Provo's Tyson Apostol doesn't see himself as a villain, even if the rest of America will.
The 30-year-old former professional cyclist and Brigham Young University drop-out appears on the hit CBS reality show "Survivor" for a second time in the show's 20th season beginning Feb. 11. The show premieres at 7 p.m. on KUTV Channel 2.
The new cycle, dubbed "Heroes vs. Villains," is an all-star gathering of 20 of the show's most talked-about contestants, pitting the program's more heroic and likable players against its most diabolical ones. They will spend 39 days in a remote area of Samoa where they will vie for the $1 million grand prize.
Apostol will play for the "Villains" team alongside some of the "Survivor's" most infamous past participants, including last season's Russell Hantz, and Jerri Manthey, the conniving contestant from the second season in Australia.
Apostol was labeled a villain for the season, in part, because of his streaks of arrogance (when asked which "Survivor" player he respects the most, he answered "Myself"). But he doesn't consider the "Villains" evil, just really good players.
"I wasn't really shocked," he said about hearing he would play for the "Villains" team. "A lot of the standout personalities on the show are either loved or hated. And that was the way it was with me, I was either loved or hated.
He added: "If you look at it, everyone who are 'villains' were the thinkers on the game. So I kind of take it as a compliment."
Apostol, a former manager of a bicycle shop in Lindon, served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines, a journey he said has helped him on all his "Survivor" adventures.
"It helps for anything," he said about his Mormon mission. "It's based on communicating with strangers. Me going on a mission was a huge, huge benefit. A lot of people don't have that strength because they haven't been put in a situation like that."
Early last year, Apostol appeared on "Survivor: The Tocantins," an area in the Brazilian highlands.
Despite his self-confidence and his belief he was the best on that season's cast, Apostol remained relatively passive. Ultimately, he was the eighth out of 16 contestants to be booted from the "island."
Since his appearance on the show, Apostol has mostly been traveling, visiting friends. He doesn't have a permanent address, he said, and lives out of his car. He refers to himself as a "drifter" instead of homeless.
Then CBS called him again about appearing for a second time on this new all-star season. "I felt 'Survivor' owed me a million dollars anyway so I thought, 'Hey, maybe this is the time.'"
Now Apostol is going to Samoa to "outwit, outplay and outlast" a new set of challenges against a team of hardcore "Survivor" veterans.
"Challenge-wise, there is no one better than me, and strategy-wise, there is no one better than me," Apostol said with his infamous dose of self-confidence. "I feel like I'm perfect for the game in pretty much every way."
In just a couple days, we'll find out.
