Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing cast: Lives and profiles of the contestants
Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing cast includes veterans like Dan Link, Laura Zerra, Matt Wright, and Max Djenohan, all fighting for survival supremacy. The show brings together 14 of the toughest survivalists for the ultimate test of endurance in the wild.
Source: Instagram
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Dan Link, a biologist from Honolulu, Hawaii, won Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing.
- Contestants like Matt Wright have participated in multiple Naked and Afraid challenges with over 200 days in the wild.
- The show followed a group of survivalists as they competed in a multiphase challenge and had their skills tested to win $100,000.
Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing cast members
Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing features a lineup of elite survivalists. Each has a proven track record from previous challenges in the franchise. They are:
1. Matt Wright
Source: Getty Images
- Home state: Colorado/Florida
- Previous challenges: 8
- Total days survived: 252
Matt Wright, a Colorado native, lived across the US but returned to his home state in 2004. He’s a US Air Force veteran who served in the Special Operations Tactical Air Control Party before an injury ended his military career.
He became famous as a survival expert, appearing in seasons of Naked and Afraid and the UK’s First Man Out. He is known by nicknames like “The Juggernaut” and “Savage.” Wright proposed to his wife, Brooke, during his first survival show.
2. Jeff Zausch
Source: Instagram
- Home state: Pocatello, Idaho
- Previous challenges: 7
- Total days survived: 245
Jeff Zausch from Pocatello, Idaho, is a seasoned survivalist. He is best known for his feats on Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid series, where he has survived 245 days across multiple challenges.
His notable appearances include 21 days in Madagascar (2014), 40 days in Colombia (2015), 60 days in the Philippines (2017), 40 days in South Africa (2018), and 45 days in Africa during Last One Standing (2024).
He has a degree in Spanish and business from Idaho State University and has worked as a motivational speaker and translator. Jeff was previously married but is now in a relationship with Erin Munoz.
3. Max Djenohan
Source: Instagram
- Home state: Washington
- Previous challenges: 6
- Total days survived: 177
Max Djenohan was born in Seattle to an Ivorian artist and a fifth-generation Seattleite. Max's early years took him from the Ivory Coast to Brooklyn before he settled back in the Pacific Northwest.
He traces his love for the outdoors back to childhood hikes and camping trips led by his mother across the Cascades, the Olympics, and beyond. At 13, he was passionate about snowboarding, and at 24, he began documenting his adventures. A year later, he tackled the 550-mile Washington stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail.
At 28, the Discovery Channel invited him to join Naked and Afraid, which launched his reality TV career. He’s now developing his show with Love Nature.
Max partners with outdoor brands and non-profits like Seattle’s The Service Board today, empowering BIPOC youth through outdoor access and social justice.
4. Ky Furneaux
Source: Instagram
- Home state: Victoria, Australia
- Previous challenges: 6
- Total days survived: 136
Kylie “Ky” Furneaux was born in Adelaide, Australia, on October 29, 1973. She had a car accident at 19 that left her with a spine injury. Doctors doubted she'd walk properly again, but a year of intense rehab proved them wrong.
Fuelled by a love for the wild, she became an outdoor guide with Venture Corporate Recharge. She led adventure activities like rock climbing, kayaking, and high ropes.
Over seven years, she honed survival skills that later propelled her into a career as a Hollywood stunt performer and survival expert. She also holds a degree in business.
5. Laura Zerra
- Home state: Montana
- Previous challenges: 5
- Total days survived: 156
Laura Zerra was born in Agawam, Massachusetts, on September 16, 1985. She was raised in a family that valued both intellect and adventure. Her father, Steven, was an electrical engineer, and her mother, Elizabeth, was a preschool teacher.
She attended a local high school and then pursued a degree in Ethno Biology at Connecticut College. Her big break came in 2013 when she joined Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid. She survived three tough weeks in the jungles of Bocas del Toro, Panama.
Her grit and expertise quickly made her a standout, leading to recurring roles in spin-offs like Naked After Dark (2014), Naked and Afraid XL (2015–2019), and Naked and Afraid: Savage (2019).
6. Dan Link
Source: Instagram
- Home state: Honolulu, Hawaii
- Previous challenges: 4
- Total days survived: 140
Dan Link is a survivalist and biologist from Honolulu, Hawaii. He has participated in four Naked and Afraid challenges, including the US/Mexico border and the Amazon rainforest. In 2024, Dan won Season 2 of Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing, a 45-day competition in Africa's Munzwa Valley, where he outlasted 13 other survivalists.
7. Trish Bulinsky
Source: Instagram
- Home state: New Jersey/North Carolina
- Previous challenges: 4
- Total days survived: 103
Trish Bulinsky, born on December 22, 1972, in Port Monmouth, New Jersey, is a seasoned survivalist and reality TV personality. She is a mother to three, including Julia Bulinsky, who followed in her footsteps and participated in the series.
In 2024, Trish returned to Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing, a competitive survival series set in Africa's Munzwa Valley. Beyond her TV career, Trish does advocacy work, particularly raising awareness about opioid addiction.
