family? We will do our best to share all important info within, including why he was so meaningful to everyone who worked behind the scenes.

According to a report from People Magazine spotlighting many of the crew members on the CBS hit, Costello was a locations manager for Survivor, beginning with the competition decided to settle on Fiji as a permanent home over the past ten years. It also notes that three of his children have worked on the show in some capacity. Costello was a Fiji native and worked on many other productions beyond just this show, but this one served as a stable home base for him and so many others year in and year out. Two seasons are at this point filmed in the country a year.

In the aforementioned piece, Costello had the following to say about working on the show, and the gratitude so many had for it:

“Fiji is very much into culture and into respect, and it’s been great working for Survivor in that respect … From every single Fijian citizen on this job and for all the citizens of our little country, we’ve been very grateful.”

While there are no exact specifics available of his passing, People notes that Costello died following the filming for season 50 earlier this year. The title card following the season 49 premiere is meant to honor him, and also allow others out there to learn about his impact behind the scenes. This is also something that will live on in subsequent airings and on streaming.

There are few shows and few crews quite like Survivor, as you have people who work here for long stretches of time, out in the elements and relying on one another in a unique way. Costello will be missed, and our thoughts and condolences go out to all his loved ones. We hope that the title card serves as a comfort.