Getty Keith Tollefson and Whitney Duncan attend a Creative Artists Agency barbecue in Nashville in June 2013.
Congratulations are in order as yet another “Survivor” couple are expecting a child: Keith Tollefson and Whitney Duncan, of “Survivor: South Pacific.” Here’s what you need to know:
Keith Tollefson & Whitney Duncan Met on ‘Survivor’ in 2011
Keith Tollefson, 36, and Whitney Duncan, 37, first made headlines in the “Survivor” community back in 2011, when they competed on season 23, “South Pacific.” There, they were placed on the Savaii tribe – most notable for being led by returning contestant and “Survivor” fan favorite Ozzy Lusth. The two, then aged 26 and 27, would go on to develop a famous showmance, despite Duncan having been married to musician Donny Fallgatter at the time.
Duncan, a Tennessee native who had already achieved fame as a country music star in her own right, divorced Fallgatter in November 2011, during the airing of her “Survivor” season. In February 2013, less than two years after meeting, Tollefson and Duncan became engaged, and the two would get married in July 2014.
On “Survivor,” neither of them fared too well, having been the victims of a “Pagonging” – a systemic elimination of the members of the rival tribe post-merge – at the hands of Upolu, led by Benjamin “Coach” Wade. Interestingly, however, unlike many other “Survivor” couples, there was little intention at any point of targeting Tollefson and Duncan for being a couple. As jury members, they both voted for 21-year-old Sophie Clarke, who would go on to win the game in a 6-3-0 vote.
GettyDuncan performs during the premiere party of “Nashville Star” in 2007.
Although neither have appeared on “Survivor” since season 23, they have not shied away from reality TV overall. As an engaged couple under the team name “Team Nashville,” they competed on “The Amazing Race 25″ in 2014, where they were the fourth team eliminated and placed eighth. Shortly before that, Duncan appeared on TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress,” where she picked a wedding dress for her upcoming wedding to Tollefson.
Duncan was no stranger to reality TV before appearing on “Survivor” either. In 2007, she appeared on USA Network’s “Nashville Star,” where she placed fifth. After her appearance there, she signed to Warner Bros. Records Nashville, where she remained until August 2008, according to her AllMusic biography.
Duncan Is 3 Months Pregnant
On Sunday, Duncan announced on Instagram that she was pregnant with the couple’s first child. Although they did not reveal the baby’s sex, she revealed that the due date is October 23, meaning that she is almost three months pregnant.
“Praise Jesus,” Duncan wrote, “we are PREGNANT! Our little miracle is due October 2022 🧡 I’ll share more of our long, hard journey at some point, but for now we are just so happy and excited!” The same day, she posted a collage of her, Tollefson, and their dog, wishing her followers a happy Easter. She concluded with the hashtag, #pregnant.
They received an outpouring of love and congratulations from their friends and family, including their “Survivor” family. Their one-time tribemate and ally Ozzy Lusth posted in response, “Ohhhh my!! CONGRATS YOU TWO..THREE! ❤️❤️❤️” Duncan responded thanking him, adding that her husband “says hi.”
This announcement is coming on the heels of “Survivor: Edge of Extinction” winner Chris Underwood’s announcement of his own first baby, with the due date also being around October.
“Survivor 42” is currently airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS. The three-hour finale airs Wednesday, May 25, 2022.