8. Kaila Cumings
Source: Instagram
- Home state: New Hampshire
- Previous challenges: 4
- Total days survived: 88
Born in 1988 in Troy, New Hampshire, Kaila Cumings is a seasoned survivalist and custom knife maker. Cumings grew up in the forests of New England and developed a deep love for the outdoors. She learnt to hunt and shoot from her father, skills that laid the foundation for her survival career. Kaila worked as a cosmetologist but eventually turned her focus to knife-making.
On Naked and Afraid, Kaila proved her grit in extreme environments like Colombia, South Africa, and the Amazon. Despite one early exit on XL, she returned for Naked and Afraid: Solo. She redeemed herself by completing a 21-day solo survival challenge.
9. Darrin Reay
Source: Instagram
- Home state: Wind River Reservation
- Previous challenges: 3
- Total days survived: 83
Darrin Reay was born on the Wind River Reservation and raised in Sheridan, Wyoming. Darrin was a rock climbing guide and served in the Wyoming National Guard from 2002 to 2008. He later transitioned into home inspection and pursued his passion for geology and jewellery making. He crafted silver-adorned pendants from dinosaur bone and gemstones.
10. Patrick French
- Home state: New Hampshire
- Previous challenges: 3
- Total days survived: 82
Patrick French, known as "Dosu Kinuta," is a seasoned survivalist, professional backpacker, and reality TV personality from Concord, New Hampshire. He was born on March 8, 1982, and has hiked over 21,000 miles across 23 different trails in the US, including the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails.
Since 2015, he has embraced a nomadic lifestyle, living outdoors year-round and testing gear for brands like La Sportiva and Zpacks. French became famous as a contestant on the Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid, appearing in Season 15, Episode 3, and later on Naked and Afraid: Castaways.
11. Trent Nielsen
Source: Instagram
- Home state: Utah
- Previous challenges: 3
- Total days survived: 73
Trent Nielsen from Salt Lake City, Utah, is famous for appearing on the reality show Naked and Afraid. In Season 5, Episode 2, titled Fear the Unknown, he was paired with Annie Foley to survive 21 days in the jungles of Belize. After his partner tapped out early, Trent completed 18 days solo, achieving a Primitive Survival Rating (PSR) of 8.2.
He grew up in the mountains of Utah, where he developed a deep connection with nature and a strong sense of self-reliance. Notably, Trent claims to have had a Bigfoot encounter at 12.
12. Cheeny Plante
Source: Instagram
- Home state: Maine
- Previous challenges: 3
- Total days survived: 67
Charlene “Cheeny” Plante is from Sanford, Maine. She graduated in 2008 from Sanford High School. Plante joined the US Air Force as a Senior Airman and later as a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) instructor.
In 2022, Cheeny appeared on the Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid, surviving 21 days in South Africa's wilderness with minimal resources. Her extensive training and background in SERE proved invaluable during this challenge.
Cheeny returned to the Naked and Afraid franchise in 2023 for Naked and Afraid: Solo, where she faced the harsh conditions of the wild alone for three weeks. Currently, Cheeny resides in Sanford, where she works as a house painter and lobsterman. She is also pursuing certification as a Maine Guide.
13. Jamie Frizzell
Source: Instagram
- Home state: Scotland
- Previous challenges: 3
- Total days survived: 44
Jamie “Wildman” Frizzell is a Scottish survivalist and bushcraft instructor. The former lifeguard and self-taught outdoorsman began sharing his wilderness adventures on YouTube, which led to an invitation to join the show.
Frizzell first appeared in the South African Savannah and later participated in Naked and Afraid XL: Next Level in the Amazon, where he tapped out early due to severe insect bites.
In 2023, Frizzell returned for Naked and Afraid: Solo, facing 21 days alone in Guyana’s jungle. Equipped with a machete and a bow drill, he encountered a jaguar just 30 feet away and survived a night of heavy rain that nearly led to hypothermia. Despite these challenges, he completed the solo challenge, earning a Primitive Survival Rating of 9.1.
Frizzell is also active in the UK survival community. He offers immersive survival experiences through his company, South West Survival.
14. Kaiela Hobart
- Home state: Washington/Colorado
- Previous challenges: 2
- Total days survived: 61
Kaiela Hobart has appeared on Naked and Afraid and Naked and Afraid XL. In 2020, she completed a 21-day challenge in the African desert.
In 2024, she returned for Naked and Afraid XL Season 10, where she and fellow survivalists embarked on a 40-day trek across Colombia's Badlands. They endured extreme conditions such as triple-digit temperatures, torrential rains, and encounters with wildlife like jaguars and caimans.
In addition, Kaiela works as an arborist and motorcycle sales manager. She is also an avid motorcycle racer, participating in events like Build Train Race Flat Track in 2022 and Royal Enfield North America. Kaiela shares her outdoor adventures and survival insights on her Instagram account.
Who is the winner of Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing?
Dan Link, a seasoned survivalist and biologist from Honolulu, Hawaii, won Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing. He used his field expertise, calm demeanour, and strategic thinking to outlast the others and earn the top spot.
Final word
Naked and Afraid: Last One Standing cast brings together the most experienced and resilient survivalists ever to grace the show. From Dan Link's strategic thinking to Laura Zerra's exceptional wilderness skills, each contestant has what it takes to survive in the harshest environments.
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